The Rise of Baseball Jerseys in Dance Music and At Festivals: A Trend More Than Clothing

With the rise of dance music, more business opportunities have shown themselves for the artists and labels than ever before, a good thing, seeing as the music itself is rarely what puts food on their tables. One of these opportunities that has seen the most significant gains over the last two decades is rave-centric fashion and branded merch. Merchandise has always been a profit driver for artists in the industry. Still, the uniqueness and aesthetic of rave fashion are like anything seen in any industry, offering the most opportunities for artists and labels to create unique pieces that resonate with their fans. 

When you go to a music festival, especially bass-heavy one like WAKAAN, Lost Lands, or Ultra (scope out Illenium’s set below, where he’s rocking a custom jersey), you are guaranteed to see attendees wearing all sorts of outfits. One of the trends that has become insanely fashionable and common is the repping of baseball jerseys. Rather than centered around baseball teams or players, these jerseys incorporate an artist or label logo. Some artists even create unique or psychedelic designs to go along with their brand and style of music.

In this article, we will dive into the origins of baseball jerseys in electronic music and their evolution into one of the top-selling merch categories for DJs and producers.

The Beginning Of The Baseball Jersey Movement

While there is no hard evidence of when baseball jerseys started to become a staple in rave fashion, many people believe it happened during the pre-canceled-Bassnectar epoch. He seemed to pull influence from punk rock bands like Suicidal Tendencies. We can trace the roots even further and suggest that some early bass artists who made branded baseball jerseys were inspired by the jam band scene, such as the Grateful Dead, who had their vintage jerseys.

While Bassnectar released his baseball jerseys, there were also many “bass heads” that had their custom-designed jerseys and wore them to Bassnectar shows. This stems back to almost 15 years ago, making it hard to pinpoint exactly when they started. But what is abundantly clear is that they are here to stay, and each festival sees a host of new drip being worn by casual and super-fans alike. 

Excision’s Claim To Jersey Fame

Excision and ILLENIUM were the two artists that garnered the explosion of the baseball jersey wave in dance music, but let’s break down Excision’s role first. From the innovative mind of Jeff Abel, Excision launched his project in 2004 and released his inaugural album X Rated in 2011. 

He is among the founding fathers and most prominent acts in the North American dubstep circuit. He founded significant festivals and events like Lost Lands, along with his successful label Subsidia Records.

While Excision-made baseball jerseys became super popular, featuring his patented X symbol, he also has branched out with basketball jerseys, festival fans, bucket hats, and even sherpa jackets. In terms of other jerseys than baseball, artists like Zeds Dead (from Montreal, Canada) have designed hockey jerseys that members of their fanbase have frequently worn.

ILLENIUM: A Household Name In The Baseball Jersey Movement

While ILLENIUM wasn’t the first to introduce baseball jerseys, he played a significant role in popularizing them. His dedicated following and active promotion of jerseys as merchandise have made them a common sight at electronic music events. ILLENIUM’s team has pushed the jersey game hard, releasing new designs regularly.

Every quarter, ILLENIUM drops a new jersey, with pre-ordering readily available for eager fans. He has released black ones, white ones, Fallen Embers-themed ones, crop top jerseys, and even a hockey jersey. Unofficial sellers have hopped in for some extra income, promoting unique ILLENIUM designs that most likely are licensed through the renowned artist himself or at least approved by his team.

Cool Baseball Jersey Brands In Electronic Music

There are plenty of jersey companies that have become relevant in today’s world of rave fashion and electronic music. Platforms like Etsy, Fansidea, and Poshmark have become prime online destinations for users to make their one-of-a-kind designs modeled after their favorite artists. These jerseys can often be some of the coolest ones that jersey hunters will come across.

Scummy Bears is a brand that has been killing it lately. The company fuses its enticing bear graphics with prominent names in bass music for official artist collaborations. While they make other fits, some of their hottest baseball jerseys include partnerships with Sullivan King, Liquid Stranger, Wooli, and labels like Monstercat and WAKAAN.

iHeartRaves has consistently proved to be an innovator in rave fashion—their Techno Cyber Matrix Cropped Jersey is substantial evidence of this.

