Period (A) -- The Primary Sources

Who doesn't love a good party flyer? Remember the exciting feeling of picking up a flyer for a killer party, feeling its weight and its finish, turning it over in your hands? Remmeber how the flyer itself -- the colours, the typography, the graphics -- would signal what kind of vibe the promoters were going for? How the party flyer something you could look forward to and hold on to?

In this article, we dive head first into the primary source material at the heart of the E-town Rave History Project -- party flyers.

A trove of rave flyers.
Photo by Renee Sabourin

In the hands of a historian, each flyer is a 'text' that can gives valuable information about styles and trends in the rave scene, cultural developments and shifting musical tastes.  Party flyers are a dependable source of names of deejays, promoters and venues. They also have dates.

Many of Edmonton's rave flyers are 'extant' but some are lost.
This analysis considers extant flyers.

The following members of E-town's rave scene contributed flyers to this analysis:

• Dragan Jargic, aka DJ Dragon
• Renee Sabourin, promoter of "Vortex" (March 7, 1997) with the late Jon Burden
• DJ Soulus
• Trevor Wyatt, aka DJ Spiltmilk
• Art Sproul, promoter
• Oliver Friedmann, manager of Bronx and later the Rev / Lush
• and more

No one has gathered these collections and put them back to back -- until now.

The Flyer Record is under construction.

Certainly we haven't got copies of all the flyers that exist -- there's always the chance of 'an undiscovered flyer(s).' And, we are surely missing:

• Flyers from events at the Dance Factory (both locations)
• Flyers from Rebar (post 1994)

Many thanks to the promoters, party-goers and deejays who were interviewed for this project and whose words appear throughout this article.  Your stories, anecdotes and factoids have helped this analysis come to life.

 

The List of 'Firsts'

Part of the fun of the flyer record is reading through to find all the 'firsts':

• What was the first _____?
• Who was the first ____ to ______?
• When did the first _____ happen?

Here is a table of the 'firsts' in the period (A) flyer record:

First-of-kind Event	Party Name / Date
Evidence of 'rave' party in Edmonton:	"Rave Mania" (1991, exact date unknown)
Flyer with existing paper copy:	"Acid Techno Rave '91" (December 13, 1991)
Flyer printed in colour:	"B*rave New World" (February 29, 1992)
Deejay names appear on flyer:	"Brilliant" (July 25, 1992)
Party at Mercer Building (new venue):	"Vicks VapoRave" (November 13, 1992)
Musical genres listed on flyer:	"Gatorave" (September 12, 1992)
Party has headliner:	"Future" (October 24, 1992)
Word "E-town" appears on flyer:
Party at Strathcona bus barns (new venue):	"Amphibian Alert" (1992, exact date unknown)
Party at Yardbird Suite (new venue)	"Amphibian Invasion" (November 20, 1992)
Nick Delgado, aka Nicky Miago appears in flyers:
Party prices reach $8 (maximum price for 2 years):
Use of 'Rebar' venue:	"Purex" (December 19, 1993)
Party restricted to 18+:
Party featured in the Edmonton Journal:	"Rise and Shine" (February 19, 1993)
Krusty Raves 1 through 4:	"Krusty's Electric Daisy Carnival" (August 7, 1993)
Party has out of town headliner:	"Krusty 4" (May 22, 1994)
Party prices jump to $14:	New Year's 1994 at Bronx (December 31, 1994)
Appearance of Triptomene, Dragan, Celcius:	"Mayhem" (June 2, 1995)
Appearance of the word 'internet':	Divine Warehouse Sale (July 5, 1995)
Party at Rev (not at Bronx):	"Gatorave, A Retro Rave" (August 2, 1995)
Appearance of Spiltmilk, Sync:	"Tonite" (August 25, 1995)
Appearance of the word 'Nexus':	"Nexus" (October 7, 1995)
Appearance of Shelley Solarz in the record:
Appearance of Raggedy Andy, Davey Jame:
New venue (Shakers Acres):
Shuttle buses are provided for out of town attendees:
Calgary ticket outlet:
Party with alcohol service:
Party with a Montreal DJ:
First website address on an Edmonton rave flyer. First folded flyer (not postcard):

 

Earliest Flyers Lost

The first two entries in the flyer record are 'non-extant' (a fancy word for 'lost'). The two parties are:

• "Rave Mania" (1991, exact date unknown)
• "Rave Generation" (1991, exact date unknown)

Flyers for these parties are lost, but Cory Payne (Edmonton deejay and promoter), can provide dates, venue information and a description of the flyer artwork. From our interview dated December 28, 2016:

"'Rave Mania' [...] was at Castledowns community league, a hall party [...] about three or four months before 'Rave Generation.'

A view looking down 104 Avenue of the
104 Street bridge, Edmonton, c.1980

"'Rave Generation' was in a building that may or may not be there anymore. [...] [North of 104 Avenue] was a big train yard, [and] to get over part of that train yard, there was an overpass [...] Then at the end of [the overpass] there was a strip of warehouses that might still be there. [The venue for "Rave Generation"] was just the first or second bay in that little strip where that overpass used to be.

"[...] It was a massive, dirty underground warehouse.

"[The name 'Rave Generation'] was based off [♫] a song that we'd heard the name of, in the underground. [...] [For the flyer,] we took this trippy background of an album that looked like a digital mesh and I photocopied that, and [we] just used white out and wrote the word 'Rave' on the top and then 'Generation' with black sticky letters [...] those peel 'n stick letters."

I pressed Cory on the date of "Rave Generation" and he assured me the date was 1991:

"I was talking to Nick about that party recently to get a date on it, and he confirmed it was 1991. [...] John Pardo, Nicky Delgado and myself put it on. That was the first warehouse party I can remember."

 

Acid Techno Raves at Flashback, A Private Club

The next three parties in the record are:

• "Acid Techno Rave 91" (December 13, 1991)
• "Pure Love" (December 1991, exact date unknown)
• "Acid Rave 2"(February 1, 1992)

Flyers exist for both the Acid Raves but the flyer for "Pure Love" is lost.

Flyer for "Acid Techno Rave '91" (December 13, 1991). Source: Art Sproul

The venue of "Acid Techno Rave '91" is indicated at the bottom left of the flyer, with the words, "At Flashback, 10345 - 105 Street." Who or what is Flashback? Darren Hagin, a bartender at Flashback and later, an author and renowned playwright in Edmonton, tells the genesis of this club in his book The Edmonton Queen: Not A Riverboat Story (2007):

"The concept for Flashback was born when a young John Reid, having finally mustered up the guts to come out of the closet and go to [Edmonton gay bar Club 70], was barred entry at the door because [...] he looked too straight. [...] Reid, along with several other collaborators, started Flashback in its 116 Street location with a very specific mandate: to prevent reverse discrimination and provide a venue for gay people and all of their friends."

Flashback, worthy of an article of its own but there are two important points here.

First, notice that the flyer for "Acid Techno Rave 2" has the words "Flashback: A Private Club." What does this mean? Flashback and Bronx (among others in Edmonton and Calgary) were 'private clubs,' a legal status that allowed them to operate in Alberta's restrictive legal framework for regulating the sale of alcohol. More on this in a future article.

