Photo by George Martinez Molly Casa, AKA Miami's PLUR Mama.
Wassup, Miami! And all you foreigners breathing our air.
We here at New Times are covering all your Ultra Music Festival shenanigans. And we'd be remiss if we didn't chronicle the adventures of the PLUR nation's royal queen, Molly Casa of the 305.
She's that gorgeous monster stomping around in kandi bracelets and a tribal headdress, spreading peace, love, and understanding. She's a PLUR warrior on the front lines of humanity's fight against bullshit. And she's covered in bead magick, from head to toe.
Each and every day of Ultra 2013, we'll be tracking down this raver celeb to snap a pic of her unique look and get the skinny on what's what with UMF, the PLUR nation, and more.
Look no further, Miami. You wanted Molly, and we've got her.
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Ultra 2013, Day One
Molly Casa hit the UMF grounds for day one dressed in a tribal headdress and almost nothing else. Radiating PLUR love, she was taking pictures with adoring kandi-clad fans when we finally caught up with her. Under the bright lights of the main stage, we spoke with her about inspirations, hopes for the scene, and her own PLUR-tastic mama.
She's been doing her thing on the rave scene for 12 years, serving as a beacon of peace, love, and vibrant color for all to see. This UMF, she's most looking forward to catching up with all the PLUR babies of the world, ready to pose for pictures and lend an uplifting word to anyone in need of a pick-me-up. So if you see Molly wandering, don't hesitate to say, "Hi!"
Ms. Casa tells us that her theme for this UMF is "tribal, because of the prophecy of fire, which says humanity is at a crossroads between materialism and destruction." And yes, Molly believes she may be a leader among the Rainbow Warriors, a group of mystic game-changers foretold to help lead mankind toward a more peaceful, good-natured tomorrow.
Now, we're not sure if we believe in magical prophecies. But we do wholeheartedly believe that Molly is leading a revolution against mediocre titty decoration.
Oh, and that older lady, hanging with Ms. Casa, taking flicks? That's her real-life mother, who couldn't be more proud of her beaded offspring.
"I think it's awesome," she says of her daughter's scene fame. "I love that she lends herself to it. People need a role model in this particular setting. She lives the PLUR lifestyle. Every day of her life, she lives it."
Molly Casa with her buddy and headdress designer, Glitter.
Ultra 2013, Day Two
Lil' miss Molly Casa got into Ultra a bit after 6 p.m., but just as it should be, it's effing difficult to find her. We finally caught up with Molly near the main stage. And we should have known ... Molly loves Kaskade.
"He changed my life," she tells us, because he was one of her first big scene supporters. Casa was lucky enough to meet the music man, and she says he was almost more excited about meeting the "queen raver" than she was to meet one of her EDM idols! Humbling, indeed.
Her fave Kaskade song is "Eyes," because those are the windows to our soul. She even made a special kandi for the track and gave it away to a sweet young man in exchange for a large rainbow cuff, designed with pride, in honor of his recent coming out. Miss Molly was an inspiration to just be himself, and it's that kind of PLUR baby interaction that makes Molly do what she does.
Protip time! We asked Molly what was one thing everyone could do each day to get into the PLUR mentality, and she says it's important to have "moments of stillness."
"What I mean by moments of stillness is no thoughts, no emotions," she explains. "Don't worry about who you are. Gay, straight, whatever. It's about just being. Like the Tiësto song, 'Just Be.' Take life moment by moment. This society is really fast-paced. It's important to slow down."
And, of course, be open minded and non-judgmental.
"We have to change society's mentality," Molly says. "We have to appreciate our differences, while realizing that we're all connected."
There you have it. Some deep shit to live by from a walking rainbow explosion.
Via statigr.am/kris_bahamondes Molly Casa with some prospective butterflies.
Ultra 2013, Day Three
By day three, we felt pretty good about our ability to track down almost anyone at Ultra Music Festival. So we headed out to find Molly. And once again, we discovered the beaded headmistress of PLUR somewhere in the throng of the main stage. We've determined this to be Molly's most likely UMF location.
She was wearing a self-made, pink chief's headdress and her butterfly pacifier, something she first wore for Kaskade's Freaks of Nature tour, which we were told held special meaning.
"The caterpillar gorges itself on Earth's resources until it eats so much it can't even move," she says. "Then it cocoons, and finally becomes a beautiful butterfly. It's a metaphor for the stage humanity is at. Right now, we're gorging on Earth's resources: killing animals for food, using fossil fuels, and so on. But in the end, we'll transform into this butterfly."
It's a pretty positive outlook on the issue of our limited resources. Of course, it's going to take more people like Molly to lead us to this colorful, peaceful future. Just like many forward-thinking leaders before her, Molly hopes to take us all on a spiritual journey of love and discovery.
What do you say? Who's ready to reach the next level with Molly?
