{"id":9018,"date":"2014-08-07T10:02:20","date_gmt":"2014-08-07T14:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lorenw.sg-host.com\/?p=9018"},"modified":"2014-08-07T10:02:20","modified_gmt":"2014-08-07T14:02:20","slug":"mad-decent-block-party-washington-dc-8114","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lorenwohl.com\/mad-decent-block-party-washington-dc-8114\/","title":{"rendered":"Mad Decent Block Party – Washington DC (8\/1\/14)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I purchased my first camera in 2009, and EDM (if you could call it that back then) was something I gravitated towards. I was Fool’s Gold Record’s first intern. The scene was small and people went purely for the music. Remember Blog House<\/a>? Fast forward to 2014. Dance music festivals are everywhere, and molly is synonymous with them.<\/p>\n

It’s unfortunate that two people died at this show<\/a>. I don’t support drug use, and have always been sober at shows whether in the audience or while working. I’m able to enjoy myself and appreciate things for what they are<\/b>. Asking people to stop rolling is a nice thought but it’s ineffective<\/a>. People are always going to find a way to bring drugs into a festival. But if you’re going to roll, you should know what you’re getting into. There are resources such as Dance Safe<\/a> and Roll Safe<\/a> to learn about quality, dosage, etc. I understand that artists\/promoters\/venues can’t advocate safe drug use because that means they’re condoning illegal drug use. I don’t think this is the solution to the problem, and I don’t think that one exists, but it’s a step in the right direction. I’d like to believe that if people knew a little bit more these things would happen a lot less frequently. <\/p>\n

With that said, 12,000+ people had the time of their lives and we shouldn’t forget that. This music is the soundtrack to a generation seeking an escape from the mundane. These festivals are a positive and inviting environment where people can let themselves go, which is awesome, but it shouldn’t cost them their lives.<\/p>\n