Second, "Old Ownership."  Flashback (a) just moved and (b) the new location was doing badly enough that a selling point of the party was that the new club managers were not involved.

Art Sproul, with Justin Archbold, ran a record store called Breakaway Music near Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton. This record store is listed as a promoter of the first event and a ticket outlet for the second.

The source for the party "Pure Love" is my interview with the event promoter of May 16, 2017:

Art Sproul @09:40] "There was [a party] in late December [1991] called "Pure Love" I believe, and that was Darren Leonardson, one of the deejays at the Bronx nightclub in Edmonton. And it was a small and more of a deep house type event, as opposed to being more of the techno acid style of music, a little more downtempo."

Techno Acid Rave '91" gave way to "Acid Rave II" (Saturday, February 1, 1992), also at Flashback in its third and final location (10345 - 105 Street).

Flyer for "Techno Acid Rave II" (February 1, 1992). "[We took] an Ernie and Bert graphic where they were talking into paper cups with a string between theme," says promoter Art Sproul. "We did a cut 'n paste job on that and made it look as if they were drinking those solo cups of beer." Source: Art Sproul

Who are the promoters of the two Acid Techno Rave events? No promoter name is explicitly given on these flyers, but a future flyer (see "Carnival Rave," August 8, 1992, below) will indicate "Revolution Communications" are "creators of Edmonton's 'Techno Acid Rave" in reference to these.

Notice, and be stupefied by, the price of these early events: $4.00 in advance.

The flyers for these first two parties were both black and white, photocopied, and were made by cutting and pasting pictures together. How many flyers for these early parties? In the words of promoter Art Sproul, promoting the first party called for "a couple of thousand handbills."

Who were some of the deejays?

Art Sproul @06:34] [Acid Techno Rave '91] had a number of DJs that later went on to promote other parties [such as] Nicky Miago, Cory Pain, Don Knox [...], Michael Brennan who was the [Flashback resident] DJ, [and] gentlemen by the name of Sherridon Routely [who] helped us in promoting other events as well. It was like 10 DJs, eight hours. 

 What was the music like at these parties? Trevor Wyatt, who contributed party flyers to this project, can tell us. "My first party was called 'Acid Techno Rave 2,'" says Trevor:

Trevor @4:04] "Basically, the music was, like, industrial techno - it was like a crossover [with] indie music. Some of it was like [♫] Ministry, some of it would be like, [♫] 808 State and then some of the early techno, like, [♫] Smart E's and some of the cheesier [♫] James Brown is Dead [...] early part of hardcore techno. [...] And then there was [...] the more like vocal house side of it as well."

 

Two parties, flyers non-extant

Around the time of the two Techno Acid Rave parties, there are two parties whose flyers have been lost:

• "Laser Rave" (early 1992)

One remaining copy of a flyer for the "Laser Rave" party is lost, literally lost, tucked inside one of 1,000 records that make up promoter Sheridon Routley's vinyl collection. The party name is "Laser Rave" (c. 1992). The venue was Flashback[2]. By Sherridon's account, this party was the first in Edmonton to feature a laser, which was obtained from the University of Alberta and which had to be water-cooled using water from the club faucets.

 

Two parties at Bronx, with Breakaway Music. Colour flyers.

Trevor Wyatt aka Dj Spilt Milk @01:19] "Raves were quite often at the Bronx."

The next two parties in the flyer record are attributed to both Bronx and Breakaway Music.

• "A B*Rave New World" (February 29, 1992)
• "Zero Gravity" (April 11, 1992)

These are the first two colour flyers in the flyer record.

"A B*Rave New World," February 29, 1992. Source: Art Sproul

Flyer for "Zero Gravity" (April 11, 1992), colour variant. Source: Art Sproul

The reverse of the colour flyer shows the logos of four local businesses with connections to the rave scene, including the famous Sound Connection record store, and vintage clothing shop Divine Decadence, whose warehouse would become a party venue in the years hence:

Reverse of colour flyer for "Zero Gravity"

Of these flyers, Art Sproul says, "at this point, we had a little more budget for flyers so we enlisted a print shop so we could do full colour." These flyers are 100% analog -- no computer was used to create them:

• The starscape was created by dipping a paintbrush in paint, and flicking the bristles to spatter onto a piece of paper.
• The other graphic elements were cut out of paper and placed on top.
• Then the whole thing was clamped down and photographed.
• The text was done with Letraset using a special grid tool to space the letters evenly.

What is Letraset? 

Oliver @40:35] "Letraset was sheets of letters that you would get, like a tissue paper. And if you wanted a letter you just rubbed over it and the letter would transfer onto your paper. And that's how you did layout and design."

For the colour "Zero Gravity" flyer, black Letraset was applied to white paper, which was photographed, turned negative and added to the original dark image, resulting in white text on black.

The production cost of these flyers was certainly higher than the previous black and white flyers, and note that "Zero Gravity" has two variants of a flyer produced, one in colour and one in black and white.

"Zero Gravity" flyer, black and white variant. Notice the 7-digit phone number.
Source: E-town Flyer Archive [Facebook Group]

The events' other promoter is Breakaway Music, of Techno Acid Rave fame.

The venue for these parties was Bronx.  Bronx was the club in the Old Citadel, a building which dates back to 1926 and was a Salvation Army meeting hall, a hairdressing school and a theatre. Bronx, like Flashback, was a private club. It would become the Rev / Lush complex, and later the Starlite Room.

Photo of the Salvation Army Citadel which housed the MIGHTY Bronx.
Source: Edmonton Municipal Archives

One thing to note is that Bronx was a 'private club' and not as a licensed drinking establishment. For this reason, events at Bronx could be all ages.

Renee @08:43] "We used to party at [Bronx] in high school or just getting out of high school [...] I was probably about seventeen years old. You'd be able to get in if you couldn't present ID. They used to put a mark on your hand, an X, so you couldn't order alcohol."

Bronx was the venue for many different kinds of events, and helped to cross-pollinate different musical ideas in Edmonton: 

Trevor @24:38] "Well, it was the independent scene. We would go to the same punk rock concerts when we were fifteen [...] all-ages shows in the Bronx. [...] I could go to see the Smalls and then they would have a rave at the Bronx. It was the same venue, the Bronx. [...] I was like, at a budding age to like explore all kinds of music, so I went to heavy metal and rap shows and rave shows and whatever I could find, art shows."

 

Deejay names appear on party flyers

The next party in the flyer record is:

• "Brilliant" (July 25, 1992)

Again, the venue is Bronx.

Flyer for "Brilliant" (July 25, 1992). Source: Art Sproul

 There are two promoter names on this flyer: Love Children Productions and Revolution Communications.

Oliver Friedmann @10:31: "[Love Children Productions] was just me in my various different names [...] We always just made up production company names.  Love Children productions was one of them, XL [X-tra Large] Productions was another one. So that was all just me and the club."

The address given for Revolution Communications is that of the present-day Junque Cellar in Edmonton, which would be a future party venue and was once an underground club called Orbit.

On this flyer, the names of two promoters (Bronx and Revolution Communitions) appear together on it, whereas in time these promoters would soon become, in the words of DJ Spiltmilk, "Not rivals, but competitors, definitely."

