In Some Hexagon

The improbable lineup of Lollapalooza 1997 ended each night with a performance from Prodigy, The Orb, and Orbital. Everyone else- Korn, Tool, Tricky, Devo- had to play in the daylight. The evening was reserved for techno. I did not understand this genre then, neither liked nor disliked it, but I stayed at the Nissan Pavilion and tried to figure out what “performing” dance music actually entailed. There were light shows, disco balls, dancing, the white guys on the distant stage were… on the computer? I was tired from a days’ worth of weeping during James’ set and moshing to Tool (like I said, improbably lineup) and too self-conscious to attempt any rave-like undertakings. Eventually we went home long before the final set was over. I barely remembered any of this until a few months ago when I came across an Orb remix of a song I liked when I was small and all of sudden I couldn’t get enough of 90s techno. I look forward to the rave-themed nights at whatever cut-rate retirement home houses me in my dotage. I hope they provide glow sticks and pacifiers; I will finally dance.