On this episode of Happy Hour on the Fringe we recorded musical artist DJ Dame Luz before her upcoming Halloqweens event that took place at FringeArts on October 26. Listen as she talks about the people who have inspired her, along with the origins of Halloqweens.

Featured photo: Halloquweens Event

Listen to the episode and read the transcript below.

Conversation with DJ Dame Luz 

[Music Intro]

Raina: Hello, and welcome to Happy Hour on the Fringe. FringeArts is Philadelphia’s premiere presenter of contemporary performing arts. I’m Raina Searles, Marketing Manager here at FringeArts.

Jarod: I’m Jarod Hughes, the Podcast Production Intern here at FringeArts. We invite you to pour one up, enjoy our conversation with some of the most imaginative people on the plane of existence. Today, we’re excited to talk about Halloqweens, the best queer Halloween party in Philadelphia, here at FringeArts for the third year, on October 26th, from 10 PM to 2 AM.

Raina: Created by DJ Dame Luz, the party features performances by artists spanning the nightlife and drag communities, alongside some of the most exciting DJs in the city. This is the party that you save your good costume for. So, welcome, Dame Luz.

Dame Luz: Hi. Thanks for having me.

Raina: Yeah, we’re excited to have you here. So, first of all, it’s Happy Hour on the Fringe. We always record at varying times, so our first question is, what are we all drinking, though?

Dame Luz: Water. I always stay hydrated.

Raina:Yes. I am also drinking water, out of a Mason jar, to be fringe-y. Just to start off, take us back to the start of HalloQueens? How did this idea come to you, what spurred you on?

Dame Luz: Halloqweens started out from an event that I used to do, in collaboration with someone else. It was called Cut and Paste. Halloqweens was just our yearly Halloween party. I’m a really big fan of Halloween, period.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dame Luz: So, yeah, I was really excited to do that.

Raina: Yeah.

Dame Luz: Throw a big party!

Jarod: So, this will be the sixth year that you guys are doing Halloqweens, right? What are some of the highs and lows of this event for you? As you’re doing it, what is something that is extremely stressful, and something that you’re just bang on the part?

Dame Luz: The first few years, it was pretty low maintenance, as far as production wise. We held it at a smaller venue called [The Barberry 00:02:12]. We took up two of the floors there. You know, it was pretty low maintenance. Forward working at Fringe, yeah, we were able to elevate production. So, as far as what’s been stressful, low points, high points, was that the question? I think working by myself the past couple of years, I definitely felt like I was taking on a lot, you know? I’m a Virgo, so, yeah. This year, I’ve teamed up with someone else to co-curate, so I want to say that’s a high point.

Raina: Awesome. That is Hawkmoth Events?

Dame Luz: Yes.

Raina: How did you build that collaboration?

Dame Luz: I’ve just been in admiration of what they’re doing for a while now. I was like, yeah, this year, it’s a lot of work to do an event by yourself, so I was like, I’m not going to do it unless I find the right person to collab with. I was so excited when they said yes.

Raina: Awesome. So, is there anything that people might see this year, as you’re building this new partnership and trying new things, is there anything people might see that’s different this year?

Dame Luz: So, in my collaboration with Hawkmoth Events, they’re in change of the visual aspect of things. This year, expect to see an elevated, just better lighting and visuals. That’s something we’re really looking forward to.

Raina: Awesome.

Jarod: So, I want to talk about, now that you’re doing this collaboration, is there anything that’s been challenging you guys, where maybe conflicting ideas or anything, that you’ve had to work out?

Dame Luz: No. It’s been pretty organic and flowing, honestly. Yeah, they’re another Virgo.

Raina: Okay, so two Virgos together is good?

Dame Luz: It’s a super Virgo team.

Raina: Great. The goal of HallowQueens is to create a safe and equitable space for queer performers and audiences to come together, but with the success of Halloqweens, we’ve seen a number of people from different walks of life, coming together, all partying together. The question is then, what does it mean to be an ally in 2019? What are you excited about as you see Halloqweens grow?

Dame Luz: To be an ally in 2019, I feel like it’s offering support, but also knowing when to step back, you know? Yeah.

Dame Luz: Then, what was the other question?

Raina: How are you excited to see Halloqweens grow?

Dame Luz: Like, how am I excited?

Raina: Yeah.

Dame Luz: I mean, yeah. I’m like –

Raina: What are you excited about?

