Our First Annual Vampire Ball

 

This past Saturday night, Northwest Arkansas goths hosted their first annual vampire ball at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville--and what a great time it was! 

As is usual for our events, there was a spooky assortment of creations and wares created by our community's artisans, which were readily available for purchase. While deejays usually provide the musical entertainment for our events, the music Saturday night was provided by four bands, which included Little Rock's Clusters of Fornication, Jonesboro, Arkansas' Skull Family, and Stare Away from New York City. The musical headline for the evening was none other than Rosegarden Funeral Party, which hails from Dallas, Texas. 

I have long wanted to see/hear Rosegarden Funeral Party live, and it finally happened Saturday night. Most importantly, I got to meet the band's front woman Leah Lane in person. She's an incredible vocalist, songwriter and guitarist as well as a just amazing person. She simply invited folks to hang out with her after the band's set, and well, how could I refuse? It was truly an honor to be able to meet and talk with her.

   I had a great time hanging out with friends, and danced a good part of the night away. The photo below shows a few of us waiting for things to kick into gear.

Finally, I couldn't resist having a photo taken of Leah and myself. 

A couple of things that struck me about our vampire ball was the attendance. Ordinarily goth nights have been held in smaller venues, including last July's Goth Prom. On that night the venue was packed with people, many of them seemingly baby bats. This might have had something to do with the decision to find a larger place for the ball, and it's a good thing the organizers did, because there was a big crowd at George's Majestic Lounge on Saturday night. We were both astounded and encouraged by the attendance. It would seem that there are lots of younger people, baby bats perhaps, that are embracing the darkness. Further, even Leah from Rosegarden was impressed by our community, which was very flattering indeed. 

Coming up next is Horror for the Holidays in mid-December. If I'm not mistaken, this will be the fourth annual Horror for the Holidays. I'm really looking forward to it. 

Our first vampire ball was a huge success with great crafts, music, and a good time was had by all. I would like to thank The Gloom Collective, The Goth Tea Society, Bone Church Jewelry and Death Mistress Sarah for organizing this event. 

All photos by K. Kiera