Peal Dip
Google
This is a review based on my experience going to Basement this Saturday (2-15) for Dax J. I’m a longtime raver. I go to raves because I truly enjoy dancing to the music I love, not because of intoxicants or to pick people up. Techno is my favorite genre and I have also made a rave pilgrimage to Berlin where I danced in dungeon clubs like Tresor. I live close to New Haven in Connecticut. Unfortunately we don’t have a techno scene near me. That forces me to make the trip to NYC often to dance to techno. For Dax J event I had purchased my ticket as soon as it opened up as I had been wanting to see him play for a while and I also had some friends that were going that day.
The day of the event it snowed heavily with rain to follow all night. But I still battled through snow, got myself on a metro north to Grand Central and then on the subway to Jefferson street for a total of 3 hours commuting there, then I further walked 20 minutes in rain and snow to get to the venue from Jefferson. I met my friends and we were going in together. I was at front of the line and my friends behind me got delayed in the ID line. I was freezing already from the long commute I had just done and wanted to get in quickly. So I walked to the door by myself. As soon as I got to the door, they asked me to show my ticket, and upon showing it to them they informed me that they are refunding my ticket and I should make my way back to the gate. This had come to me as a big shock. I had been to basement only once before last summer for Regal. So I knew about the gate policy they have. But I wasn’t visibly intoxicated, rude, disrespectful or disruptive. All of which I could see as a reasonable explanation for getting denied entry. I was actually the opposite. I smiled, I said hi, I was being respectful. I had tried to explain my situation, of what I had to go through to get there and I had politely asked if I had done anything wrong that led me to be denied. They refused to answer anything and had just told me they have the gate policy and have the right to deny entry. While I didn’t get my answer, I can assume one of two things that led to them denying me: either because I was a guy at the gate by myself or because I was wearing an orange coat that was the only thing in my wardrobe that was suitable to keep my phone and wallet dry in the rain.
I didn’t feel anger, I didn’t feel rage, I didn’t feel sadness because I had to now leave my friends who I had planned to enjoy the night with. What I felt was disappointment. Disappointment in a venue that calls itself a haven for techno, the sound that was built by the community of people that were discriminated against to now having “gatekeepers” that discriminate against other people based on appearance. Dance floor is supposed to unite, but this venue actually prides in separating friends. The so called gatekeepers are on a constant powertrip and feel pleasure in denying ravers for no reason but their own presumed misguided stereotypes.
Luckily I was there before midnight so I was able to find another techno show happening at a venue nearby and ended up having one of my best nights of raving. So I guess getting denied at basement was truly a blessing in disguise. If you love techno and want to check out some venues I highly recommend looking into the Meadows, Monarch or even the parent venue KnockDown Center which holds Rush events with leading techno artists that are amazing. When I come back to NYC to go to a techno show I will visit these venues and not waste my time and energy for basement. If you want to experience high energy techno raves where you feel welcomed and not judged by random “gatekeepers” I suggest you do the same.