Cave Rave Sets a Sweaty Stage on the Path to Fantasia

You may have heard of Fantasia, the multi-media presentation wherein Rhinoceropolis is converted for a night into an immersive art show and musical event, which is being scheduled for the fall. This weekend, on Saturday, July 9, you can participate in Cave Rave, a dance-music event coupled with installation art, and...

By Tom Murphy

July 9, 2016

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You may have heard of Fantasia, the multimedia presentation wherein Rhinoceropolis is converted for a night into an immersive art show and musical event; it's being scheduled for the fall. This weekend, on Saturday, July 9, you can participate in Cave Rave, a dance-music event coupled with installation art, and the proceeds from this will go toward making Fantasia happen in all its potential glory.

“The Cave Rave installation is loosely based off of the cave rave scene from The Matrix Reloaded,” explains organizer David Winkler, who plays under the moniker Julien. “We are going to make Rhino this moist cave complete with stalactites, moss floors, and art pieces in the front room from Colin Ward and other artists who will be a part of Fantasia.”

“Esoteric dreams and hippie scenes,” adds co-organizer Ike Clateman. “Sink your toes into the earth and dance your unwiped ass off. We will become natural again. Cave Rave is a soul [cleansing] dance party. Come if naked and ready.”

Chances are, you may take that literally. It's July in Colorado, Rhinoceropolis is hot in the summer — extra-hot with all the dancing going on.

Hosted by Ben Donehower aka DJ Population Control, the event will feature some of the stars of local underground electronic dance music, including Lockbox, Julien, Jak Turbo (a regular at Deep Club events), Padfut, Garbage Boy and Laddron. Special guest for the night is up-and-coming electronic music producer/musician Jealous of the North Carolina-based duo Earthly, which has garnered no small amount of critical praise this past year.

“Cave Rave will be a stalactite jammer of really big proportions," says Jesse Briata of Lockbox.

It'll get sweaty, it'll be weird, it'll be an immersive audiovisual-tactile experience and a real glimpse into both the current state of underground electronic music in Denver and what might be in store during Fantasia.

Cave Rave, Saturday, July 9, 9 p.m., Rhinoceropolis, 3553 Brighton Boulevard, suggested donation for Fantasia.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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