RE-BIRTH Concert Review

By Ashley Marie

“Have you ever noticed when you’re in the presence of certain people that you feel better about yourself? Their compassionate energy has the noticeably pleasant impact of simply making you feel really good about yourself.” Wayne Dyer, an American self-help author and motivational speaker, wrote those words and I believe he must have written them to describe the culture and community of people that I have grown to love so much.  It perfectly describes the PLUR vibes that fuel the night and accompany this beautiful group of individuals at every event they work so hard to put together.

The energy was palpable walking through the door! I knew on arrival that it was going to be another night for the books! Friendly staff were posted at the front door taking money and passing out wristbands. They offered flyers promoting upcoming events like Summer Camp and Mission: BeatX, as well as cards with IowaTechno’s Snapcode. New to this event were the recently initiated IowaTechno membership cards on sale for only $5 each! I am excited to have my own and take advantage of membership perks like discounted tickets and merchandise, free entry to the membership appreciation night, and exclusive ticket giveaways!

The venue is one that is familiar to us locals and the crew works hard to make improvements for every techno experience they host. The abundant snow and ice from our harsh Midwest winter constricted the parking lot, but there was still ample room for parking. Security was not necessary at this event, as it was smaller than those hosted on major holidays. The sets were performed in a large warehouse and provided plenty of space for those in attendance to break from reality and freely dance the night away! A section of the room was roped off for indoor smoking and this was much appreciated by those that used it. Portable restrooms were outdoors and while this may seem inconvenient, I found it to be much more efficient than the indoor option because it gave dancers a chance to cool off while keeping the lines shorter. The staff typically have water bottles on hand but this event was strictly BYOB.