- ASTARI NITE w/ Dead Cool + In A Darkened Room + DJ Leah Lane
- 3/26/26 – Ruins – Deep Ellum, Dallas, TX
- Presented by Distorted Heartbeat
- ©M’Lou Elkins / Skip2Photography.com
Ruins doesn’t try to clean itself up – and that’s the point. The space is tight, the walls are layered in graffiti, and the whole room feels like a living backdrop that shifts depending on who’s standing in front of it. On March 26, that backdrop was dialed into a full night of post-punk, goth, and darkwave, carefully assembled by Distorted Heartbeat, who brought together a lineup that moved seamlessly between mood, movement, and weight.
Opening the night was In a Darkened Room, out of San Antonio, led by vocalist CJ Duron. As a two-piece, they keep things intentionally minimal – low, steady instrumentation paired with Duron’s deep, controlled vocal delivery. Their sound leans into ‘80s-inspired gothic and post-punk, but it doesn’t feel like imitation. It’s more about restraint and tone than throwback aesthetics.
Check out the In a Darkened Room concert photos:
Their sophomore release VOIX, which dropped last July, builds on that approach and that same balance carried into the live set. No excess, no filler, just a steady pull into darker territory that held the room early.
Dead Cool, hailing from Wilmington, North Carolina, took that foundation and pushed it forward. Formed in 2020 by husband-and-wife duo Johnny and Angela Yeagher, the project grew out of punk roots before evolving into a synth-driven darkwave outfit, with much of their material built out of their own home studio.
Check out the Dead Cool concert photos:
That DIY backbone still shows up live: tight, focused, and built to move. Their sound blends sharp-edged synth-pop with goth rock undercurrents, balancing melody with grit. Their sound is clean, with driving rhythms and just enough bite – and they capped it off with a standout cover of “Send Me an Angel” by Real Life, reworked in a way that fit seamlessly into their darker palette.
Holding the night together between sets was DJ Leah Lane of Rosegarden Funeral Party, who kept the transitions from feeling like downtime. Her selections stayed rooted in darkwave, goth, and post-punk, but more importantly, they kept the energy from dipping. It felt continuous…less like breaks between bands and more like one long, evolving set.
And in between the performances, there was just as much happening offstage. DJ Crash of The Catacombs kept things lively between sets, trading conversation with Angela Yeagher of Dead Cool – equal parts scene talk, band insight, and the kind of unscripted moments that make nights like this feel connected beyond the stage.
By the time Astari Nite took the stage, the room was already locked in. Coming out of Florida, they’ve built a reputation on blending modern darkwave with classic goth intensity, and it showed. Their sound is layered but controlled – synth-driven without washing everything out, guitars that add texture instead of noise, and a vocal presence that cuts through without needing to overpower anything.
Their latest release, Resolution of Happiness, has pushed them into a more refined space, and live, that precision translates. Nothing felt overworked, they know exactly how to shape a set and let it build.
Check out the Astari Nite concert photos:
What made the night work wasn’t just the individual sets – it was how well everything connected. Three bands approaching the same sonic world from different angles, with a DJ who understood how to bridge the gaps, all brought together by a promoter that clearly knows how to build a lineup with intention.
At Ruins, that matters. Because a room like that doesn’t let anything hide.
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The next chapter hits fast. On April 18, Double Wide in Dallas becomes the setting for another late-night descent into darkwave, post-punk, and underground club energy – an environment built as much for movement as it is for atmosphere. The lineup brings together DJ Lord Byron, Rosegarden Funeral Party, and Le Cure. Presented by The Catacombs, DJ Crash’s long-running gothic radio show airing Saturday nights at midnight on KNON 89.3 FM, the expectation is simple: show up ready, stay late, and lean into it.
Catch Astari Nite on the Road…
. With DJ Leah Lane of Rosegarden Funeral Party keeping the floor moving all night and Distorted Heartbeat behind the build, this one stayed locked in from start to finish.){kind=link}