For the first time, "Bronx" appears on a flyer without the words "A Private Club."

"Brilliant" is also the first Edmonton party whose flyer lists the deejays who will be playing at the event. DJ X of Edmonton, and DJ Rice of Calgary, spun the party along with someone by the name of 'The Toxic Avenger.'

Who was DJ Rice?

Oliver Friedmann: "DJ Rice -- Mark Kwan from Calgary [...] of the Sunday School fame. Mark was a pillar, probably the oldest, longest-running deejay in Calgary. I think they did a Sunday School reunion just in the last couple of weeks. [Mark] used to come up here a lot. Good friend of Andy Pockett."

 

Party at 10334 - 108 Street

The next party in the flyer record takes us to a new venue, the warehouse at 10334 - 108 Street in Edmonton, shown here:

Warehouse at 10334 - 108 Street, known to be the venue of two early Edmonton parties.

The party was called:

• "Carnival Rave: Under the Big Top" (August 1, 1992)

Flyer for "Carnival Rave" (August 8, 1992).
Source: E-town Flyer Archive [Facebook Group]

Notice that this party was co-promoted in Edmonton and in Calgary the following weekend.

The flyer for "Carnival Rave" promises "face painting, candy, balloons and [...] condoms," with food and popsicles available -- all this for $5 (advance) or $7 (door).

[♫] Michael Brennan's mixcloud

Who are the deejays on the flyer for "Carnival Rave?" DJ Mikee is Michael Brennan, who was at that the resident at Flashback. The two other deejays named, Kozmic Kid and Shy 106, do not appear again in the flyer record -- unless their names appear on flyers that are lost.

 

Subgenres of Techno Appear on flyers; Headliners Appear.

Next in the flyer record, we have three parties, all at Bronx:

• "Gatorave" (September 12, 1992)
• "Future" (October 24, 1992)
• "Back to the Gr-Rave" (October 31, 1992)

On the flyer for "Gatorave," we first meet the group Nemesis who would go on to be Edmonton's first headlining rave act, at the next party "Future."
The flyer for "Gatorave" is also the earliest flyer in the record that lists subgenres of techno music. For the first time in the flyer record, we can read the words 'techno,' 'trance,' 'house' and 'ambient' as if these had become discrete concepts in the mind of a musical listener.

"Gatorave" is followed by "Future" (October 24, 1992), also at Bronx, also promoted by Love Children Productions:

"Future" (October 24, 1992). Source: Oliver Friedmann

This is the first party in the record that includes a headliner, namely, Nemesis, who played at "Gatorave." On this flyer, the artist name 'Nemesis' appears at the top, in larger text than anything else on the page -- very much like the headline of a newspaper.  The name 'Nemesis' is larger than any other deejay name, and it is higher up on the page. This is the first time a party flyer in Edmonton has a headliner.

As an interesting exercise, compare the flyer for "Future" with the party three months before it, "Brilliant":

Flyer for "Brilliant" (July 25, 1992) left, and "Future" (October 24, 1992), right.

Notice that 'Bronx' has moved down the flyer and that the space at the top of the bill now goes to one of the artists. The word 'Nemesis' is in negative and overpowers name of the the party "Future," whereas on "Brilliant," it is the party name in the top left that catches and holds the eye. The promoter's name, 'Love Children Productions,' has stayed the same size but has moved from top to bottom.  Most importantly, on the flyer for "Brilliant," all artist names are the same size, but this is not the case for "Future."

Deejay's X and Rice, who we met in previous parties, are joined now by Mr. Clean and Johnny Crash (two names that also do not appear again in the flyer record). Notice, again, the close ties between Edmonton and Calgary's scenes -- this party features an equal number of deejays from Edmonton and Calgary.

Fresh fruit, mineral water and "the one and only smart bar" differentiate "Future" from parties by Revolution Communications, and the promoter promises "the largest, most elaborate, and stimulating light show ever" in Edmonton -- or 'E-town' as it is called on the flyer.

Who is Ebe the Proverbial Grey, to whom are credited the "cybergraphics" for this and other parties? Ebe was the bassist for an Edmonton death metal band called Disciples of Power -- so I am told by the promoter of "Laser Rave." In 1992, Disciples of Power had just released their album [♫] Ominous Prophecy.

A mere week after "Future" was the halloween party called "Back to the Gr-Rave" -- also at Bronx:

Flyer for "Back to the Gr-Rave" (October 31, 1992)

Notice that Edmonton's entire Halloween night party was spun by one person, DJ X who we have met before. "Resident [deejays] didn’t usually book very many other people," says Trevor Wyatt about this era of parties and club nights. "It was definitely a scene when a DJ tried to own his own night and didn’t really let other people play." This will change by the end of Period (A), by the sheer number of new deejays arriving on the scene.

Notice the tie-in between Edmonton's dance clubs and the clothing store Divine Decadence, who donated prizes for this event.

"Divine Decadence was this amazing little Store on Whyte Avenue which was in the basement -- the stairs [going down] were so worn down from the high volume of traffic." (Interview done July 4, 2017)

 

Party at the Mercer building

"Vick's VapoRave" (November 13, 1992). Source: Art Sproul

Promoter Art Sproul:

@19:10] "This one was really quite cool. It was the 'Vick's VapoRave.' We created a flyer that was actually a user experience. You actually had to cut it up. It was a cut-out of a box of Vick's Vapo Rub."

Reverse of flyer for "Vick's VapoRave."

The flyer says, "Special Thanks to Gravity Pope who put up with our wall-shaking bass."  According to promoter, these are "apologies to Gravity Pope for our Orbit parties [...] the first party caused quite a few of their clothing racks to become dislodged from the walls due to bass harmonics."

Warehouse at 10363 - 104 St., which became Dance Factory[0].
Shown here in 1912. Photo: Edmonton's Architectural Heritage

"Vick's VapoRave" is a party that speaks to the subversive nature of raving, for it was held dead centre in the middle of downtown Edmonton, in the heart of "the body politic" to use the words of scholar Kyle Grayson, who has written about the Toronto rave scene. The party was held in the Mercer building, before the area was developed around it to service hockey and car culture. Edmonton's biggest rave to that point took place in what is today a trendy and profitable bar tavern.

 

Dance Cult appear on the scene; party at Strathcona Bus Barns

Next up are two parties by the promotion company Dance Cult, whose logo was a frog:

• "Amphibian Alert" (1992; exact date unknown)
• "Amphibian Invasion" (November 20, 1992)

Who were Dance Cult?

Oliver Friedmann @20:00] "They were some guys who were -- all of them happened to be in a frat, the same frat, but ['Amphibian Alert'] wasn't really a frat type of event."

Old Strathcona Bus Barns, c. 1940. Source: fringetheatre.ca

According to Oliver Friedmann of Bronx, Dance Cult's coming-out party was at the Strathcona Bus Barns (10310 - 83 Ave) -- the first party in the record to use this large venue.

Olliver Friedmann: "I believe [Dance Cult] did the first bus barns party [...] They did a very successful party and then that's when we [Bronx] got together with them."

