In a world of crime and violence, there lies a sub-culture built on four basic principles: peace, love, unity, and respect (PLUR). The rave scene, which originated more than a decade ago, originally began for the purpose of people getting together to dance all night to techno music, celebrating PLUR. In the last few years, the scene has exploded. What began as small, often illegal parties in private homes and warehouses has become a commercialized business. The scene now incorporates dance clubs as venues, with promotion companies bringing in the talent.

To experience the full effect of a rave, one does not need to attend the event from 9pm-9am. Due to the popularity of the scene, many nightclubs will specialize in techno music on certain nights. Ravers are often attracted to nights like these, simply because of the music. Music will draw the ravers to the club and set them off on the dance floor. The only thing stopping them on a Friday night is when the music stops. Often, if the club can bring in a big enough name DJ, there will be a large enough number of people who will go, and it will most certainly have all the aspects of a rave: a packed venue, music, people, high energy dancing, and PLUR.

Buffalo itself has not exactly been the greatest of cities for ravers to come to. Few events have been thrown in the past. The last few major parties thrown in Buffalo have been On Track, Technic, and most recently, Lift 3. Lift 3 was short lived, however; the police broke it up half way through, stopping the music and sending hundreds of partygoers home, long before dawn. These weren’t exactly the biggest of parties, nor were the biggest-named spinners in attendance. I know that as a student coming to Buffalo, I expected a large electronica scene, based on the fact that Buffalo is such a large city. I was sorely disappointed to find such a small scene. Promoter, Patrick Phato, from Phato USA, correlates the reason for so few parties in Buffalo with the fact that there is a “lack of venues to put events in.” He thinks it’s “funny that Buffalo is New York’s second largest city and has fewer venue options than Syracuse.”

Ptomoters try to put on raves in large venues, where they can book a good number of DJ’s. Due to the lack of space in the smaller venues of Buffalo, such as Club Marcella, Club E, and Utopia, it would be nearly impossible to throw raves. Even at the Coliseum, one of Buffalo’s larger clubs, people were still packed in way too tight for last June’s Technic. This is definitely a turn off for people coming to parties, because most come to dance. If there is no room to dance, people are not going to have a good time. Most hard-core ravers have to travel to find a good party, whether it’s to Niagara Falls, Syracuse, or Rochester. Nevertheless, despite the venue conditions in Buffalo, there are still people out there, working hard to keep a scene alive.

On Thursday, October 26, 2000, Club Marcella and Phato USA hosted DJ Feelgood, Charles Masters, and DJ Flex. This was the grand opening of their new Thursday night techno scene. Those affiliated with the scene know that these are some fairly large names for a Thursday night. One can only wonder if this was just a random occurrence, or if the big names will continue to travel through Club Marcella. According to Joey Marcella, Thursday nights will continue to be an “all techno” night, headed up by Rochester’s DJ Flex. Flex was the resident DJ at the Rochester location of Club Marcella until it closed down in late 1998. Since then, he has been working all over Rochester and the immediate area, building up quite a name for himself. He is currently considered to be the number one DJ in Rochester. Arriving in Buffalo, he will pick up residency at Club Marcella on Thursday nights, teaming up with some of today’s fastest rising names in the business.

The reason for the pick up in the Thursday night scene is due to Patrick Phato and Phato USA’s attempt to make use of the venues in Buffalo, by throwing small parties at Club Marcella and other clubs in the Chippewa circuit. Phato has brought some big names to Buffalo in the past, such as Koki, DJ Carlos, DJ Skribble, Bad Boy Bill, and Terry Mullen (who was also with DJ Feelgood this past week at Club Marcella). In Rochester last year, Phato had the electronica scene booming with his FLYDAY’s, which brought to local club Piranha some of the scene’s biggest names. One can only hope that as residing event director for Club Marcella, Patrick does the same for Buffalo. It can almost be certain that he will; the line up for the next month is absolutely amazing. On November 9, Dr. Trance will be at Club Marcella; Nigel Richards will follow on the 23rd, and Lady Miss Kier will be there on December 7th. Club Marcella is not the only place that Phato USA will be working. On November 17th, it will host Sandra Collins at Club E. Patrick Phato seems very excited about his Thursday nights in Buffalo: “I think that Buffalo is a great city with lots of great people, and I look forward to planning more events in the area.”

UB student Daniela Lo Presti has defined the Thursday club night as “the night when all the true partiers go out. The people who go out on a Thursday night are simply out to have a good time.” Hopefully, with Club Marcella and Phato USA turning up the night with an excessive line up of talent, Thursday nights will be the best night to party in Buffalo. So, if the techno, rave, electronica, or whatever you want to call it scene is your thing, I’ll see you on the dance floor at Club Marcella this Thursday night. Buffalo, you’d better be ready to dance.