Photo Credit: Infamous PR/ Electric Forest
For decades, the electronic dance music community has rallied around four letters: PLUR. But in the wake of multiple tragedies at Electric Forest, the guiding values of ‘Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect’ appear to be faltering under pressure.
Beyond the electrifying, innovative music of modern EDM lies a community built on a decades-long ethos of looking out for each other, holding one another accountable, and showing love when and where you can. PLUR has meant and continues to mean everything to this culture and the scene.
But as some of EDM’s biggest festivals continue to grow, we all have to consider this question: Can this rallying cry be the sole protector at these beloved events?
In fairness, few festivals have managed to evolve without losing the identity that made them iconic, and Electric Forest is one of them. But that’s what makes the recent tragedies at Electric Forest even more disheartening. Perhaps more than other events, Electric Forest has not only retained the magic it brings to the Sherwood Forest; it has also developed and evolved it over the years.
The nearly two-decade-old festival has the amazing talent of combining music, art, and community to generate a feeling that is hard to define but easy to recognize. That’s what has always made Electric Forest so special for nearly two decades – that is, at least until this year.
In its latest iteration, an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people attended the four-day camping and music festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan, from June 25th to the 28th.
From the onset, there were challenges. The festival overcame a temporary shutdown after predictably severe weather and ultimately reopened with a surprise B2B set that sent attendees home on a high. That celebration, however, was quickly overshadowed by tragedy.
By the end of the multi-day event, nearly a dozen rapes were reported, and at least three people died at the festival. Garnering the most attention was the discovery of a baby in a porta-potty, a case that remains unsolved. Even outside of the festival grounds, tragedy came in the form of a concertgoer found hanging from a nearby tree.
It was a depressing series of events, and a sobering wake-up call for longtime attendees. It’s hard to say Electric Forest lost its magic that weekend, but it may be exposing the limits of what PLUR can offer.
What PLUR was Meant to Be
The roots of rave culture go far beyond EDM.
House and Techno first emerged in Chicago and Detroit, shaped by pioneers like Frankie Knuckles, Juan Atkins, and Derrick May. It was a culture and community of beautiful artists that ultimately made the scene that hundreds of thousands are now enthralled with worldwide.
No big corporation or entity created spaces for these events. They were mostly underground in abandoned warehouses, fields, and factories, and created for people who didn’t fit in elsewhere. There was no massive security, no medical tents, and no police (unless they were shutting it down). And we still have folks like Pasquela Rotella, who was part of the scene’s beginnings and has continued to help it blossom.
Frankie Knuckles (l) and Juan Atkins,(r) (Photo Credits: Insomniac)
The early days of dance featured some huge raves. But these events were never meant for hundreds of thousands of people. Which is exactly what started happening as early house and techno morphed into something far bigger.
By 2010, EDM had become undeniably mainstream. Funny enough, I attended my first festival (EDC in LA) in 2009. But PLUR wasn’t being tested yet. But at the time, it was still understood that PLUR was less about kindness and branding and more about harm reduction. We were all watching each other’s backs!
Now with the influx of money – and yes, commercialization – the ‘scene’ now involves destination festivals, influencer takeovers, and tens of thousands of newcomers. None of this is a bad thing per se, but it means we all need to be more socially aware and responsible.
Despite recent events, Electric Forest is still one of the best examples of PLUR.
Photo Credit: Infamous PR/ Electric Forest
Electric Forest continues to embody PLUR through its art, secret sets, communal spaces, and spontaneous moments of connection. It’s why it remains one of the strongest modern examples of PLUR! I mean, who wouldn’t want to see GRiZ tear it up on the sax in the middle of his set, not once but twice in one weekend?
Amid the jam-packed weekend of music, art, and community, there was a noticeable upgrade in sound and production across all seven core stages. Beyond the art at every turn, I was met with mesmerizing characters and some of the most random discoveries. Two new activations, the Tea Sanctuary and the Wander Whirld (which replaced the Dream Emporium), offered spaces to connect and reflect
Photo Credit: Infamous PR/ Electric Forest
The Forest is meant for wandering souls, and one way curious natural inhabitants are rewarded is with secret sets. After all, “The Forest always provides.” Without fail, this year offered multiple hidden surprises just waiting to be discovered, including an illuminating set from Illenium at the Honeycomb stage.
And that’s indeed what the big draw was all weekend: sets that did not disappoint.
The weekend brought stellar performances from Shpongle to Galantis, plus a showstopping execution by the widely discussed DJ Diesel b2b T-Pain act that many were waiting for.
One other b2b worth mentioning was sparked by an unavoidable Electric Forest tradition: shaky weather.
But, for me, as I’m sure for the thousands of attendees in the ranks at the Sherwood Forest that momentous weekend, everything felt slightly unexpected. That, my friend, is indeed the magic of the Forest and leads me to one point I want to make clear:
I’m not saying PLUR is dead; I’m saying it’s being tested.
Reality Setting In
After a weekend of grit and communion, the weather simply could not hold out one more day. On Sunday, cool, comfortable temperatures mixed with a familiar evening mist, resulting in a stormy showdown between Mother Nature and Electric Forest.
Of course, weather challenges come with the territory of Electric Forest.
But no one could have predicted the festival would shut down for several hours due to weather-related issues. Yet both festival organizers and attendees handled it in great stride. The festival organizers displayed evacuation signs on every stage, ushered folks out calmly, and let people leave and return to the festival grounds without issue.
As folks milled about, hoping for the best, the stars aligned and the grounds opened once again to round out the weekend of magic. An audible shrill of excitement could be heard throughout the campsite as festival-goers made their way back to the grounds to end the weekend on a high note. A surprise performance by Illenium b2b Wooli made the cap-end reopening all the more special.
That high note was quickly quieted by the news of unnecessary deaths.
On Sunday morning, a newborn was found deceased in a portable restroom in the festival’s camping area. Authorities confirmed the baby was born viable and alive. An active FBI and Michigan State Police investigation is ongoing to identify the mother.
On Monday, 28-year-old Jerard “Jay” Jackson, who went missing during the event, was later found dead in a nearby wooded area. Police classified preliminary findings as suicide, though his family is currently disputing this.
Reddit is going off about the third possible death.
On Sunday morning, around 2:30 am, multiple people witnessed and reported a horrific group assault on an unconscious man near the Honeycomb stage. No word just yet on the man’s name or if he indeed passed away.
While horrible deaths and tragedies unfortunately happen at festivals, festivals today are absolutely different from what they were 15 years ago.
With the mass amount of people in attendance, individual kindness can’t replace institutional safety. We’re simply asking PLUR to do something it was never intended to do.
Bigger Festivals = Bigger Responsibilities
Photo credit: Infamous PR/Electric Forest
You will always find me at some of the biggest EDM festivals in the world. I’m not saying we should turn people away, but we have to realize the scene is evolving, and it’s up to organizers to figure out how to preserve what’s been crafted.
The expression of PLUR feels different. It begs this question we must all ask: Is the scene changing, or are we?
While at the campsite, I was met with a mix of confusion, congeniality, excitement, and hospitality. There was also a sense of disdain, elitism, and exclusivity. Due to my nature, I was able to avoid the bad and take in the good easily. But unfortunately, the bad still surfaced.
To me, it’s not only a reflection of the festival but of the culture as a whole. It gives us all a chance to take a real look at what we’re trying to do at these festivals and what the producers want to accomplish.
PLUR isn’t and shouldn’t disappear. But it HAS to evolve, and so do we.
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