Dour as he seems, this gargoyle just wants to party. No seriously.
Goths get a bad rap on a lot of things. People get freaked out by the piercings, the boots, the grinding music. Some think they’re bloodsucking vampires. Others just think they’re, like, so weird.
One of the biggest goth misconceptions is that they don’t have fun. That they’re gloomy ghouls who only want to sit together, miserably staring into their beers. Tina Berger-Everroad begs to differ. She thinks that, like everyone else, the goths want to dance.
Also known as DJ Slave1, Berger-Everroad is the force behind Isolation, a new goth/industrial/electronic DJ night at Benders Tavern (314 E. 13th Ave.). It’s her second monthly night at the club — her first is Disintegration, a popular industrial music party.
She wants Isolation to bring that same crowd, only in a different mood. “We’re trying to bring newer music from the same genres (as Disintegration), but something more upbeat, not just stereotypical goth-industrial,� says Berger-Everroad. “It’s not dark, it’s really dance-y. I wanted to do something that’s a little more open to the general public and wouldn’t scare people off.�
She, along with her Disintegration compatriots ON1X and SN1P3R, are still working on the Isolation formula. So far it’s a mix of old and new music, with a focus on the new.
“Most goth nights have a lot of slower, more vintage music, whereas this is more progressive,� Berger-Everroad says. “(But) I assure people there’s music they’re going to recognize. It’s not all new.�
That means bands like Assemblage 23, Northborn and Covenant, plus bigger names like Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb and Front 242. But Slave1 and crew will probably spin something from a recent album. Despite its dour name — after all, it’s a goth night — Berger-Everroad emphasizes that Isolation is for everybody.
“Some people get scared off because they hear ‘goth’ and they think it’s a bunch of people wearing black,� said Berger-Everroad. “It’s actually a really diverse crowd.�
Isolation begins at 9 p.m. Saturday. It’s free to get in before 9:30, $5 after. The show is for guests 21 and older only. Next month’s Isolation will be held on June 6.
– GLOBETROTTER –
Christopher Lawrence needs little introduction. An American trance DJ who has become famous worldwide for both his skill on the decks and his production of soaring anthems, Lawrence is one of the big dogs in electronic music.
The last two weeks have found him in South Korea, China and San Francisco, but on Saturday he lands in Denver. Then it’s off to Brisbane and Belfast. Doors open at 9 p.m. Saturday at Beta (1909 Blake St.) for Lawrence’s sure-to-be-hot show. Advance tickets are $15 — get them early at groovetickets.com.
– BUMP IT –
Some of us fondly remember the packed White Girl Lust parties at the defunct High Street Speakeasy. Sweaty, wild and hip-hop crazed they were, back in 2005 or so.
Now the Denver and San Francisco-based duo is releasing an EP and helping launch a new record label, Solid Bump. Pop into the party at the Shag Lounge (830 15th St.; 303-597-7424) to toast their success with DJs DreDay, Agent Alejandro and Wigdan Giddy.
– COLORADO COMFORT –
My new favorite place to get a beer and a bite? The recently opened Vine Street Pub (1700 Vine St.; 303-388-2337). From the great minds behind Boulder’s Mountain Sun and Southern Sun pubs, Vine Street provides homemade brews and wholesome eats in a hippie-crunchy, cozy environment.
Right now there’s a space on the sign after “Pub.� They’re going to add a brewery at the Vine Street location eventually. Until that time, I recommend an all-natural burger and an Annapurna Amber on one of the two patios. Springtime bliss.
– Kathleen St. John
