(So, the whole “party of the month” thing started feeling a bit restrictive and obstinate, so I’ve decided to start a new segment called “Attend.” This will be a series of previews for events that you should…be at. Starting with one of the finest nights Gotham has to offer.)

It’s that time again! Gratitude is partnering with Evolver to lead an army of burners, builders, movers, shakers, candlestick makers, producers, riggers, bands, builders, VJs, healers & dancers to life for 18hours of classes, dancing, participation & performance. You read that right. Eighteen freaking hours. That’s 3x the party of any club or bar out there. Get with it. All afternoon, there will be classes on yoga, dance, art, environmental action and a bunch of other groovy stuff, hosted by Evolver. And then at 9 PM, there’s this guy and his friends.

So, take that, and add an epic story, with a cast of characters and a whole lot of stuff on fire. One of the things that really separates clubs/EDM from Burner culture is fire. You see explosions at huge festivals, and poi is showing up more and more, BUT no one burns like Burners. This show at 9 PM looks to be pretty bonkers and I’d imagine it’s a perfect reason to get there an hour earlier than you’d planned. Then after that insanity, there’s 3 different areas of sound, each with a retinue of Sonic Ronin that will blow minds.

If you danced to House in NYC in the 90’s, you were probably dancing to records Cevin Fisher’s Hardtrax label pushed out. This is going to be a massive set that the younglings better show up and take notes for. Davidson Ospina is a ridiculously good pickup, and if you don’t believe me, his set at Camp Meso Creso this year at PEX (A wonderful place) will correct your assumptions about things. My girl REsy has teamed up with Reda Briki to bring what will be a global house collaboration worthy of song, missed their debut set at Burning Man this year, hoping to get a taste of it. Everyday continues to be a giant among house DJs in Philadelphia, and you’d do well to see what he’s up to come October 4th at the Mayan stage.

Zach Moore is coming over from SF to join Tektite, Tim The Enchanter & Illexandra in what will be an orgy of breaks at the Atlantean stage. Zach’s curated podcast The Armory is quality all over the place, so you know this is going to be Vitamin B + West Coast level all night. Jubilee is someone I’m just getting into, that will be bringing some crazy powerful beats to the stage and after killing her recent FACT mix, this is a must-listen. Coming from just about out of nowhere, Wally Whatever is a name you’ve probably not heard of, but you should check out. There’s a precision to his cuts that will serve live sets well, especially in an environment like this. Don’t sleep on him. All being kicked off by The Adversary, a fusion act I wrote about a little while ago.

There’s an entire other stage of Silent Disco DJs that are going to be giving you Even More DJs. Adam Jay, B3AR & Guy Freeman from the wondrous Digital Native camp will be highlights, plus hometown favorite global bass master 2Melo himself is an institution in his own right. Orion Keyser recently released a tune a new label Reality Sync Records, so hit that on Spotify here if this mix doesn’t get you going.

Photo: Eraj Asadi

There are a ton of DJs who are going to be mad I didn’t list them, but I wanted to emphasize this would be different from most parties. There’s consent and non-harassment language in the flyer. DanceSafe will be in attendance, as will trained Crisis Intervention personnel. Shit, the party is a Leave No Trace event, which is incredibly difficult to pull off. Heck, even the Climate Change march had trouble with that. But it’s happening. A community of people are coming together to show that events can be something more, and I for one can’t wait to see them succeed. Tickets can be purchased here, if you want to volunteer, sign up here, and see you on the dance floor.