The Party is growing up – and out. Over the last year, the local DJ crew has taken its wild, sweaty dance night to cities across Texas. The DJs have added a new all-ages party at The Loft, and they put out a 10-inch vinyl single for now-defunct band Ghosthustler.
Their original Dallas event – held one Friday a month at Zubar – still draws throngs. Partygoers sometimes bring props, like crowns or rubber noses.
Tonight's second anniversary bash has a Hollywood theme and the usual cross-genre music from DJs Nature (Markus Underwood), Select (Scott Quinn) and Sober (Will Rhoten).
We asked Select and Sober how the night has lasted this long.
Lesley Téllez Q: How has the music changed at The Party over the past year? Or has it?
Select: The Party used to go from a lot of New Jack Swing and classics. Then in a few months it went to heavy electro. And when Nature came back, it was heavy electro, not as much hip-hop. ... We don't ever go with a preconceived notion that we're going to play a certain record. We just kind of go with the flow.
Sober: To be able to throw in a couple of electro tracks, mix it with some booty bass, maybe something new, a Cool Kids song that's up-tempo, or half-time it into that, I think that's what keeps people coming back. They never really know what they're going to hear.
Q: How long do you want to keep The Party going?
Sober: There's no stamp on it. There's no expiration date. We've made a lot of moves over the past year that were bigger than expected. Our South by Southwest thing was a really big step. We put out the Ghosthustler thing. Unfortunately those guys went their own route, but there are some artists that we're working with that could be coming out over the next year, production-wise. Select: Basically it's just getting corporate America to see us and see the demographics that we have, and really be able to do bigger events. It's not just throwing parties. What's the next step? Coca-Cola giving us a tour bus to tour around the country with. Or throwing basketball events or skate contests and after-parties. The sky's the limit.
Q: So, for this Hollywood theme – are you guys all dressing up? Like in suits?
Select: I wouldn't say dressing up. I'd say looking good.
Sober: No T-shirt with the tuxedo printed on it.
Select: Not for us.
Sober: But it might be kinda hot, DJ-ing in a suit jacket.
The Party's second anniversary bash starts tonight at 10 at Zubar, 2012 Greenville Ave. Upscale attire is encouraged. Get there before midnight if you don't want to wait in line. No cover. zubar.com.
We asked DJ Nature to break down the group's dynamics, Academy Awards-style.
Best Actor: "DJ Sober by a long shot. The guy is hands down the 'leading man' of The Party. Probably more George Clooney than Javier Bardem, so to speak."
Best Makeup Artist: "Select!!!! He's the stylist of the group, and nobody's disputed that. Dude's got a photo with Perez Hilton, for Christ's sake. He's very official."
Best Director: "Sorry, but that's gotta be a tie between me and Will [DJ Sober]. Really, we're like the Quentin T. and Robert Rodriguez of this [expletive]!"
Looking back at a decade of Texas music with Jason Janik
