A History of the Edmonton Rave Scene in 3,000 Short Words

Edmonton proves – and works hard to prove – the premise that “a city that works hard, plays hard.”  This blue-collar town is full of people who like to have a good time on the weekend.  Many a bar or taphouse will pour you a drink on Friday after work; there are lots of parties on Saturday nights; the city is a mix of punks, grungers, industrials, and, from the late 80’s on, ravers – a subculture that was identifiable in Edmonton starting in about 1993 when the Journal ran a front-page story about them.

Tweet

Edmonton Newspaper articles about raves, 1992 - 2015

A substantial part of the history of rave in Edmonton takes place in the pages of Edmonton's printed newspapers, the Journal and the Sun. Here, the “powers that be” – police, city officials, businesspeople, and the like – put forward their opinions or agendas about raving and ravers, with the ultimate intention of regulating, maybe banning raves in the city of Edmonton.

The articles listed here that provide an illuminating overview of the history of rave in Edmonton (viewed through a very particular lens). Articles are drawn from both of Edmonton’s local newspapers, as well as Canada's two national newspapers, the Globe and Mail and the National Post.

With new articles being added every week.

Tweet

A brief history of Edmonton

“A rich and bountiful country abounding in all kinds of animals.” -- Angus Shaw, 1795

Tweet

Welcome

Welcome to this blog, the E-town Rave History Project.

This blog offers background information, appendices, and drafts for the book, E-town: A History of Rave in Edmonton. It's also a place for Edmonton ravers, new and old, to be a part of this project.

Subscribe to this blog, follow the associated Facebook page, and please don't be shy in the comments!

Tweet