A respected member of the local counterculture scene is presenting a series of themed goth nights.
“Desert Death: Goth Nights” is set to bring dark-wave musicians, DJs, drag performers, go-go dancers, vendors, tattoo artists and more to Bart Lounge for three special shows. Catch the Vampire Ball on Saturday, Sept. 12; a Halloween party on Friday, Oct. 23; and a spooky winter wonderland on Saturday, Dec. 12. The events are free and 21+.
The events are being organized by Branden De Leon, known throughout the local goth scene for his work as the photographer for the Creatures of the Night drag show, and as a dark-wave performer under the name Dead Stare.
“I started off going to goth nights, then I started working in the goth nights, then I started playing the goth nights, so now, the next step would be hosting my own shows and doing my own thing,” De Leon said during a recent phone interview.
While the goth nights will revel in macabre music and spooky aesthetics, the series will also place a focus on being queer-positive and LGBTQIA-forward.
“Implementing that aspect into the goth nights is really big for me,” De Leon said. “That is the community. That is who we’re quote-unquote ‘catering to,’ and (those are) people who are going to show up and the people who are going to be there and supporting us. It’s about being a safe space for people to come in and be themselves freely. Come out; be your best gothy, spooky self; and literally just have a good time with a bunch of people who are friends. Everybody who is vending, taking pictures, DJing, go-going and even performing live are friends … who just wanted to do something cool.”
Desert Death: Goth Nights is a collaboration between De Leon, drag queen Miss Cherry Superstar, and go-go dancer Doll Nocturna.
“They are the first people who I go to for anything,” he said. “I’ll come up with an idea, but they are the brains. I can give them an idea, and then they can actually put it down and make it become a reality. … They are pillars of the community, but not only that; they are also my closest friends and people who I want to be a part of this, and a part of creating something incredible, because I think they’re incredible themselves.”
The growth of the counterculture scene has largely been driven by D.I.Y. spaces and like-minded community members. Desert Death: Goth Nights is no exception.
“Ticket sales were good, and 100-plus people showed up. If that isn’t something that tells you that the community wants more of what you’re doing, then you’re not listening.”
“A lot of stuff is (the result of) a group of people who get their friends, put it on, and make something cool happen,” De Leon said.
In May, De Leon hosted the first Desert Death event to celebrate World Goth Day. In true DIY fashion, he personally rounded up local drag stars, DJs and musicians, and hosted a sinister soirée at Coachella Valley Brewing Company in Thousand Palms.
“Putting on that first show was so intimidating,” he said. “There were so many trials and so many things. I shot for the moon, and I was asking big artists, like, ‘Hey I’m putting this thing together for the community. Do you want to headline this thing?’ A lot of no’s came back, which is fine, but finally, we had the right person say yes, and it was the perfect fit. I didn’t know what to expect with the first event. …Ticket sales were good, and 100-plus people showed up. If that isn’t something that tells you that the community wants more of what you’re doing, then you’re not listening.”
That positive response to the first Desert Death led De Leon to do more.
“I have people come up to me regularly who are a part of this growing goth community and are really thanking me for what is happening and what’s going on, and that means something,” he said. “Just recently, there was a little goth expo that we had here in the valley at the fairgrounds, and I had some really nice people come to me and talk to me about how it really means something that we’re doing something here and bringing people together.”
De Leon’s dark-wave sounds under the Dead Stare name have landed him shows in goth hubs outside of the Coachella Valley. These experiences have been both beneficial to De Leon’s music and instrumental in helping grow the desert’s goth world.
“L.A. is very spread out,” De Leon said. “You have a different goth community in every corner, and here, everything is very central. Everybody knows each other. We work with each other; we bring out the best in each other; we utilize each other’s talents; and people are genuinely nice. People are genuinely friends. … I’ve been learning from the community over there as well, and learning who the pillars are of the community over there, and the people who keep it going in different places as well—seeing what they do, what events are they throwing, what sort of interactive things are they doing, and how they are engaging with their community and keeping their spirit alive.”
The best way to support this growing scene of creepy creatives, De Leon said, is to “show up.”
“(Desert Death: Goth Nights) are free, and we’re making them free on purpose,” De Leon said. “Show up; say hi, and talk to people. Make conversation; interact; be there, and be a part of something. A lot of people are artists … doing things that are incredible that nobody knows about. Come out and show us how cool you are. Show us your fashion; show us your style; show everyone around who you are, and just be your natural self.”
Desert Death: Goth Nights will take place at 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12; Friday, Oct. 23; and Saturday, Dec. 12, at Bart Lounge, at 67555 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Unit 124, in Cathedral City. The events are free and 21+. For more information, visit www.instagram.com/desert.death.