Plurfection is an interactive site where visitors can pick from a variety of designs and prints. On these baseball and crop top jerseys, there is always a space for the user to put a logo of their choosing on. Making the site a great option for one’s music festival wardrobe.

Electric Family is objectively a fan-favorite for its high-quality, spectacular designs. They work with many creatives to hone in on that specific artist or label’s identity. Three highlights are the Ganja White Night Reversible Jersey, the simplistic FISHER baseball jersey, and the GUD VIBRATIONS Tie-Dye Jersey. Other artists and imprints featured are Said The Sky, Dirtybird, Grabbitz, NITTI, and Black Tiger Sex Machine.

Additional sites that all electronic music fans should check out are Rave Jersey, Rave Bonfire, Rave Wonderland, and The Buried. On The Buried’s website, the baseball jerseys featured do not partner with artists but still boast mesmerizing designs. For example, they have a Lost Lands-inspired jersey and an “Encounter Baseball Jersey” encompassing a trippy graphic from a different dimension in outer space.

Rave Wonderland is similar in this aspect, yet they truly show out for multiple genres. They are one of the only brands that represent several intriguing hardstyle-focused designs. To boot, the site has incredible ‘house music ’-themed and based-themed baseball jerseys. The X factor for Rave Wonderland is that you can shop for jerseys at their physical store location in Downtown Los Angeles.

Rave Bonfire partners with a diverse spectrum of gifted artists, including Above & Beyond, Alesso, Zomboy, Rezz, Seven Lions, and Deorro (who has a sweet LA Dodgers-themed jersey), to name a few. What’s unique about Rave Bonfire is that they make ‘all-in-one’ baseball jerseys that include logos from multiple artists. There is one that features Virtual Riot, Skrillex, and Zomboy; another features Snake Pit (DJ Snake), Kaskade, Jauz, and Subtronics, which is astonishing combination.

Lastly, Rave Jersey makes some very mind-bending and highly aesthetic baseball jersey. Some artists they sport are Excision, GRiZ, Rezz, Subtronics, Zeds Dead, SLANDER, and Kayzo.

As you can see, the bass community has a tight hold on the market share of electronic music baseball jerseys. However, it is recommended to look up your favorite artists, no matter the genre, to find out if they have their own branded jerseys.

Why Baseball Jerseys Over Other Sports Jerseys

Most baseball jersey wearers asked this question have shared their value for comfortableness and flexibility. Aside from key players pushing their branded products, baseball jerseys’ button-up style and accommodating fit make them suitable for people of various body types. They can be worn in multiple ways – unbuttoned, fully buttoned, buttoned most of the way up except at the top to flex some chest hair or a necklace – adding to their appeal.

How It Benefits The Artist

The biggest gain tends to be monetary. Baseball jerseys are relatively cheap, depending on the source, manufacturer, and material used. Most artist-released baseball jerseys cost around $80-100 before taxes and shipping.

Another solid benefit is that these unique merch items allow fans to show their love for an artist, usually making them even more dedicated supporters. It organically spreads exposure for that artist when the jersey beholder’s friends and other ravers see the fit and like the design. It is a win-win situation that up-and-coming and established artists have quickly recognized and embraced.

Pros And Cons Of The Baseball Jersey Phenomenon

Something great about this trend is that fans enthusiastically collect and trade these jerseys, forming bonds over their shared love for the artists. They use platforms like Facebook marketplace and Reddit to discover one-of-one jerseys and build their collections. However, there is the argument that this trend has homogenized festival fashion, removing the unique and colorful outfits that once defined these events.

Whether you are a fan of baseball jerseys’ relevance in rave culture and electronic music or not, they represent the unity of ravers while being a unique form of artist support. It is simply a plus that they are proficient in comfort and style.