SEATTLE — High Dive was host to an Emo and Pop Punk dance party called “I’m Not Okay” amidst the Emo revival that is sweeping the globe. Being named after their hit single, there is no doubt that some attendees came out to ease the pain of missing out on My Chemical Romance’s December 20th reunion concert in Los Angeles.
The animated DJ Baby Van Beezly led the night, appearing at home amongst the community — many whom were teenagers when the music spinning was new and permanently impacting them. Heard throughout the night were artists such as My Chemical Romance, Yellowcard, Blink-182, The Offspring, Panic! At the Disco, Paramore, Taking Back Sunday, Good Charlotte, The Used, Green Day, and more.
A sole band performed — MySpace Romance, who some may have assumed was strictly a My Chemical Romance cover band. Rather, they additionally covered the likes of Arizona’s very own The Format and Jimmy Eat World, along with Coheed and Cambria, The Starting Line, Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional, and more. (Find the setlist in the photo gallery below.) The band had good energy and put on a delightful set for those that longed to experience these songs in live performance again.
Emo nights occur frequently nowadays, and there is certainly no shortage of them in Burning Hot Events’ home — Phoenix. The venues The Rebel Lounge, The Van Buren, and Pub Rock are some that have been host to emo nights, so keep an eye on their upcoming events. As for Seattle: “The Emo Night Tour” took place at El Corazon the same night as “I’m Not Okay”, but there is another opportunity to experience this event on February 22nd! Wherever you may be located, if you are a fan of the genre, do find an emo night nearby and experience catharsis, nostalgia, community, and the passionate energy that comes with this type of music.
PHOENIX — Anyone with nostalgia for the 90s would have been in seventh heaven Saturday night at The Van Buren as they hosted Club 90’s “Spice Girls Night”. Everywhere you looked, clubbers were decked out in their favorite Spice Girls attire. Girls rocking the signature Baby Spice pigtails could be seen laughing over cocktails, with their less formally dressed Sporty Spice counterparts, while a six foot tall male Scary Spice walked the event with his elegantly dressed Posh Spice girlfriend at his side. The air buzzed with the excitement of everyone ready to get inside and party like it was once again 1999.
If you were lucky enough to be one of the first 400 attendees, you got your choice of a pin featuring one of the fabulous five from the “Say You’ll Be There” music video, and this was just the first of many opportunities to show love for your favorite girl. A photo booth sat just outside the auditorium, giving hyped fans the chance to pose with different props and cutouts. There were “Team” signs for each girl, and fun accessories that jazzed up the photos, which printed out on a free photo strip — a unique gift for the partiers to take with them.
There was even a Spice Girls costume contest that commenced throughout the night, giving everyone the chance to vote for their favorite look alike. The competition was tough however, as there were so many groups that made a valiant effort to look just like them. Some even took on their personalities as well, talking in accents to one another and striking their signature poses for photos.
Onstage, DJ Jeffery could be seen amongst multicolored strobe lights and smoke, spinning anything from 90s to early 2000s pop, R&B, rock, and hip hop. In addition to the Spice Girls, DJ Jeffery played a great selection pop-favorites such as: Ace of Base, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, Dream, A-Teens, Vengaboys, B*witched, Eifle 65, Destiny’s Child, and Sisqo – which turned the crowd amusingly raunchy like clockwork. Incorporating hit songs from other genres during that era, Shania Twain, blink-182, and Evanescence were also in rotation, and each new song was met with an uproar of cheers and arms carelessly thrown in the air as the DJ kept the party going.
The electrified dance floor was packed from start to finish as the diverse crowd danced the night away to some of their old favorites, creating a beautiful sense of unity. DJ Jeffery was into it just as much as the crowd on the dance floor, jumping up and down while occasionally chanting the lyrics, as the music videos flashed across a large screen — which really pumped up the fans.
He even took a minute between songs to engage the crowd in a cheer-based vote on which Spice Girl was the favorite. To no one’s surprise really, the winner was Posh (Victoria Beckham).
It was clear from the start that this night was special to anyone who attended it. Those that weren’t old enough to go out clubbing when this music was new were finally able to go wild to it as adults. It was a chance to relive that era alongside others who loved it just as much made it more than just a dance party. Complete strangers feverishly danced alongside each other to the nonstop beats, mouthing the well-ingrained lyrics to one another, and the energy level continued to soar as the night went on. Spice Girls Night brought generations and a unique fanbase together to commemorate the greatness that was 90s pop music and arguably the greatest girl group of all time.