Sober Raver and Low-Bottom Basshead Kiley Karecki shares her perspectives on almost 10 years of Raving Sober
It's been incredible to see recovery and sobriety come to the forefront of the rave scene. Sober meetups and 12-step groups have been around for a while both in the rave scene and jam band communities, whether endorsed and supported by event organizers, or as casual meetups in festival campgrounds.
Over the past few years, though, there seems to be massive growth both in scope and awareness, with new groups popping up all the time, and older groups getting bigger and bigger.
Insomniac Consciousness Group (ICG), is one such sober group that has seen an exposion in participation. Going strong at several Insomniac festivals since 2014, ICG started with just a few people and has since grown to welcome dozens to hundreds of people at each festival.
I've had the pleasure of volunteer with them a couple of times, as well as sitting in their meetings at EDC, Nocturnal Wonderland, Beyond Wonderland, and Escape Halloween, and the positivity, healing, and communal spirit of the group was infectious.
One face I kept seeing at every event was Kiley Karecki, a long-time ICG volunteer who helped coordinate the group when I volunteered at Beyond Wonderland in 2023. When members introduce themselves in ICG meetings, some people identify as addicts or alcoholics, others choose to say "Sober Raver," but Kiley always called herself a Low-Bottom Basshead, which I just thought that was not only unique but hilariously witty.
At every event, Kiley's smile was contageous, as was her energy, especially when I found her headbanging at the nearest dubstep set. But what always stuck with me about Kiley was the sincerity and gratitude with which she shared her story, and the strength it takes to maintain sobriety in a scene where substance use can be so prevalent.
For me, Kiley embodies what makes the sober rave community so special: the ability to find support, friendship, hope, and genuine joy without giving up the music, community and experiences that brought us here in the first place. I wanted to hear more about Kiley's journey, the challenges she's faced, and what she's learned from nearly a decade of raving sober, so I was psyched when she agreed to join me for this short interview.
Electric Feels
What are some of the struggles that you face or that you see folks face when sober raving?
Kiley
What I struggled with myself, especially when I was newly sober and raving the first few times, was worrying about what I looked like or if I would fit in. Now I know, nobody knows or really cares if you’re not “on anything,” but it’s hard to tell yourself you fit in when I were so used to raving while drunk or high.
Now that I’ve become more comfortable with myself and my experience as a sober person, I see others struggle with the anxiety that I felt being in a new space in life but returning to these old physical spaces of raves. I also see others struggle thinking they won’t enjoy it the same way they enjoyed it before getting sober.
Electric Feels
Do you see stigmas around sobriety at music festivals? What are they?
Kiley
A few years ago, yes. But I wholeheartedly believe this stigma is being lifted more and more. Sober raving has become cool, with places like Consiousness Group and End Overdose that open and welcome the topics of sobriety amongst festival goers. I also see a lot of social media influencers, musicians, and DJs getting sober and openly talking about it.
All of this helps break the stigma that it isn’t being done, or that people get sober and stop going to these events. No, people DO get sober and they DO keep enjoying raves and festivals.
Electric Feels
What are some common experiences or sentiments that you hear about in the consciousness group circles?
Kiley
Gratitude, that’s always the main topic. I think so many of us have been to the darkest places imaginable in life, places where we hurt others and hurt ourselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Knowing what that hopelessness feels like, to then being sober and volunteering with rad groups of other sober people, gratitude just naturally becomes the word of the weekend 99% of the time.
Kiley interviews a fellow ICG attendee at Nocturnal Wonderland 2023.
Electric Feels
Any tips for sober ravers or ravers who want to get sober?
Kiley
I only know what worked for me, and that was getting sober through a 12 step program. I knew I had a problem but was too scared to talk about it, I didn’t know anyone that had gotten sober when I first dabbled with the idea in 2017. I would suggest looking into the resources that raves offer, and just know there is support out there. Insomniac Consciousness Group is waiting with love and open arms to show you how to rave sober! 
Electric Feels
Anything else you want to say to the rave community?
Kiley
Music festivals are rad, raving is rad, sobriety is rad. Talking about all these things together is also rad.
Are you thinking about going to your next rave sober, or have been raving sober and want a community of friends to do it with? Check out Insomniac Consciousness Group and a plethora of other sober festival groups at harmoniuminc.com.
Also be sure to check out the interview with ICG cofounder Patt Ochoa.
ICG is just one of many groups, so stay tuned, as we plan on publishing a comprehensive list of sober rave groups soon here at Electric Feels.