Dame Luz: What am I excited about? I’m excited about the visual aspect, for sure, this year. We’ve teamed up with a few artists who do 3D animation. I’m really excited to have these visuals. I feel like the visuals are going to be really queer, and spooky. I feel like it’ll resonate with a lot of people.

Raina: Are they going to be projected up on the walls?

Dame Luz: Yeah.

Raina: And moving around? Okay. Like a 360 view, or specific areas?

Dame Luz: We’re still figuring that out.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dame Luz: We have a meeting next week with the visual team to figure that out. Yeah, there’s definitely going to be a lot more visuals.

Raina: Okay.

Jarod: Last we recall, you were talking about how you wanted it to resonate with the people. I just want to get a feel. How do you want your audience to get understanding of what you’re showing when the event happens? More so, what do you want them to experience, to take away from it all?

Dame Luz: I want them to experience, you know, queer night life at it’s weirdest. Yeah.

Dame Luz: More specifically, I want them to take away, from the artists, how amazing these queer, POC artists are.

Raina: Well, it’s Halloween. You said you’re a big fan of Halloween. What are some of your best costumes that you’ve done over the years?

Dame Luz: Over the years? I was a succubus thing last year, which I was really excited about.

Dame Luz: Honestly, I’m pretty basic. I’m Lydia almost every other year. Every version of Lydia.

Raina: Yeah. I mean, I can’t say I’m much better. I usually wear black, and then call it something. So, last year, I was a business witch, because I wore a long black sweater, and black heeled boots, and went to work like that. So, I was business witch. But, it’s usually business witch, model, spy, anything you can wear black for and then call it a night.

Dame Luz: Oh, no. It always has to be spooky.

Raina: Okay.

Dame Luz: Spooky only.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jarod: I’ve never dressed up.

Raina: Never?

Jarod: Maybe when I was a child. I haven’t done Halloween since I was, like, 13.

Raina: Oh, wow. What do you normally do?

Jarod: For Halloween?

Raina: Yeah.

Jarod: The past four years, my Halloween has been studying. So, that’s what I did on Halloween. I stayed in my library, and got 10-page papers. I haven’t done a Halloween in years.

Dame Luz: Maybe this is your year!

Jarod: Maybe.

Raina: Yeah. So, do you have any hints on your costume for this year?

Dame Luz: I’m still working out the details. Halloween is a season for me, so by the time Halloween proper happens, I’ve already done three different costumes.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dame Luz: Yeah. There’s a lot to plan this season.

Raina: Yeah.

Jarod: So, you’ve been talking about some of the artists that you have. Can you describe some of the music, and stuff they’re going to be doing? Give us a little hint of what’s going to be happening, what they’re going to be doing?

Dame Luz: This year, we’ve got a live performance. We have this R&B singer, Tama Gucci, who is awesome. I’m really excited to have him. Yeah.

Raina: How do you choose the artists that you’re going to bring in each year?

Dame Luz: You know, that’s funny. Just yesterday, I was watching this TV show on Netflix that came out, it’s Rhyme and Flow.

Raina: Rhythm?

Dame Luz: Rhythm and Flow, yeah.

Raina: Yes.

Dame Luz: You know, I’m looking at the New York episode, and I’m like “Oh my God, that’s Cakes da Killa!” We booked Cakes da Killa for Halloqweens, like, three or four years ago.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dame Luz: Seeing, you know, the growth of the artist that I’ve booked for this event. Like, Princess Nokia played Halloqweens a couple years ago, and she’s really big now. I think I’m really into finding, obviously, artists that resonate with queers, and that are doing amazing things, but that are also attainable.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Do you have a reach goal, in the future, however far away it is? Someone who is on your radar, and you want to use this as a platform to let them know, you want them to come to HallowQueens.

Dame Luz: Oh my God, there’s so many! Mickey Blanco, for one. I’m a huge fan of Mickey Blanco’s work.

Dame Luz: Who else? Baby Mutha.

Raina: Awesome.

Jarod: So, what inspires you to continue to do this event, year in and year out? Like, I know you said this year, you wanted to find a partner to do it with you. Not even for just this event, but for your own artistic abilities and imagination, what continues to inspire you to do this?

Dame Luz: Like I said, I just really love Halloween. I just want to take the experience higher and higher, every year, as far as this particular event is concerned.

Raina: Where can we find you, year round, doing work around the city?

Dame Luz: I DJ all over the city. I put on numerous events.

Dame Luz: Most recently, I did a Beyonce Birthday Night, which I actually held here the first two years, at Fringe.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dame Luz: Yeah. That was one of my big ones recently. I do all kinds of events.

