Last year at around this time I wrote about the worst show I had even been to. We had traveled to Chicago to see Paul Van Dyk, and everything that could possibly go wrong with a show did go wrong with that show.

This year, Paul Van Dyk returned to the Midwest, but to Kansas City this time around. I begged and pleaded with the husband and convinced him to go to see if there was any chance that Paul Van Dyk could redeem himself. Well, for the most part, he did.

He was playing as part of the Global Dance event at the Midland in KC. That means tons of DJs, and of course leftover ravers reliving the good old days.

I cannot even begin to describe how much better this show was than the Chicago show, but I’m going to try with a series of side-by-side comparisons.

Let’s start with getting into the venue. Last year, the security at the Chicago show was so rough that the searches were vigorous and a bit too thorough. What I mean by that is when they searched the women, they made us…uh….shake out the goods. As loosely as possible. It was embarrassing. They also forced concert-goers to throw away cameras (digital cameras!) and pills ranging from tylenol to prescription meds. And when I say forced I mean throughout the entire show, they were literally hunting people down in the crowd, prying cameras out of their hands and throwing them away.

In Kansas City, we were greeted by smiling security staff who only scanned our tickets and said “have a good time!” Not even a search. And would you believe that on the way out they chirped things like “have a good night!” or “have a safe drive home!”

That’s when we knew everything was going to be fantastic.

Last year’s Chicago show was in a venue that wasn’t very clean (The Congress). I know concert venues aren’t supposed to be the cleanest in the world, but when I left The Congress theatre I had some sort of concert muck soaking my jeans all the way up past my knees. It also ruined the sneakers I was wearing forever.

The Midland in Kansas City was gorgeous and heavenly. The décor was stunning, even in the hallways (unlike the yucky Congress theater). Chandeliers hung in every single room, the carpets felt clean, and even inside where the main stage was, the floors were spotless and air conditioning was BOUNTIFUL. I barely broke a sweat the entire night.

At events like this, you’re not just treated to a DJ and dancers on the main stage. They have DJs set up in other rooms inside the venue, playing different types of music (we particularly enjoyed the Drum and Bass music in the basement). I love watching people jump into Drum and Bass circles. Oh the enthusiasm!

The husband and I had so much fun chasing each other through the maze that was The Midland, running from room to room, getting treated to all sorts of ear candy and mingling with other dancers.

I was so happy to be back at this sort of “rave” event in Kansas City. While in Chicago, I discovered the difference between “ravers” and “club kids.” Chicago had “club kids.” Spoiled rotten brats with too much money, too much alcohol, and too-short skirts. Kansas City had “ravers.” Happy-go-lucky folk who came to dance and love, really LOVE, the music. They were dressed to the nines, busted out some pretty interesting outfits. Some had blinking lights attached to their clothing, some had big baggy raver pants, and one guy even busted out the Jamiroquai hat. Whoa! Throwback!

I could stand anywhere in the entire venue, snap a photo, and in that photo would be people of every color from all walks of life.

The Chicago “club kids” were awful. Just awful. You couldn’t say one word to them without getting yelled at. One guy started grabbing at me, and people were pushy and rude. In Kansas City, if someone bumped into you, they’d turn around to make sure they didn’t knock you down and say “oops! Sorry!”

Everyone clapped to the music, always excited and positive, looking forward to the next set. People were having the time of their lives. My favorite was the guy yelling “disco!” and chasing a gaggle of giggling girls in the crowd. There was such camaraderie at the show, and dancers were complimenting each other and giving out pats on the back.

At last year’s Chicago show I thought I could tolerate the horrible crowds/security/venue as long as the music was good. But it wasn’t. They kept busting out some sort of Jock Jamz junk and undeniably insulted true electronic music lovers. That didn’t happen at the Kansas City show. This was real techno. None of that pop music remix crud.

By the time Paul Van Dyk took the stage (whoopee!) we were elated. He started strong and the husband and I were on the edge of our seats whispering “please don’t blow it!” to ourselves. Last year at the Chicago show, his set was awful (pop music remixes) and we think there were some technical difficulties involved because he wasn’t up for very long. This year’s show ran well past 2:00 a.m. (perhaps 3:00-ish?), and the music was fantastic! He played his big hits (see below, at about 1:20 everybody gets excited) and kept people dancing all night long.

My only complaint was that the music wasn’t that loud. I have a harder time hearing conversation at the Jackpot than I did here. I’ll also admit, he DID play one kind of crummy pop-remix song, but it lasted only a few seconds. Oh well, I guess old habits die hard.

The only other complaint I had about the show was the crummy transitions between DJs. Sometimes the music even came to a dead stop. Ewwww….

But the fact of the matter is that this was a fantastic show. Every piece of the puzzle came together to form an incredible electronic music experience. The husband and I don’t drink, and we always go to events like this sober. My buddy asked me yesterday “Is it possible to be older than 25, sober and have a good time at these things?” Yes. Although I have to admit, I’m wondering how long we’ll keep it up. But that was probably the last thing on my mind Friday night, when I watched hundreds of people jump up and down in unison to some amazing music. Whether you participate or not, your heart has to melt just a little when you see magic like that happen. And apparently, it can only happen in this area.