C'mon, you know it's true. You get dressed up in your coolest clothes, grab your coolest friends, and head down to the coolest club. You get out on the floor and start doing your coolest moves to whatever music the DJ happens to be spinning ("Is this… progressive tribal electroclash?" "Whatever… I'm sure it's cool.").

It's all about shouting to the universe, "Hey, look at ME!"

And then, there are other times. You're rocking in front of the stage in the blazing sun; your cool shirt is gone because it was too hot, but the sun feels good on your naked shoulders; your cool pants are caked in dust; nobody around you is looking at you or your cool moves anyway because everyone is looking at the band up there on the stage, and you're all moving together in a lost wave ecstasy of sound. It's all about shouting at the universe, "Hey, look at US!"

Earthdance is one of those times when unification trumps narcissism. This is a trans-global dance party, with events from Argentina to Zambia, but we're fortunate in having the Hub Event, the center of it all, just up the coast at the Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville. It unites world music, jamband, electronica, folk and reggae on five stages over three days.

One of the things about Earthdance that's most fun – unlike most festivals where you camp miles from the stages and have to be constantly trudging back and forth, using time and calories that should be devoted to dancing, Earthdance has a progressive, mixed-use camping policy. Tents are set up all around the stages; I loved camping behind the electronica dome, dancing till I collapsed, falling asleep with the sound of the bass gentling thudding through my consciousness, then waking up again after a revitalizing nap to hear the music still going, right outside my tent!

Artists include Michael Franti, Neko Case, Digable Planets, Kinky, Lynx with Janower, Sasha Butterfly, Shimshai, Medicine Drum, Cheb I Sabah, Dunklebundt, Fort Knox Five, Nickodemus, and your host, psychedelic relic Wavy Gravy.

Get Tickets Here
(Three-day pass is $160, Sunday only tix are $75)

Earthdance Laytonville
Earthdance International