Topic Post

For my term-long project, I decided to study the evolution of Providence is Burning into Goosebumps. Providence is Burning started out as a monthly DJ battle held in Firehouse 13, but now, the same crowds attend a monthly party called Goosebumps, held in Lot 401, with a regular Providence-based DJ named Micah Jackson. I want to interview the party-goers, a predominantly white, upper-class, hipster, well-educated group, and see what attracts them to these parties. What does the music mean to them? How does the "battle" aspect affect the dynamics of the party? Does it matter who "wins" or "loses?" Do they attend shows for the purpose of seeing the outcome, do they choose "sides," or are the battles just something that happens in the background? How did the music go from mash-up, dance mixes to funky 70s inspired techno songs? I plan to examine the MySpace pages of these events, analyze the e-mail invitations, and attend the monthly parties, interviewing the participants, and possibly the space managers of Lot 401 to hear an objective description of what kind of people go to these parties.