The bus driver looks back at the passengers in the giant rearview mirror.
“And if you feel like you’re going to puke, ask me for a bag. We have them. Thanks and have a fun night. I was young once, too.” They put down the mic and shift gears.
20-somethings cheer and whistle, sitting with one leg on the grey vinyl upholstery and the rest of their bodies in the aisle. The hum of the bus loudens; the overhead lights turn off. A little red light at the front of the bus shades the vehicle in an ominous hue from the driver’s seat all the way down to P13.
The hazy, half-dizzy bus ride through the flatlands of farmfields in the middle of Champaign is a familiar trip for many students — the trip to Miner Farm for a “bance.”
Barn dances are incredibly popular at the University. Many RSOs and panhellenic groups host bances as a social event, especially in the warmer months. The farm is home to two aptly-named party barns: Small Barn and Big Barn. Dan Miner, owner of Miner Farm, told The Daily Illini in 2024 that some weeks in October he’ll host two barn dances a night for six straight nights.
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Feb. 28 was no such occasion. A new event has come to students: a … bave?
AETHERNUM Presents promoted the first ever barn rave at Miner Farm’s Big Barn. The musicians included Kiano, DJ Paola, Om and Tim Oliver.
Was it a success? Kind of.
Adding another social event to the schedule for students at the number 10 party school in the nation can’t really be a bad idea. Students showed up, the music and dancing was fun and the rave atmosphere mixed surprisingly well with the rural Midwestern charm. There were even complimentary cases of Monster Energy drinks to make up for the no alcohol policy at the event.
There were, however, two big issues: promotion and timing.
Big Barn was not at capacity … not even close. AETHERNUM Presents claimed to have sold out of tickets. If they did, then either students didn’t show up, or AETHERNUM didn’t allot enough tickets.
AETHERNUM actually posted quite a bit on their Instagram, but to little avail. They received anywhere from four to 540 likes on their promotional posts. While they could’ve boosted the event better, it’s also on students to promote the event by word of mouth: We could scatter posters around campus, tell our friends and repost announcements on our social media pages.
As for timing, this one’s partly on Mother Nature. Sandwiched between two weeks of surprisingly tolerable weather for spring in Champaign, Friday night got as cold as Keaton Wagler against Purdue. Regardless, late February seems to be a less than optimal time to rely on good weather — my friends and I were shivering every time we left the barn.
Perhaps baves should, like bances, be held during traditionally warmer months.
Despite these issues, the barn rave is absolutely a great concept and should happen again. I believe the bave was a success, even if it was a so-called “failed experiment.”
The bave introduces some fun collisions for University party culture: Will attendees go for the rave outfit or the barn outfit? Black tank tops and sunglasses or flannels and cowboy hats? Students can also have fun with drinks: Should they drink Monster Energy or Busch Light?
While bances are often seen as a good mix-up to the traditional apartment-crawling, house-partying and bar-going-outing, they have become such a staple that perhaps a (slightly) new social event is in the cards.
Furthermore, some students don’t have the same opportunities to attend a barn dance. Bances are traditionally hosted by social or professional groups, whereas a barn rave sells tickets publicly, and are thus more inclusive. Everyone can have fun.
No matter the name of the event, a trip to Miner Farm is a fantastic experience for students. It’s a great excuse to go off campus and introduces many students to a culture and lifestyle they have rarely or never experienced.
“Some people, like from Chicago, have never seen a star before,” Miner said.
While the inaugural bave proved there is lots of room for improvement, there is also lots of room for optimism. The music was still loud, the students were still dancing, the bonfires were still crackling and the stars were still shining brightly in the diamond sky.
Miner Farm should absolutely host another bave in the near future — the students will show up. After all, we’re only young once.
Alex is a sophomore in LAS.
