Undergound-style raving is not dead, and the fifth annual Electronic Fantasy Festival is out to prove it. EDC and its ilk are more like Disneyland-meets-concert these days, but this 18-and-over dance party is modeled after the mega map-point meetups of yore, where glowsticks, a warehouse, comfy sneakers and decent speakers were all you needed.

EFF will have a fancy 80,000-watt-plus sound system, of course, but the other amusements are what will make it “X-tra”: glow booths, kandy jewelry-making booths, face painting, confetti blasts, a moon bounce, lights and lasers, hookah and massage areas, stilt walkers, glitter-drenched go-go dancers and more.

Thumping and pumping house, trance, dubstep, drum ’n’ bass and trap beats will be provided by mainstage headliners Mark Breeze (of the Clubland CD compilation series), Insomniac Basscon artists DJ Caffeine and Nontoxic, Happy HardCore’s Jimni Cricket and L.A. faves 6Blocc (Soul Assassins, Sub Slayers, Moonshine) and Jason Blakemore (Insomniac).

Two other areas will offer dozens more DJs and producers who know how to pump up a party. The promoters -Jason Jay, along with Planet Unity Events and Plur Eventz Massive Entertainment- sure know their stuff.
Jay was a pioneer on the scene, especially with the legendary Magic Wednesdays, which saw dance junkies in baggy pants, neon beads, pigtails, mini backpacks and fairy wings come out on a weeknight to sweat like there's no tomorrow, or school or work. In many ways that party helped define not only the whimsical and wacky looks seen at EDM events these days but the sounds as well. And since it was held at an actual club, not a warehouse, Wednesdays (along with gatherings like Does Your Mama Know?, Sunday Love, Giant and Spundae) transcended the underground in a big way, evolving into the mainstream EDM events of today.

EFF's old-school Hollywood locale, Florentine Gardens, should make for festive flashback vibes, and a great fit for the fantastical freedom of it all. 5959 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sat., Jan. 19, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.; 18+. Tickets and info here.

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