Raina: Yeah. What are you looking forward to? We talked about what you’re looking forward to next in HallowQueens, but are there any career aspirations that you have, or goals, what your next big thing will be?

Dame Luz: I definitely want to work more towards collaborating with other event producers, and working more on festivals, and block parties. That’s how I envision my future as an event organizer.

Dame Luz: As far as a DJ, and music maker, I’m currently working on my P, so that’s what I’m working on.

Raina: Nice. Yeah. Do you imagine that you’ll stay based in Philly, or more open to traveling?

Dame Luz: I love to travel, so if I have the opportunity to travel, I would. Yeah, I love Philly, I’ve been here for seven years. I’m a native New Yorker, and this has given me New York in the nineties, which I’m very nostalgic for.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dame Luz: Yeah, I won’t be leaving Philly any time soon.

Raina: Did you start DJing in New York?

Dame Luz: No. I started DJing when I moved to Portland, Oregon.

Raina: Okay.

Dame Luz: I mean, I learned how to DJ when I lived in New York, I grew up in the South Bronx, the birthplace of hip hop. DJing as an art form. I learned these things early on, but it wasn’t until I lived on the West Coast that I considered even doing it.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Portland is known for being kind of quirky, and weird in their art scene. Did that help shape your practice at all?

Dame Luz: Yeah, no, just my journey as a DJ and event producer has evolved so much since then. Yeah, no, I loved it. I was so … Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m just like, oh my God!

Raina: Yeah, awesome. What ended up bringing you to Philly, then?

Dame Luz: I tried to move back to New York, and after living on the West Coast for almost a decade … I’m giving my age away. It just was a different New York, and the pace was a little too much for me. I got acclimated to a more chill vibe, and an affordable, accessible type of city, at least economically so. Everyone was like, “Oh, you’d really love Philly.” So, I came to visit. Two months, and I just packed and moved to Philly.

Raina: Oh, wow. Well, that’s a great reputation for us.

Raina: It’s funny, I know Philly is often accused of having that younger sibling syndrome, or second place syndrome to New York, but Philly has its good things about it, which is always great.

Raina: Yeah, so, one of our big questions is just, in general, what are your high brow and low brow inspirations? So, high brow, like whatever high art, whatever you consider to be high art. Low brow can be what you’re watching in Netflix or whatever, like reality TV. Yeah, high brow, low brow inspirations for your work, your practice, as you’re creating?

Dame Luz: I grew up on a lot of John Waters movies.

Raina: Okay.

Dame Luz: That’s always low-key been an inspiration, as far as the kind of spaces I like to create. Just, yeah.

Dame Luz: Then, as far as low brow, high brow, Susanne Bartsch. I don’t know if you know her? She has a documentary on Netflix now. She’s this big, New York event promoter, producer.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dame Luz: She’s known for her off-the-wall costumes, and very low brow but still fashion and glamorous.

Raina: Do you know what the documentary is called?

Dame Luz: I think it’s, like … It definitely has her name in it.

Raina: Okay. Susanne Bartsch?

Dame Luz: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Raina: Okay.

Dame Luz: You should watch it.

Raina: I will definitely check it out.

Dame Luz: I want to be the Dominican Susanne Bartsch, that’s goals.

Raina: Good goals to have. Awesome.

Jarod: Another question we just wanted to ask you was, how can people continue to support you? Not just now, but for years to come? For the people that are going to be listening?

Dame Luz: Yeah, you know, money talks.

Raina: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dame Luz: That’s been a hindrance to elevating this event, has been the lack of monetary resources. Yeah, that’s been a challenge, finding people who will sponsor us, and give us money so that we can have this event be more amazing.

Raina: Yeah.

Dame Luz: We can get the artists that cost a lot of money.

Raina: While also keeping ticket prices.

Dame Luz: Also, keeping ticket prices lower and accessible, exactly.

Raina: Where can we find you on social media?

Dame Luz: So, you can find me @DJDameLuz on Instagram. Something to that effect on Facebook, yeah.

Raina: Great.

Raina: Well, thank you so much for joining us on this episode of Happy Hour on the Fringe. Before we close, is there anything else you want to share about Halloqweens, or what you have coming up?

Dame Luz: I think we touched on everything. Thanks for having me!

Raina: Yeah, thank you.

Raina: Halloqweens is October 26th at FringeArts, and tickets are on sale now. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram, and download the FringeArts app. You can also visit us at Fringearts.com.

[Exit music]