The flyer for Dance Cult's first "Amphibian Alert" party is lost.  The source is the flyer for the next party, "Amphibian Invasion," that says, "Thanks to all those who supported [...] Amphibian Alert."

Dance Cult presents "Amphibian Invasion" (November 20, 1992)

Dance Cult, together with Bronx, promoted the next party in the flyer record, "Amphibian Invasion" (November 20, 1992). The flyer puts the name of Dance Cult front and centre making it clear that it is 'their' event, although the reverse of the flyer is recognizably 'Bronx.'

Yardbird Suite, 10203 - 86 Ave, looms large
in Edmonton's musical consciousness.

The venue for "Amphibian Invasion" was 10203 - 86 Avenue which was once called the Malone warehouse, home to the Yardbird Suite in 1992. Are we to believe that a rave happened in Edmonton's most famous jazz club, one that put Edmonton on the map musically? Evidence suggests this is the case.

There are a number of 'firsts' on the flyer for "Amphibian Invasion":

• First time tickets for sale at University Campus (HUB Mall)
• This is the first time we can read Nick Delgado aka Nicky Miago's name in the flyer record: DJ Nicky, spinning with DJ Darren (also the first time this deejay's name appears).
• Cory Payne appears for the first time in the flyer record as well, under the name DJ Pain.
• Locks Garant, deejay at the Dance Factory, is a name we are going to hear again and again in the early part of the Edmonton rave story, and he appears here for the first time as well.
• The names of all four deejays appear alongside the logo for CJSR 88.5 FM.

Also on this flyer, ravers are prompted to "Listen to CJSR's All Night Dance Party 12AM to 8AM." What show is this?

Cory Payne @8:08] "The All Night Dance Party.  'Rico and Chunky G and the place to be, E-town's All Night Dance Party' was their slogan, that they had on CJSR at midnight.

This show helped Cory Payne get his break:

Cory Payne @8:34] "I started calling [the station]: Do you guys have this song? How about this one? How about this one?
"Eventually [...] they said, Come on down and DJ on CJSR. [...] I just did my thing and before you know it, they asked me to stay on the show.

"[The show] was called the 'All Night Dance Party. Me and two other guys did [it] from midnight till 6:00 in the morning. [DJ] PTO, Curtis Davies played house [...] there was this other guy who played hip hop. His name was Billy, Big Billy and he was a good rapper too and MC.

Two logos appear for the first time on this flyer: Club Monaco and Gravity Pope. Gravity Pope is connected to the Edmonton rave scene because the basement of the store's current location would be incarnated as a dance club and used as a party venue in the following months.

"Amphibian Invasion" is the first party in the record to hit the $8 mark. In 1992, parties climbed in price from ~$5 up to $8, with this party being the high mark. Ticket prices would go no higher until New Year's Eve 1994.

Rave (Raid)

One of the 'traditions' within rave culture is corporate spoofing and we see this with the flyer for:

• "Rave" (December 12, 1992) 

The flyer is a play on a can of Raid bug spray.

Party wattage is listed as 30,000 Watts which is double the amount of "Brilliant." Ebe the Proverbial Grey is back, this time joined by someone named D-Zone who contributed videography with film and slides.

Who were the gogo dancers? How were they suspended in cages?

2 Parties featuring DJ Nicky, at Rebar, but not Rebar.

The next two parties in the record are by Art Sproul, who we remember from parties at Flashback[2], "Carnival Rave," and "Vick's VapoRave." The next two parties in the flyer record continue the rave tradition (actually it is an imported UK rave tradition) of spoofing corporate logos. The party names are:

• "Purex" (December 19, 1993)
• "Fresh Vibes" (February 6, 1993)

Art Sproul describes the rave scene in Edmonton at this point: "There was other competition so the flyers had to be brighter and more colorful. And we had to have tickets for sale at multiple different venues, indicated on the flyers."

"Purex" (December 19, 1993). Source: Art Sproul

These two parties are especially significant because of the venue. The address for these two parties is 10545 - Whyte Avenue. Two years later, next door (10551 - Whye Avenue) would open its doors as Rebar, but not by these promoters. Rather, the club would open under the management of the original club Flashback. Coincidence? Art Sproul explains his change of fortune:

"[Purex] turned out really well. We had a great event. And John from Flash showed up at the next party we did there [...] and when he came, he brought someone. Unfortunately, this person was the money man behind the Rebar. [...] John [Reid] had all the equipment and he was just looking for someone to front the money to do the lease. So they actually stole the bar out from underneath us."

In support of this version of events, Darrin Hagen writes,

"It was the Flashback sound and light equipment that was used to start Rebar, for many years the hottest nightclub on Whyte Avenue (The Edmonton Queen, 2007, p.197)."

"Fresh Vibes" (February 6, 1993). Source: Dragan Jargic

The flyers for "Purex" and "Fresh Vibes" share important similarities. Besides being held at the same venue, the two parties each feature deejays Nikki (or Nickey), Pain and Catastrophe, along with Special "K" for the latter party. Both parties explicitly state "18 and over with ID" -- Edmonton's first 18+ parties, a condition brought about by the change of venue from private club to licensed establishment.

Both flyers have an extensive 'thanks-to' section, as did "Vicks VapoRave," and like "VapoRave," both flyers mention other promotion companies by name ("peace & understanding to Oliver and his Love Children" says the flyer for "Purex). Both "Purex" and "Fresh Vibes" have tickets for sale at the same four record stores.

Notice that both flyers have a phone number with a (403) area code.

- (1) Edmonton still used the (403) area code back then.
- (2) The whole province used the (403) area code back then.  Ergo:
- (3) Parties in Edmonton are getting enough attention to attract people from out of ...province?

Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon form the "prairie triangle" of Rave in Canada.  More on this in a future article.

Valentine's Day Interlude at Bronx

The next party in the flyer record is:

• "Stupid Cupid" (February 13, 1993)

Oliver: @17:53 This was a Valentine's party but it was done with techno music.

All the deejay's listed on this flyer are first-time appearances. We have DJ X-Luv, DJ Squidgy, and DJ Thumper, with guests, and the famed Ebe, graphic designer by day, death metal bassist and rave videographer by night.

Again, we have genres of music listed, in this case, 'techno, trance, house, ambient, industrial and dance' music.

Also read the words, "This is a happy house," part description of the scene, part wish for it.

"Stupid Cupid" (February 13, 1993)
Source: Oliver Friedmann

JP: When it says here scenery by Luv Zone, what would that entail?
Oliver @17:55] That would have been decorations and visuals. Mostly decorations at that point, we hadn't really gotten into the visuals with 16mm projectors and that sort of stuff.

Party Featured on Page A1 of the Edmonton Journal

There are a number of interesting things about the next party in the flyer record, namely:

• "Rise and Shine" (February 19, 1993).

"Rise and Shine" (February 19, 1993). Source: Dragan Jargic

For the venue, we return to the warehouse at 10334 - 108 Street, which is calld "Nix" now. The promoter name is "Universal Underground" which is the first and only time we see this name in the flyer record. Ticket price is a low $6.

Reverse of caption for "Rise and Shine"

Who are the deejays?

