*Above is jStar gloving at a birthday partyWhat: Gloving
Where: The BK (Brooklyn)
Who: Myself and jStar
Where: The BK (Brooklyn)
Who: Myself and jStar
Never having been a person who enjoys raves or the drugs that accompany them I was ignorant when a good friend of mine, stage name: jStar, told me he was a “glover.”
A “glover” he said, as though this was a noun that should already be in my vocabulary, even after having worked at nightclubs this word was still beyond my realm of understanding.
“You’re a what?” I asked.
“I glove,” he responded.
Turning the noun into a verb made it no more recognizable to me, but apparently now it was thing you could ‘be’ as well as ‘do.’
jStar then went on to explain to me exactly what he meant. The performer (the glover) wears a pair of gloves that contain lights in each of the finger tips (well they insert the lights themselves, but that is neither here nor there). There is also the option of having a ‘palm’ light which, as I am sure you guessed, goes in the palm of the glove.
These gloves are worn mainly to DJ events that take place in clubs or at festivals. Then the performer/glover moves their hands to the music. With the surroundings dark this gives the effect of floating lights and creates a spectacle that is mesmerizing. Most glovers give individual shows to people, and occasionally do group ones, but the people have to be close enough together because these light shows are meant to take place directly in front of your face.
jStar then offered to perform a private glove show for me in his room. With the shades drawn to block out any street light, he played one of his favorite trance tracks. He then proceeded to move his hands in precise, exquisite motions in front of me. Each movement was thought out, prepared, practiced. The end result being a story of lights in front of me, the story was happy when the music was happy and sad when the music was sad.
It was entrancing and though I was skeptical I will now say I am converted. While this group of people (glovers) may be considered dorky at the surface level, the actual act itself is pretty cool.
I can only imagine what the people who do drugs at these clubs and raves see as the lights move, but even for the sober folk like me it is an awesome experience.
Webster Hall hosts a party every Saturday night called Circus that often times have glovers if you want to see this in action. My next step in this world is to attend one of these, anyone want to join?
There is also the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) later this month in L.A. This two day festival is guaranteed to score you more glovers than you can handle.
Other various DJ events attract glovers as well, you just have to dig a little bit to find the right event.
Or if none of these options appeal to you, just click here and get ready to be gloved…if one in fact can be “gloved.”
Goals Accomplished:
1) I had never seen a glove show before, let alone had a private one
2) Hmm I might have missed the boat on being uncomfortable...but maybe when I go to a massive venue I will be
3) I learned what gloving meant and that there is quite the following for it
