Read about the moments that Sarah Wong has experienced in the scene and where she has found home!
Name: Sarah Wong
Rave Name: Glitter Queen, Cat Queen
Age: 27
Hometown: Mars, Milky Way Galaxy
Current City: Oakland, CA
Occupation: Self Employed
Facebook: Sarah Michelle
Instagram: @meow.im.sarah
What was your first electronic music event?
Escape 2011
What/who influenced you to attend your first event?
I got into electronic music as early as 2nd grade. We would dance to songs like “What Is Love” or “Cotton Eyed Joe” in PE and I LOVED the beat of the music from a super young age. I even burned CDs in 5th grade with Benny Benassi, Moby, whatever I electronic music I could find. In my early teens, I became obsessed with Dance Dance Revolution and the library of songs that came from there. I would spend hours looking for more and more.
Around 2006, some of my classmates started going to LoveFest in SF. This was the first “rave” type event I was a made aware of. Having pretty strict parents, I was unable to attend anything like it when I was in high school. One day my freshman year of college, I discovered Borgore’s “Guided Relaxation Dub” and went down a rabbit hole of discovery on YouTube. Dubstep was like nothing I had ever heard before, and it quite literally blew my mind wide open and changed my life.
My roommates and friends at the time also fell in love with the music so we were all curious to check out a rave. So we went to Escape. To be honest, we had a horrible time. But after, I was determined to enjoy myself more at one of these events. I went to a few more in college but didn’t have the resources or time until after I graduated to start going to more events.
After years of relying on others to go to events with me, around two years ago, I realized the only way I will ever be able to fully and truly enjoy myself at a rave is if I go alone. So, I did it, and it has literally changed my life. Going to festivals alone opened the door to meet so many new people and I couldn’t imagine my life now without festivals and live music!
What is one moment from an event that was special and why?
It is so hard to just choose one! But the Night Owl Experience set from EDC 2013 is still one of my personal favorite sets I’ve ever seen. The fact that it was so mysterious, and well orchestrated.
What is your favorite festival or event?
Tie between Desert Hearts and Dirtybird Campout.
What is your favorite electronic song and why?
“White Satin” by Zeds Dead because, listen to it.
Who are your favorite artists?
Dirtybird/Desert Hearts/Lee Burridge. Anything house and techno.
What are your favorite genres?
House and techno. Specifically acid house/techno. Anything spacey or tribal. I’ve always prided myself on being a fan of “good music” rather than any specific genre, although the older I get, the more genre specific I become. [Laughs] I appreciate artists who don’t stay inside the box, those who create their own box.
What do you feel your “Identity” is in the electronic music community?
I’m the glitter, rainbow, alien, cat, vibe queen who is here to be WEIRD and have tons of fun! My goal is to share good energy with as many people as I can. ❤️ After Dirtybird Campout, I made a Facebook group called “Bay Area Dirtybirds” that is a fan-run page. It has allowed me to really find my “place” in the house and techno scene in SF. I truly feel at home with the BADB’s. We are an ever-growing family of amazing like-minded spirits.
Is there anything else you would like to add about yourself for the readers?
Just to always be yourself. And if you feel lost, to not be afraid to let go of the bad things and find your true self! It’s so cliché, but I spent so much of my life trying to please others. I forced myself to maintain relationships with certain people simply because we had known each other and spent so much time together. But we fought often and barely agreed on anything. That is not what constitutes friendship. Friendship is earned through action, cohesion, mutual acceptance, genuine love and a similar state of mind.
For so long, I thought if I put myself first I would come off as too selfish or ungrateful. But I realized I was crippling myself this way. Knowing when to let go of a toxic friend or relationship is extremely tough. But the times I have were some of the best decisions I have ever made. So, if you feel crippled or held back by anything, or anybody, I hope you can find the strength to know when to leave it. Sometimes just talking about it won’t be enough. Ultimately, you should find a way to bring yourself internal peace.
Do you want to be featured in our weekly ID Spotlight segment? Click HERE for the submission form!