Ultra 2013, Day Four
As Ultra returned for a second weekend, thousands of ravers descended upon downtown Miami, each one more kandi-fied than the next. But none were quite so queenly as our fave, Molly Casa.
On day four, she stormed the Ultra festival grounds in a wolf hoodie, which (like her Native American headdress) is all about her life-guiding tribal philosophy.
"When I talk about my spiritual beliefs, I'm not trying to convince anyone," she tells us. "I just know some of it will resonate with people. I'm trying to create more leaders, more queens."
She continued, adding that the wolf is a symbol of power and strength, and though wolves run in packs, they are self-sustaining and uninterested in the lives of those outside their families.
Molly isn't worried about those people who might see just a near-naked girl in colorful beads, she knows she's mighty and chooses to focus instead on those rainbow children who embrace her message of positivity. She loves her pack, and only wishes to help others join in on their PLUR revolution.
"When I say peaceful warriors, it's not an oxymoron," she says. "We need bold people, but we don't need guns. We can't be afraid to love ourselves and our fellow human beings."
When we love ourselves and we are at peace, our hearts and minds emit a higher vibration than low negative feels. And Molly believes these higher vibrations are contagious, not to mention good for the planet and our fellow beings as a whole.
"Ultra is a celebration of love and life, it's healing the planet for so much of us to be here together."
It's weekend two, and we're really starting to feel the love-in vibes. We just hope masturbation counts in the Molly Casa book of vibrations as positive ways to love yourself. It would make us feel better about our addiction.
Via statigr.am/katsayskill
Ultra 2013, Day Five
After meeting with Molly for five consecutive days at UMF, we started to believe that she could assemble an army if she wanted, and this second Saturday seemed to be the most hectic day yet.
We found her surrounded by colorful bodies at the UMF World Stage, catching the end of Krewella's hyperactive set. She was actively exchanging kandi in line. But when Molly Casa gives you kandi, it's more than just a quick handshake and confusing tangle of strings.
"With this kandi comes responsibility," she said to the young girl holding her hand. "Realize that we as people come in all different colors, ethnicities, sizes, sexualities. Yet we're just all love. It starts with loving yourself. If you love yourself, then you will share that love with everyone you meet."
The young girl was almost crying as Molly moved the special kandi from her own arm to the new young disciple's. Molly got a special kandi in return before they broke their hand hold.
She went through this ritual again and again, sometimes passing out special notes bearing positive messages, explaining the meanings behind her various gifts and philosophies.
And her adoring fans come from all over: Texas, Arizona, California, New York, even Canada. They bring her special kandi just for her, then seek her out, knowing she'll be there at the big show.
"I'm a polygamist in the scene," she tells us, "which means I'll marry anyone if they propose to me, man or woman, it doesn't matter."
Obviously, she doesn't mean legally wed, just a sort of raver matrimony involving proposal bracelets and lots of photo ops. She's already collected five "raver wifeys" and two "raver hubbies," and they're all special to her in their own way.
"I'm so proud of my babies, sisters, brothers, lovers. It doesn't matter how you see me or want to be seen," she says. "When I meet people that are excited to meet me, I'm excited to meet them, because they're reflecting their love on me."
And we already know Molly's about that life.
Ultra 2013, Day SIx
Finding Molly on the final day of UMF was easier than ever. We just wandered over to the Armin Van Buuren's A State Of Trance tent. And -- boom! -- there she was, radiant in a five-foot white headdress, hugging everyone within a mile radius.
For years, Molly's been a member of the trance family. And Armin's been her favorite DJ since she was 12. The angelic music just makes her happy.
That's kind of the bottom line for Molly: happiness. After searching her out, high and low, taking a moment (or hour or two) out of our day to learn about this EDM mystic, we feel as though we are really starting to get it.
Some people look at the near-naked girl taking pictures with everyone, talking about "people are all love" and "positive vibrations" and think "that bitch must be crazy." But what's really insane about reminding people to love themselves? We all need a little reminder sometimes, and isn't that why we go to dance music festivals in the first place?
Molly isn't some vapid model, posing for pictures and forgetting faces. She creates a memory with each and every "PLUR baby" she encounters, and they take that home with them. That's why Karl from Pheonix finds her at every festival and show since they first met last year in San Bernadino. That's why she brings her mom and little sister out with her. Molly's family is the whole world.
And maybe that's not her real name, but that's because Molly is more than just this one girl. She's an idea, the most colorful idea bursting with love and pride, holding a mirror up to every person in the world and showing them a reason to feel good. Simply being alive is enough.
And just because Ultra is over, that doesn't mean Molly is going anywhere. She's gonna be around giving hugs and kandi and notes to all the good little PLUR babies, creating strong and peaceful warriors everywhere she goes until this damn scene implodes. And maybe even after the end too.
If you see her, don't be shy. Holler at a queen.
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