San Francisco has always been the wild, wild west. People flocked to find riches during the Gold Rush and decades later they would flock to the city to find freedom. There were the Beatniks, the hippies, gay culture, punk rockers and then the ravers. All in their own time within history striving to find their place and make their mark. The documentary, Between the Beats goes into the underground culture of raves in San Francisco in the 1990’s. It was a time ravers have said was bigger than themselves, when everyone’s heart was beating as one. Despite the outside perception of rave culture, it was a powerful time in the city’s history.
Between the Beats, directed by Martin O’Brien took over 14 years to make. As a rave promoter himself, O’Brien had a firsthand experience in the music movement that started in England and eventually took the US, especially San Francisco by storm. The beats of this film (and there were many, over 40 to be exact), take you through the beats of the time period. For the documentary O’Brien gathered DJ’s, ravers, promoters and many others associated with the culture to share their memories of the iconic decade and the craze that was rave culture. “We didn’t have cell phones back then or email, so just getting ahold of everyone to participate in this documentary took a lot of time. We also had to find historical footage that was usable,” O’Brien said. At the Los Angeles screening of the film, in his Irish humor, he joked “everyone was off their tits, so the people who had their parents’ camcorders have a lot of footage, but it’ss bouncing all around and there is no light.”
But O’Brien and his team pulled it off and put together a beautiful film about the movement that became a pop culture phenomenon. The media didn’t portray the craze as the ravers knew it though, because the perception of the rave wasn’t always great. This film puts those myths to rest. Sure, there were drugs on the scene during raves. It was a way for ravers to get even more outside themselves and fully let go, releasing every inhibition. One raver in the film said “E goes in. Egos out.” But that was not the main drive for ravers when they set out to find a rave. The culture was non-judgmental and there was no shame among poartygoers. A rave was a place where you could truly let your inner self shine. It was a welcoming atmosphere, full of friendly faces – and plenty of smiley faces on shirts too, as well as Doc Martins and fanny packs. All styles of the times.
Raves weren’t just psychedelic trips, they were actual trips. As the culture got larger and more people were seeking to attend, rave promoters had to find bigger and more discreet locations to host their dance-a-thons. Not only was it a way to escape the wrath of naysayers, it was an adventure for those attending. They often had to get a map the day of the event and then trek to the location. The hunt for the party made rave culture even stronger. It wasn’t just the music, the strobe lights, the dancing or the late nights, it was the energy that could be felt in the space (even if that was on a beach under the Golden Gate bridge). It was a musical movement, full of new beats and the best of the best in house music.
Unlike 1960’s hippie culture, where technology was rejected, rave culture completely embraced it, and they labeled themselves “techno hippies.” They used technology to enhance the parties – from the lights to the beats and everything in between. Some even labeled ravers “electronic deadheads,” after the wellknown Grateful Dead followers who called themselves deadheads. Not only did ravers look for advancements in technology, but they also looked for ways to give back. One group started requiring recyclables to be donated to gain entry, while another raised funds for a fellow raver who had been paralyzed in an accident.
Like all cultural movements before them, rave culture as it was known wouldn’t last forever. New music came onto the scene, new dance trends emerged, and new technology was developed. But the people involved were forever changed. Between the Beats showed that ravers learned how to embrace who they truly were, let their minds go and be free and in the moment. They also learned to embrace one another’s differences, as well as the things they had in common. A rave was a “come one, come all” event, where you could wear whatever and dance however, and you would fit in. Former raver, Joe Haller said in the film “the most rebellious thing you could do at the time was live your life to the fullest.” These lessons stuck with ravers forever, and hopefully have been passed on to the next generation of house music lovers. In the documentary, director Martin O’Brien shared that “I discovered my inner strength as a raver. I’m proud to be a raver.” The film goes to show that he is not alone and the original ravers from the 1990’s stand strong today, proud of the rise they had.
Watch Between the Beats on Apple TV and follow on Instagram for updates and photos.
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