Culture
Indulge In '90s Clubbing Nostalgia With These Pictures From Early Bay Area Raves
Dig up your old stash of kandi and put on your JNCOs.
In the wake of the current tech explosion and skyrocketing costs of living in San Francisco, it’s hard to imagine a time when the city was a hub for DIY art, music and culture. But during the ’90s—yes, that wonderful decade when the clubbing scene was a little more colorful and absurd—the Bay Area was home to a pioneering rave scene: one that was diverse and brilliantly technicolor.
While enduring cultural signifiers like massive outdoor parties and kandi still survive in west coast rave culture, these pictures show a time before massive stages and flamethrowers, when raves happened around turntables stacked on cinderblocks. While the gallery may bear some similarities to photos from the UK’s Summer of Love era, there’s something distinctly American about their vibe—you know, in like a goatee’d, frosted tips sort of way.
Head over to the full gallery on Mixmag here.
Read more: These images capture the lives of Berlin youth in their prime.