Locks Garant is on the bill, who we met at the party "Amphibian Invasion." So is Catastrophe who we have met in the recent parties. Brian Burgess is a deejay whose name we will see infrequently. Otaku will appear a few times more; this is his first appearance. And, "NICKY" in capitals who is of course Nick Delgado, aka Nicky Miago.

The party "Rise and Shine" appeared on the front page of the Edmonton Journal, page A1, one week after the party date, commanding 1400 words plus a colour photograph. By and large, this is the first time Edmonton's news media presented 'rave' to city goers. Here is how the phenomenon was introduced:

Rave on: A Dance Party for the '90s Flower Children
A transvestite with blue eyelids and pretty lips waves a feather boa in time to grinding music. Boom, boom, boom. One hundred and sixty beats a minute.

A teenage girl in a black bra and garter sways on a scaffold high above the dark dance floor. Beside her, a man, his youthful face hidden behind a gas mask, swings his arms around to the endless beat.

Friday at midnight. This is no ordinary nightclub pickup joint.
It's a rave. Edmonton Journal, February 26, 1993

The article "Rave On" names Nick Delgado as the organizer of "Rise and Shine." We have met Nicky in the flyer record before, as a deejay: the Journal article is the first primary source record of Nick Delgado the promoter. Opposite Shelly Solarz, Nick Delgado would build the promotion company Nexustribe, whose events were synonymous with raving in Edmonton for many people. We are starting to see more and more of the figures who will drive the next chapters of Edmonton's rave story.

It's probably not realistic to think this was the only party that Nick Delgado promoted since the "Rave Generation" and "Rave Mania" parties of 1991, but this is the first one for which we have direct evidence.

The name Universal Underground does not appear anywhere else in the flyer record: soon it will change to United Underground for the party "Funhouse" (April 3, 1994).

Creation and Re-innovation

The next flyer in the record is small, about 2.5 inches square. Called "Creation" (February 27, 1993) the party is at Bronx and features three deejays we know (Rice, Rut and X) as well as one new name, Mighty Mouse whose 'vinyl orchestra' spins deep house, hardcore and trance.

  

"Creation" (February 27, 1993). Source: Oliver Friedmann

Source: Oliver Friedmann

The flyer is physically smaller than earlier flyers in the record, and the paper is lighter.  The flyer is monochrome on one side.  It represents the first step backward in a promoter's flyer complexity and cost.

The flyer calls "Creation" 'the last rave before re:innovation,' the Bronx grand re-opening, March 26, 1993, for which we have a flyer.

JP: What did you do to renovate?
Oliver @25:05] This is the one everybody hated. [...] I wanted to move away a little bit from the black, Doc Martin, leather jacket alt-rock thing, and it was very much of a mistake. I modernized the club and I did all these funky decor changes and a lot of people really hated it.

Don't Overlook Dance Factory

From 1992 on, Flashback[2] was becoming "a white elephant" in the words of Darrin Hagen, but there were still people going out to dance every weekend at that club, and to the Roost on Thursdays, and there was still a fierce rivalry between those two clubs.

By this time, Dance Factory had moved from the Mercer Building, to its second location at 10147 - 104 Street, which would later become the famous afterhours club Sublime.  Call these two locations Dance Factory[0] and Dance Factory[1].

Oliver @23:42] "The real, real grand-daddy of the clubs was Dance Factory. And that was always very much of a house music club. [...] That was Dave Jackson's baby and it was a really authentic, New York, afterhours gay club type of environment. Whelan [aka Locks Garant] that deejay'ed there for years."

Events at Dance Factory[1] occur infrequently in the flyer record, and whether to include them or not in the list of 'parties' in Edmonton is debatable. But there is primary source evidence more and more techno acts and techno nights were happening in Edmonton. Here is a plug for one, with free tickets, for Voice Industrie (who played at "Vicks VapoRave").  The event date is March 12, 1993:

Source: The Gateway, March 11, 1993

The venue was also used for one-off events, some of which would surely be recognizably raves/parties.  Around this time we have a party called "Lovely Day" (flyer lost; date unknown) at the Dance Factory[1] (10147 - 104 Street) by Art Sproul.  It's unclear whether the party advertised above is the same:

Art Sproul: We did one in another place, it was in the new Dance Factory which was a much smaller space and we had an act from Edmonton called the KGB play, and that [event] was called "Lovely day." So we had a pretty neat flyer for that one it was kind of a psychedelic hand piece of artwork that was done.

The flyer for "Lovely Day" is unavailable and the date, deejay and price information is not available.

Return of Dance Cult

Dance Cult are back for their second party at Bronx, called:

• "Amphibian Conquest" (April 24, 1993)

The party has a flyer reminiscent of the poster for the movie Metropolis (1927), playing with concepts of past and future:

              

The modernist poster for Metropolis (1927), left, inspired the flyer for "Amphibian Conquest" (April 24, 1993), centre.  Reverse on right. Flyer Source: Oliver Friedmann

Oliver @10:55] "This was all pre-internet days too and there was a lot of borrowing, shall we say, from other concepts that you would see in other places."

Like the Dance Cult party of the year before, "Amphibian Conquest" was $8, still the highest price in among Edmonton parties to date.

Familiar names X, Rut and Nikki are on the bill; but there is no name that is obviously the headliner. Otaku is back; DJ Slack Hippy is a name that appears here for the first and only time in the record of extant flyers.

 

Krusty Raves: A headliner from Los Angeles

Now we encounter four raves in a sequence -- called the Krusty Raves at Bronx. Between the third and fourth, there is a party by the promoters of "Rise and Shine."  The list of parties is as follows:

• "Krusty's Electric Daisy Carnival" (August 7, 1993)
• "Krusty Takes a Trip" (September 18, 1993)
• "Krusty: Atomic Krispies" (January 22, 1994)
• "Funhouse" (April 3, 1994)
• "Krusty IV" (May 22, 1994)

[Raves appear again the Edmonton Journal between the second and third Krusty Raves, in the article "Master of Techno Music Raves into Edmonton" (December 2, 1993).]

"Krusty's Electric Daisy Carnival" (August 7, 1993). Source: Oliver Friedmann

"Krusty Takes a Trip" (September 18, 1993). Source: Oliver Friedmann

"Atomic Krispies" (January 22, 1994). Source: Oliver Friedmann

"Funhouse" (April 3, 1994). Source: Renee Sabourin

"Krusty 4" (May 22, 1994). Source: Oliver Friedmann

Let's treat the four Krusty Raves as a set. All of them are at the Bronx.

"Bloom" by Difference Engine with sax man Richard Sixto,
who performed in the Acid Jazz / Chill room of "Krusty 4."
Courtesy of the Calgary Cassette Preservation Society

Nick Delgado, aka DJ Nicky, aka Nicky Miago, spins at each of the Krusty raves opposite one other deejay. Each party has two rooms.

We are still in the era of having a small number of deejay's at the decks each night. Deejays LD-50, Otaku, Mr Kool Aid, Vitamin D, and Robby are distributed across the four parties.

All Krusty rave tickets are less than $5. The first flyer of the series makes mention of a reduced rate for women, but this is a one-time occurrence. In contrast, drink specials are listed on each flyer for the Krusty raves:

Oliver @29:45] Edmonton's people don't go out early. So there's always this problem of trying to get people to come to the club early and fill a very big room. These are part of those attempts.

