ninja dance party
Shhhhh! Austin's first silent disco sneaks up, gets down
The silent disco craze that has swept countless European clubs and music festivals finally arrives in Austin. For silent disco attendees, it's a slamming dance party; but those walking by don't hear a thing.
Silent disco is an alternative and innovative way of partying that consists of using FM transmitter to deliver music to attendees' wireless headphones, instead of using loud music speakers to deliver music to the dance floor. This cutting edge sound delivery means that each individual is also free to tune into their own choice of music or, in this case, some of Austin’s hottest DJs.
Friday night, the 17th, is your chance to experience firsthand this crazy experimental dance party that has everyone talking. Silent Cedar will be held at Cedar Street Courtyard, with headphones provided to participating partiers.
The silent disco party started in 2005 in The Netherlands with a music company by the name of 433fm. They started their journey performing in small music festivals around Germany and The Netherlands, but their popularity quickly traveled around the European continent and around the globe. Since then, silent discos has been picked up and used around United States as activities for music festivals, all the way from small local festivals to huge events such as Bonnaroo.
This phenomenon not only benefits the musician by creating a more intense, personalized experience for the listeners, but it also diminishes the renowned problem of noise pollution that is familiar to many Austin music venues. The utilization of headphones also allows for parties to be held in a more outdoor and open venues like the Cedar Door Courtyard, and permits parties to be held later at night due to their quiet nature.
The momentous dance party will undoubtedly be a Mecca for electronic music lovers and crazy dancers alike, but this innovation also piqued the attention of our own Austin City Hall. Austin’s City Music Division plans to monitor the party, hoping that the party’s silent transmission of sound could be further implemented to other music venues around Austin.
The city has shown a particular interest in mitigating sound pollution in Austin before, even developing a program to help venues develop creative approaches to reducing noise pollution. Melissa Alvarado, Senior Public Information Specialist for the City of Austin notes in a press relase Friday, that, "the Music Venue Assistance Program provide[s] low-interest loans for implementing sound mitigation technologies to music venues that meet program criteria.”
Be open to a new type of experience, wear your dancing shoes, and prepare for a night to remember.