Venue: The Vault - Atlanta, GA
Presented by: Atlanta Alliance

What a great way to spend Thanksgiving night.

The Atlanta Alliance, a volunteer group of people in the Atlanta industry, hosted "Community" — a free party — as a way to show Atlanta's scene what it's all about. All the dj's donated their time, and the Vault in Buckhead was very kind to donate the venue.

The Atlanta Alliance was formed earlier in 1999 when there were threats of local news crews running stories on our scene — and focusing on the negative aspects. Devin Walkley of Liquid Groove was instrumental in getting concerned industry members organized in an effort to combat the problems that threaten to destroy our scene. Community was organized by the Alliance as a way to give thanks for what we have — and what we want to keep!

Not many fliers had been printed for the party, since the Alliance doesn't really have a budget (all projects are funded by members' personal funds), so there were worries that the turnout would be less than stellar, but there was no reason to worry. Maybe it was the turkey dinners, maybe it was the price of the party (isn't free just right?)...but everybody and their brother was there. By 1 am, the Vault's security wasn't letting people in until people left the venue. Partiers waited patiently for their turn to get in. Wow.

The Alliance had set up a table to distribute educational materials and to collect donations. Many people were generous and donated a few bucks to help the Alliance's cause. The donations helped cover the costs that were incurred that night, encouraging the Alliance to consider throwing another free party again soon.

If you didn't get a chance to check out the educational materials at Community, please try to do so at a party in the future. Laminated sheets informed people of the side effects of drugs like GHB, Ecstasy and Ketamine, and there was even a sheet on driving home after a party. Simply being tired after a long night of partying can make driving home dangerous.

In addition to the laminated one-sheets, full-color fliers were distributed at the party. The Alliance printed four full-color fliers, each with a different theme. The topics range from getting high on dancing to partying responsibly. Look for these fliers around town and at various parties in the future.

The Atlanta Alliance dj's provided the tunes for the evening. The timeslots and room assignments (second room or main room) were determined by a random drawing, giving the evening an interesting flavor. Christian Michael opened in the main room, receiving numerous messages of praise on the Lunar forum after the party. His brand of hard trance is something Atlanta doesn't often hear. Joshua and his tag partner got the second room started on the right foot. The other dj's for the night included Gene Carbonell, J-Luv, Brendon Lee, One-Eye, Silver, Kevin O. and ninjaKid.

Community was a great way to show support for local Atlanta dj's...especially those dj's that are trying to make a difference in the Atlanta scene.

The vibe was awesome. It seemed like a lot of people had decided to come out on Thanksgiving night to see their friends and listen to great music — and isn't that what it's all about?

For more information on the Atlanta Alliance, e-mail atlantaalliance@lunarmagazine.com.