~These are not in any particular order~
Praia Urbana (Series)
If you were to ask house and techno fans in Houston what their favorite event of the year was, almost all would mention Praia Urbana. Since 2006, Praia Urbana has brought both international and native artists to the Houston and Austin areas. Specifically, the spring and summer events are what draw the biggest crowds, with people coming out early in the day to enjoy wonderful music and awesome weather.
Straight Up Fucking Rave (DoD Show)
Houston was, in years past, a hotspot for underground warehouse parties. With venue closures and more legal pressure put on the rave scene, the number of these events went down drastically. Straight up Fucking Rave could easily have been a show from as far back as the early 2000’s, or could be compared to the more underground feelings brought in 2010. Featuring old school rave standards like a chill room and a free fruit table, SUFR lived up to it’s name. With no frills or fancy bottle service, the crowd enjoyed the night for exactly what it was, a straight up fucking rave.
(DISCLAIMER: I attended SUFR before I was a part of the Department of Dance. Please be aware that including this in the top 5 is entirely based off of unbiased personal opinion and the opinions of multiple third-party, unrelated attendees of the show.)
Kinda Super Disco (Series)
Founded in 2012, Kinda Super Disco is known in the Houston EDM scene for bringing in top artists from genres that are ignored by the mainstream music venues. Especially regarded for their talents in the house music scene, Kinda Super Disco events are consistently held with high respect and great expectations. While their popularity can lead to crowding issues at some smaller venues, overall the crowd is worth the fantastic music and atmosphere they present.
Day Rage (Series)
A recent newcomer to the Houston dance scene, Day Rage has successfully redefined brunch. The series’ first event took place in May of 2017, and had recurring shows taking place often every week or every other week. With shows strictly on Sundays, mimosas combine with heavy music to create an oddly enjoyable atmosphere. Day Rage has continually proven to be an energetic and insane time, bringing in artists who play music ranging across various electronic genres. Add in champagne, and you have a classy rager.
Welcome Back to Rapture
The Rapture event series has been made up of equally popular and clandestine events, with an illegal edge that makes the shows drastically more exciting than most. However, one event stood out above the rest, and that was the end of year “Welcome Back to Rapture”. The fourth event in the Rapture series, Welcome Back took everything positive from the past events and combined them into a true underground rave. Laser, BYOB, and two stages of Houston’s finest local DJs made Welcome Back one of the highlight shows of the year.
Honorable Mentions:
Rage Monsters & Lny Tnz: Arguably one of the best, if not THE best, hard dance shows in Houston in 2017. Rage Monsters always puts on amazing shows, but they took this one to the next level with a new venue that perfectly fits the size and style of the Houston hard dance scene. All of the dedicated hard heads showed up and danced non-stop until the lights came on.
A Little Help From My Friends 2017: Not your typical charity show, ALH took the idea of raising money for animals in need at Friends For Life and turned it into a bona fide party. ALH brought in Houston’s best and a large headliner to create three rooms of fundraising madness. And don’t forget the bachelor and bachelorette auction, because who doesn’t want to party without getting to buy yourself a date?
Music: Hard Dance | Drum and Bass | Future Bass
Hobbies: Cosplay | Travel | Music Festivals | Sewing | Dancing | Contact Staff
Likes: Fried Chicken | Samurai | Video Games | Sleep
Dislikes: Beans | Bugs | Traffic | Complacency
