People slowly pour into the dark hall as electronic beats bounce off the walls. Multicolor lights bounce in sync with the people on the dance floor. The buzz of excited conversation in the air is bulldozed by the thumping bass. Still, you hear the occasional cheer.
The crowd then huddles together in front of the two young men on stage with headphones, who nod their heads to match the rhythm. The air is thick with sweat, someone’s sweet perfume and palpable energy. The electrifying world engulfs you the moment you step inside, and suddenly you’re dancing with a wolf in a dress, pirates, ugly stepsisters and three blind mice as the two men repeatedly shout, “Shrek Rave!”
WOW Hall, one of Eugene’s historic treasures, hosted the all-ages touring event, Shrek Rave, bringing together the community for a night of fun on Friday, May 17.
This event, inspired by the iconic movie series, encouraged community members to dress up as their favorite characters. They danced together as random clips and bizarre fan-made Shrek content played behind the DJs on stage. The clips ranged from scenes from the movie to animations of Shrek twerking and dancing. It’s almost impressive how much Shrek content is out there.
The variety of costumes included the Three Little Pigs, Donkey and his dragon girlfriend Elizabeth and plenty of Shreks. Even Fairy Godmother graced the hall with her appearance.
It is astounding that a pop culture movie released over two decades ago has created a niche rave where people are eagerly willing to throw on bald caps and paint themselves green — but here we are.
“‘Shrek’ was a movie that came and went, and then it came back as a cultural moment,” Brooke Everard, volunteer coordinator at WOW Hall, said. “I think a lot of young people especially were able to gather around this weird theme and show up and be their authentic selves or be someone completely different. That was the fun part.”
Everard added that to foster inclusivity for an event with a theme like this, it’s open to everyone, whether it’s your first rave or you simply love dressing up. Combine this with the movie aspect and its message of valuing personality and character over physical appearance, it soon becomes clear why dressing up in eccentric costumes is so fitting — it captures the essence of the film’s spirit. It’s a welcoming space to embrace your quirks, have fun and sing along with your friends in costume to EDM versions of songs from the soundtrack.
“No one’s trying to be hot stuff. They’re just there to have fun and have a laugh,” Everard said. “I think [the movie] definitely lends itself to a fun environment like a rave. Just seeing everybody show up in costume is so much fun.”
Gracie Everett, an avid rave-goer, attended the Shrek Rave for the first time dressed as one of the blind mice. She and her friends crafted their costumes down to the mouse ears. Everett said this setting was a refreshing change from their usual raves like Foam Wonderland, and it was fun to dress as a character.
“It’s important to be open-minded,” Everett said. “We’re all into the same thing. It’s nice to meet new people who like the same thing as you, especially if they like loud music and dancing a lot.”
WOW Hall has a rich history dating back to the 1930s as it was built at the peak of the Great Depression. It served as a sanctuary for people to unwind and revel in life’s pleasures. Everard said that despite economic troubles, people couldn’t let that get in the way of celebrating life, even if years later it’s a Shrek rave.
“I just think that history really comes through, being able to dance on dance floors that have been used for almost 100 years,” Everard said. “All these years, it continues to be a place where people can kick back, have fun, enjoy the company of people in the community and no matter what is going on in the world, this is still the place for them.”