Some of the Krusty raves were door tickets only, without ticket outlets, for but the third such party, "Atomic Krispies" (January 22, 1994) tickets were sold at Glam Slam -- the first appearance of this clothing store in the flyer record, at its original location in HUB mall (good for selling tickets to university students).

Between the third and fourth Krusty Raves, the promoters of "Rise and Shine" returned to throw the party "The Funhouse" (April 3, 1994). This party is notable for having 7 ("yes, 7") deejays on the bill. Note that the promotion company name has changed, from Universal Underground, to United Underground.  It would change again by the time of "Nexus" (October 7, 1995) to become Universal Dance Productions.

One important thing to note is that "Krusty 4" is the first party in the record to feature a headliner from out of town (other than deejays such as Rice from Calgary and LD-50/Robbie Luv Dub from Vancouver). Chris Flores, direct from Los Angeles, has the honour/notoriety of being the first deejay from outside Canada to appear on an extant Edmonton flyer. Spinning with Nicky here is DJ Robby -- maybe an alias for Robbie Luv Dub.

Dream Sequence: Lost Flyers, "Genesis" and "Space Out"

There are two parties in the chronology now, whose flyers exists but are not in my collection.

I know they exist because .

The parties are:

• Genesis (date unknown)
• Space Out (date unknown)

Regarding "Genesis," I have a recording of myself reading the text of these flyers, during my interview with Oliver Friedmann (December 30, 2016). On the flyer, it said, "Thou shalt praise the preachers of a soulful sound" and the deejays named were "DJ Rut and DJ Tree, live and direct back from San Francisco [...] and Code Red."

Jonestown Punch. Download their 1990 album "Swank on this"
courtesy of the Calgary Cassette Preservation Society.

Oliver Friedmann @34:28] DJ Rut and DJ Tree might have been.... those were two guys from a band in Calgary called Jonestown Punch. A punk band.

The flyer for "Genesis" is the first in the record to feature the name Code Red. (But, I'm sure I'm missing flyers of events at Rebar.) Code Red was a deejay who would become a fixture at Rebar, and the Roost, and who also spun at the Rev.

Regarding "Space Out":

JP: Here we have a party called "Space Out."
Oliver Friedmann @37:22] This one is a kind of interesting flyer
JP: It is an astronaut with butterfly wings.

 

Dance Factory: Outlaws

There is another entry in the flyer record for a party at the Dance Factory:

• "Outlaws" (December 14, 1994) 

Its flyer speaks to the difficulty, sometimes, in deciding what is a rave and what is not. We are trying to compile a comprehensive list of Edmonton raves.  But remember that deejays Locks Garant was putting forward his deep New York house sounds every weekend at the Dance Factory during the period we are considering here. Party deejays played at the Dance Factory and vice versa.  So was there a Dance Factory 'rave' on each of these weekends?

"Outlaws" (December 14, 1994)
Source: Private Collection

This is one of only a few Dance Factory flyers in the collection and it stands out from the other rave flyers in this collection. This is the first time so far we have seen a human figure on a flyer. There is a sexual undertone that is not present on the other rave flyers. There are costumes used, and lighting. This flyer is a staged photograph whereas rave flyers of this period sample graphic elements from all kinds of different sources, like techno music itself samples different kinds of sound.  This flyer is born from fashion photography more than computer graphics.
In short, we have a visual metaphor here -- just like this is like a rave flyer, but not, weekends at the Dance Factory were like raves, but not.

 

Bronx becomes Rev

The ravers of Edmonton bid adieu to Bronx on August 11, 1994, and said hello to the Rev on October 29 of that year.

     

The name "Bronx" was back one more time, though, for the 1994 New Year's Eve party:

Flyer for New Year's Eve event at Bronx.  Source: Oliver Friedmann

Reverse of Bronx New Year's Eve flyer.  Source: Oliver Friedmann

New Year's Eve at the Bronx draws heavily on the city's growing rave scene. The deejays, LD-50 and DJ Nicky, are rave deejays, and are tickets advertised for sale at the usual locations. "Progressive" house is promised, the first use of this word to describe a style of techno or house music. There are two dance floors promised, along with champagne, and door prizes including a juicy trip for two to Vancouver -- there is starting to be some money in the scene. Still, the entire New Year's Eve party was spun by two deejays.

What kinds of music?

Trevor Wyatt @30:40] "Robbie Luv Dub [aka LD-50] would play, you know, everything. At like the Bronx, he would play, like [...] three hip hop songs and then [...] there was kind of a British Pop scene so there was Manchester, like [...] the [♫] Charlatans, the [♫] Stone Roses, and the [♫] Happy Mondays.

The 1994 New Years party represents a substantial jump in ticket price. Until now, the most expensive party by a considerable margin cost $8 per ticket. At the turn of 1994 into 1995, ticket prices jumped up to $12, and as high as $14 at the door.

The last two parties before we cross an important milestone are:

• "Start the Panic" (February 18, 1995).
• "Trix" (April 1, 1995). Flyer lost.

"Start the Panic" (February 18, 1995). Source: Renee Sabourin

The venue for "Start the Panic" is the old Dance Factory according to the flyer, that is to say, the Mercer Building.

The flyer of the party called "Trix" is lost at this time.

What is the source for these parties? "Trix," and "Start the Panic," were cited on the flyer for New Year's Eve 1995, attributed to Universal Dance Productions. If this is correct, this is the first time that company name appears in the flyer record. Universal Dance Productions are the promotion company who will throw "Nexus" (October 7, 1995), the party that will close this period of the history of Rave in Edmonton.

Dragaon, Triptomene [sic] and Celcius in da house

The next flyer in the flyer record turns a corner. Consider everything that is new about the flyer for "Mayhem" (June 2, 1995):

• 
• New style (not the type-set, blocky art that characterizes flyers by Bronx and for parties such as "Purex" and "Fresh Vibes"
• New Promotion Company (2 as 1)
• New venue (The Pitt, a bar at 10112 - 124)
• New part of town (124 street, instead of downtown or alternatively Rebar)
• First occurrence of the word "Jungle" in Edmonton's flyer record
• Last but not least, first appearance of the following three names: Triptomene. Dragon. Celcius.

"Mayhem" (June 2, 1995).  Source: Etown Flyer Archive (Facebook Group)

Divine Warehouse Sale Warm-up

Divine Decadence Warehouse fashion show / party. Source: Dragan Jargic

Let's consider what is new about this flyer. Notably, there are a number of new names on this flyer:

• Spilt Milk
• Deep Sky
• Echo
• Sync
• Celcius
• Paul Teeze
• Pro-gram

$12 / $15 ticket price is a at the high end for period (A).

Blackbyrd Myoozik joins the list of ticket sellers.

The sound system has grown to 60,000 Watts. Names are given on this flyer for the company who set up the sound system (namely, FM Systems and Quantum Music) as well as a short description of the lighting events.

The word "Internet" appears for the first time in the flyer record here ("Internet Cyberscapes" are on offer).

