10 Years Of Goth Night Reno: Ritual
Photo by Sam Ray-Johnson.
It’s been a while since I wrote my first review of Ritual's Goth Night in Reno, and when I saw they were celebrating their 10th anniversary at Dead Ringer Analog Bar, I knew I couldn’t miss it. From bikers to cowboys, ravers to Burners, hipsters to skiier/snowboarders, Reno has never been a stranger to niche audiences, being a town that offers something for everyone. It’s clear that the goth scene here is not only alive and well – but thriving, and growing in popularity.
“It’s getting so huge in Reno, it's awesome,” Lisa Staton, Manager of Ritual said. “When we started it was us and 20 of our friends just dancing to our favorite music, now we usually have over 100 people a night and they’re people that we don't know, but people that always come back.”
With Facebook groups like Reno Goth Scene (unaffiliated with Ritual) hitting over 800 members now, the Biggest Little City’s underground has always been a staple of our environment here. Since 2013, Ritual has been drawing out locals and out-of-state DJs from their caves dancing into the night. It’s an event that brings everyone together and feels intimate despite its large attendance. I saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, and admired the wide array of outfits that showed up. One guy boasted horns and talons, another wore a mushroom sweater tied around his shoulders. One woman donned a traditional goth gown with teased hair, another had a shaved head. Old and young, extravagant or casual, Ritual feels like a judgment-free zone.
“I like that we’re kind of a close knit community… we don't care,” Staton said. “We’ll have people dressed up in full latex and fishnets and spikes, and then we’ll have people that show up in khakis and a T-shirt, and nobody cares. Everybody is just accepting and loving and we love it.”
Photo by Sam Ray-Johnson.
Staton has been involved in the scene since she was a teenager and DJs at Ritual as well. She says when a lot of people think about goth, names like The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees come to mind, but there’s a lot of good new goth music for people to discover. Her set definitely gave off darkwave vibes, mixing in some classics like Joy Division with newer tracks I’d never heard before. It was a wonderful opening to a celebration of the curious, the strange and the eccentric, of a culture that’s unafraid to walk a path less traveled.
“The music drew me in, and the style drew me in,” Staton said. “I just made friends and family along the way.”
Staton said since the pandemic, the event has only grown each year. While they had a livestream during quarantines, she believes people aren’t taking events like this for granted as much and are making more of an effort to turn out. She encouraged newcomers to give the darker side a shot – and to leave any preconceptions at the door.
“Come by yourself, come with friends, if you come by yourself you’re gonna make friends,” Staton said. “It’s just kind of how it goes.”
That much was true, as I sat down at the tables on Dead Ringer’s patio, a man I met told me he decided to attend because he found my previous blog I wrote about Ritual. In some small way, I felt like I made a difference, but it was all because of this wonderful little corner of Reno — this slice of macabre I’ve been drawn to as well, but was never allowed to explore fully. It made my heart smile to know there’s still other odd kids like me willing to exalt our peculiarities, no matter how outlandish they may seem.
In October, Ritual will be holding a costume contest as a sort of “preview” for Halloween. Staton said they call it the “Ritual Halloween Warm Up,” and it will be the first weekend of the month. There will be cash prizes and passes to the next Ritual. There will be more exciting guest DJs in November too.
To follow Ritual, like its Facebook page here.
