Experiencing Rave Culture with Manifest
Photography by Michael Salisbury
Practitioners of transcendental meditation, proponents of manifestation, and chasers of vision, Abigail Grohhman and Seamus Doheny, leaders of the rave experience Manifest, know how to have fun.
With porcelain skin and white-blond hair, the duo bears resemblance to a Berghain Barbie and Ken. Despite growing up a few blocks from one another in Lakeview and attending the same high school, the two didn’t connect until 2017. After high school, Doheny, a year older, went off to film school in California – where he learned how to DJ from his dormmate. Grohmann stayed in the city, attending Columbia to study fashion. The two finally linked when the latter DM’d the former inquiring about DJ lessons.
Grohmann, who goes by their full name onstage, picked up the practice fast. With their shared love of music, fashion, and film, the two partnered and Manifest began to undergo its transformation into a culmination of promoted shows and DIY experiences. The first iteration of this experience was started by Doheny, aka Zooey Glass, Joe Brandt, and Braeden Lord in 2015. In these early days, Manifest shows could be observed in the basement of River North’s Spybar. Doheny noted that the concert series has since evolved, having remained “very porous over the last eight years.” Abigail and Zooey now sit behind the helm–surrounded by a team of close, creative collaborators.
Pre-pandemic, the pair focused on creating large-scale installations in venues like Smartbar, crafting “magical and playful worlds” in which their audience could immerse themselves in. Entering a ‘post’-pandemic world, the shows have undergone a derivation marked by less installation work and much bigger crowds. When dealing with 800 people, channeling what made house and techno spaces in this city notorious in the first place keeps the party going.
House music was born in the West Loop. Near the corner of Adams and Jefferson stood The Warehouse, a club whose legacy would go on to become the blueprint for queer nightlife in the city. Against a backdrop of early house sounds–a medley of euro-beats, disco, and synth pop–largely Black and Brown queer communites found a space free from the clutches of heteronormativity. These DIY and often underground spaces of unbridled acceptance prevailed as house music expanded to other cities. House’s descendants, including techno, soon transcended their designations as genres, becoming the foundation for inclusive, joy-filled communities.
As disciples of The Warehouse and other early techno spaces, Manifest looks to further build out this movement. “People into techno tend to have certain ideological qualities. The idea of community, equality, revolution, transcendence, meditation, rejection of the status quo… in this nature it’s very much an ideological direction,” noted Doheny. Creating these safe spaces for others to bond over unified purpose makes space for connection and community building, aligning with Grohmann’s sentiments that “happiness is only real when shared.” Partnered with Mickey Wozniak, their underground party series Être Là, which translates to be there, puts this concept into action.
Set in an empty parking lot or cleared out warehouse, attendees, who often arrive via word of mouth, typically come in donning their best ‘fits. Events are BYOB and tickets are $10 because if techno promotes anything, it’s accessibility. Rejecting the monetization models of Big Business Techno, which commodifies the culture, Être Là shows are played entirely by local artists. “Fuck the heirarchy of line-up structures,” stated Grohmann, rejecting the idea that headliner’s at successful shows have to come from out of state. Focus instead goes towards giving local DJs room to experiment with their own sets and sounds, creating an engaged and active crowd that leaves wanting more.
Over the summer, Abigail and Zooey reached new strides in their careers, closing out a stage at ARC Music Festival and performing alongside Peggy Gou at Chinatown’s Radius. As they continue to grow, Manifest is looking to bring back true rave culture at the ground level, starting with the fans themselves. Show up to their shows as your best self, not only for yourself but for others. If you happen to see them, go say hi. Community starts with connection, and if the past two years of isolation have shown us anything, the bonds we forge with others are indispensable.
Catch Abigail Grohmann at the Listening Room on October 15th. For those looking for Halloween plans, keep an eye out for Manifest shows on the 28th and 29th, closing out the weekend at Prysm with Hiroko Yamamura and Anfisa Letyago on the 30th.
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