 

Return of the Retro Rave

The next party in the flyer record is a recap of "Gatorave" of 1992 and the opening paragraph of the flyer says so:

Flyer for "Gatorave Retro Rave" (August 12, 1995)
Source: Oliver Friedmann.

"Take a trip, a flashback [note choice of words] to the time of E-town's Summer of Love ...1992." There is some creative rewriting of history here with the statement that "Love Children Productions" are the promoters who started it all.

This "Gatorave" is at the Rev, not Bronx and notice that the party is explicitly 18+, whereas Bronx parties could be all ages.

It's also a party where we see some of the names of the new upcoming deejays mixed with some of the old guard. DJ Rice is a familiar name, as is Cory Payne. Yet we also see here Triptomine for the first time, as well as Davie James. Some of these deejays have yet to finalize their stage names (Triptomine would become Tryptomene; Davie James would become Davey James).

The party promises a measly 30,000 watts of sound, again listing the name of the company providing the sound system. Also, a virtual reality game centre. "No House" says the flyer, if you know where to look.

Note the seven digit local phone number.

Home Run for Spilt Milk

The next two entries is the flyer record are:

• "Alpha Rave" (flyer lost; exact date unknown)
• "Tonite" (August 25, 1995)

The source for "Alpha Rave" is a reference on the flyer for "Tonite." No flyer for "Alpha Rave" survives, but the party is significant for being an early party to feature Rob Clarke, aka DJ Triptomene.

"Tonight" is significant because it's where Trevor Wyatt, aka DJ Spiltmilk, got his break: 

Trevor @ 4:04] "I never really started to DJ until I was like 20. I just got an opportunity because I had a friend who [...] threw his own party at Room at the Top at U of A campus [...] That very night was when the manager of the place asked me to become a DJ there.

"Tonite" (August 25, 1995).
Source: Trevor Wyatt

Room At The Top (RATT) was a bar at the top of the Students' Union Building on the University of Alberta campus.  Three of Edmonton's up and coming deejays were invited to play -- Triptomine, Spilt Milk, and Sync, who would later join up with Lady J for live techno performances with vocals. DJ Shasta was on the bill as well. The party was $2 for entry.

The spelling of Triptomene's name has changed, (from Triptomine to Tryptomene). The flyer makes reference to him playing at at "the recent Retrorave" which is probably "Gatorave" of a month before.

The names "Celcius" (misspelled) and Triptomine (again back to its alternate spelling) reappear for the next party in the list, "Transformers" (September 8, 1995). Sub-titled "The Underground Groove" this party was held in the downstairs (subterranean) room of the new Rev.

"Transformers: The Underground Groove" (September 8, 1995)

[A message to the kids out there. Rob Tryptomene and Clint Celcius grew up to be legends, and Spiltmilk too. Yet once upon a time they were kids just like you trying to get their names spelled right on a flyer.  Don't give up.]

For what it is worth, the promoter name is given as Blast It.  This event, at the Rev, is 18+ as well.

 

"Nexus" by Universal Dance Productions. End of Period (A).

We now mark the appearance of the word "Nexus" in Edmonton's flyer record.  We are still well before the advent of the group called 'Nexustribe.'  Universal Dance Productions is the promoter name for the next event in this collection, which was simply called:

• "Nexus" (October 7, 1995):

The name "Universal Dance Productions" is another slight variant of the names "Universal Underground" and "United Underground" that we have seen before.

"Nexus" (October 7, 1995)

It is the first folded flyer in the collection. All the other flyers are like post-cards, but this one is full colour, double sided and folds into thirds, about 3 inches square.

Reverse of flyer for "Nexus"

"Nexus," the party that demarcates the end of Period A, is dedicated to Shelly Solarz.

"Nexus" continues the early tradition of cross over between rave and fashion shows.  In other regards, the party is noticeably more complex than previous parties:

• There are new ticket outlets (Color Blind, New Ground, Nouveau Boutique, Yes Hair Co)
• For the first time in the flyer record, a party in Edmonton has a ticket outlet in Calgary
• There is also a dedicated info line for Calgary
• Shuttle Buses are available for out of town guests
• The party takes place at a new venue (Shakers Acres)
• There is alcohol service at a rave for the first time in the flyer record

Last but not least, "Nexus" marks the first time in the flyer record that party-goers are directed to the internet for more information.

More details:

• "Nexus" has headliners from Vancouver and Montreal.  Headliner names are twice the size of local deejay names.
• The party features deejays who are newly appearing on the scene: Triptomine, Sync [spelled Synch], Spilt Milk
• They are joined by veterans Nicky and Cory Payne aka Pain
• New deejays: Raggedy Andy and Davey James, Sherridon is there too
• Other deejays who are unfamiliar to us: Shasta, Gofish, Marty, Shawn, Mynde

The party venue, Shaker's Acres, was an RV park located far to the West of downtown, outside the city, remote, industrial, and across from a truck rental depot.  This is the first recorded party at this venue.

Aerial view of Shakers Acres hall. Source: Edmonton MLS

We are entering a new epoch of parties with the advent of multiple rooms.  This is a step up from the one-room warehouse parties earlier in period (A).  More than 18 deejays played "Nexus," more than double the previous maximum of seven.

These deejay's played across a total of five separate rooms, each with its own distinct musical sound. This is a change from the all-inclusive mixology of early deejays such as Rice and Robbie Luv Dub. It's a trend that's going to get more pronounced as our story progresses. Cory Payne speaks to this change:

Corey Payne @10:00] "[Nowadays] the genres have fragmented so much that people are like, Well I don't really like techno, I like minimal Detroit techno, that's what I'm into, but I'm not really that other techno. It is very particular.

[Back then] the vibes were a little different. It was about bringing things together. Hip hop had really cool music, and house had really cool music.  Techno had really cool music. [...] And that’s not to forget the downtempo genres [...]

I say these things as a reminder to myself and a reminder to anybody who may listening here too -- that [our scene] was born of unification, [...] of exploration and pushing the boundaries [... and asking], What is doing to our culture? What is this doing to consciousness, what is this doing to society? What kind of doors is it opening?

I saw [the oneness] as a resurgence of what was bubbling out in the late 1960s [...] it keeps pushing, the pendulum keeps swinging to try and break over to the next side. And we all thought [...] we were the generation doing it. 

"Nexus," a party of so many firsts, also marks the end of the newness, freshness and optimism of period (A).

 

In Conclusion: From Period (A) to Period (B)

In this article, we have traced the full path from Edmonton's earliest parties, through to the first occurrence of the word "Nexus."

If you are an Edmonton raver who was introduced to the scene via a Nexustribe party, you can see the beginnings of that group's here.  We will be hearing more about Nexus events, about the Nexustribe, about deejay Nicky Miago and promoter Shelly Solarz.

We are about to see an explosion in the number of deejay's native to Edmonton.  Triptomine, Spilt Milk and Celcius are leading the way, and Sync, as well as Raggedy Andy who would become Andy Pocket, and Davey James.

For that reason, the line between Period (A) and Period (B) comes here. Raves are about to grow exponentially as we cross from one part of the scene's history to the next.  The mainstream media in Edmonton, who we met around the time of "Rise and Shine," will be players in this story in period (B).  So will city council and the police.

The curtain falls on Period (A).

What did we learn from this exercise?

By placing Edmonton rave flyers back to back and reading them as texts, we learned a number of interesting facts and a observed some interesting trends.

• Next time you enjoy a brewski in the Mercer Tavern, remember: #WeRavedHere
• Edmonton's first parties had black and white flyers but quickly moved to colour.  But there weren't fancy folded flyers until the end of Period (A), three years later.
• Edmonton's earliest parties were often spun by deejay's from Calgary, namely DJ Rice, and from Vancouver, namely Robbie Luv Dub aka LD-50.
• Party prices doubled in the first year, from $4 at "Acid Techno Rave '91" (December 13, 1991) to $8 for "Amphibian Conquest" (November 20, 1992) but they would go no higher until New Year's Eve 1994.
• Speaking of "Amphibian Conquest" -- blink and you might miss Dance Cult, who promoted three early Edmonton events.  Dance Cult have the earliest recorded party in the Strathcona Bus Barns, and the one and only recorded party in the Yardbird Suite warehouse.
• In the flyer record, there is a reference to radio programming on CJSR which (by all accounts) was important in the development of E-town's scene.
• Edmonton parties continued the proud UK tradition of spoofing corporate brands.
• The party "Nexus" was not thrown by Nexustribe.  "Nexus" parties started small like everyone else, under the names "United Underground," "Universal Underground," and "Universal Dance Productions."
• Internet addresses (URL's) appear on flyers for the last party of period (A), namely "Nexus" (October 7, 1995).

Thanks to the ravers of Edmonton who helped build a primary source record by saving party flyers.  This analysis wouldn't have been possible without you.

 

The List of Parties

• 'Rave Mania' (1991, exact date unknown)
• 'Rave Generation' (1991, exact date unknown)
• Acid Techno Rave '91 (December 13, 1991)
• Pure Love (December 1, 1991)
• Techno Acid Rave 2 (February 1, 1992)
• Laser Rave (1992, exact date unknown)
• A Brave New World (February 9, 1992)
• Zero Gravity (April 11, 1992)
• Brilliant (July 25, 1992)
• Carnival Rave, Under the Big Top (August 1, 1992)
• Gatorave (September 12, 1992)
• Future (October 24, 1992)
• Back to the Gr-rave! (October 31, 1992)
• Vick's Vapo-Rave (November 13, 1992)
• Amphibian Alert (1992, exact date unknown)
• Amphibian Invasion (November 20, 1992)
• Raver Stimulator (December 12, 1992)
• Purex (December 19, 1992)
• Fresh Vibes (February 6, 1993)
• Stupid Cupid (February 13, 1993)
• Rise and Shine (February 19, 1993)
• Creation (February 27, 1993)
• Voice Industrie at Dance Factory (March 12, 1993)
• Amphibian Conquest (April 24, 1993)
• Krusty's Electric Dais Carnival (August 7, 1993)
• Krusty Takes a Trip (September 18, 1993)
• Chris Sheppard (December 2, 1993)
• Krusty: Atomic Krispies (January 22, 1994)
• Rabbit Romp (April 3, 1994)
• Fun House (April 3, 1994)
• Krusty IV (May 22, 1994)
• Outlaws (December 17, 1994)
• New Year's Eve 1994 (December 31, 1994)
• Start the Panic (February 18, 1995)
• Trix (April 1, 1995)
• Mayhem (June 2, 1995)
• Divine Warehouse Sale Warm-up Party (July 5, 1995)
• Gatorave 2 (August 12, 1995)
• Alpharave (1995, exact date unknown)
• Tonite (August 25, 1995)
• Transformers: The Underground Groove (September 8, 1995)
• Nexus (October 7, 1995)

 

The Venues, in order of appearance:

• Castledowns Community League (exact address unknown)
• Warehouse on 104 Street at 104 Avenue (exact location unknown)
• Flashback[2] (10345 - 105 Street) [now Excelsior Lofts]
• Bronx (10330 - 102 Street) [the Old Citadel; aka the Rev]
• Nix (10334 - 108 Street) [the Malone Warehouse]
• Dance Factory[0] (10363 - 104 Street) [the Mercer building]
• Old Strathcona Bus Barns (10330 - 84 Avenue)
• Yardbird Suite Warehouse (10203 - 86 Avenue)
• 10545 Whyte Avenue
• Dance Factory[1] (10147 - 104 St)
• The Pitt (10112 - 124 St)
• Room at the Top (7th floor Students' Union Building, University of Alberta Campus)
• Shaker's Acres (21530 - 103 Avenue)

 

Deejays of Period (A)

Not a complete list. Some flyers are lost, and anyway, flyers do not always list all the deejay names. Nevertheless, we can at least get a sense of the 'core' group of techno deejays in the earliest days in Edmonton. It is a group that is about to get much bigger.

Here are the originals, in order of appearance:

• DJ Nicky aka Nick Delgado
• Cory Payne aka DJ Pain
• Michael Brennan aka DJ Mikee
• Don Knox
• Sherridon
• X
• Rice
• The Toxic Avenger
• Kozmic Kid
• Shy 106
• Mr. Clean
• Johnny Crash
• Darren
• Locks Garant
• Catastrophe
• Special "K"
• X-Luv (could this be a collaboration between DJ X and Robbie Luv Dub?)
• Squidgy
• Thumper
• Brian Burgess
• Otaku
• Rut
• Slack Hippy
• LD-50 aka Robbie Luv Dub
• Mr Kool Aid
• Vitamin D
• DJ Eric (sometimes with sax man Richard Sixto)             ## End of Group 1
• Triptomene [later changed to Tryptomene]              ## Start of Group 2
• Celcius
• Dragon
• Bobby Torpedo
• Rawz
• Raggedy Andy aka Andy Pockett
• Spiltmilk
• Deep Sky
• Echo
• Sync
• Paul Teeze
• Pro-gram
• Terminator Rex
• Shasta
• Gofish
• Marty
• Shawn 
• Mynde
• DJ SOS

 

Period (A) Ticket Prices

The following parties are labelled on the graph:

A: "Techno Acid Rave II"
B: "Brilliant"
C: "Amphibian Invasion"
D: New Year's Eve 1994 at Bronx


The earliest recorded ticket price for a rave in Edmonton was $5 for "Acid Techno Rave '91."
The final party of Period (A), "Nexus," was $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

 

Ticket Outlets

All the places ravers could buy event tickets in Edmonton, as they appear in the flyer record in order of appearance, excluding the clubs themselves:

• Sound Connection
• Marquee Records
• Breakaway Music
• Divine Decadence / Divine Inc.
• Something Hot
• Sam the Record Man/li>
• Exile Cafe & Gallery
• Sonix
• Gravity Pope
• Southside Sound
• HUB Mall (University of Alberta Campus)
• Mojo Extreme
• Club Monaco
• Groove Asylum
• London Street
• Icon
• Studio 109
• Looks Hair Design
• Glam Slam (HUB Mall)
• Heros at West Edmonton Mall
• Blackbyrd Myoosik
• Color Blind
• New Ground
• Nouveau Boutique
• Yes Hair Co.
• Divine Decadence (both Calgary locations)

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