M'Lou Elkins Everything was black on Saturday, July 6 when the historic Granada Theater hosted the Obituary Fest, the first-ever Dallas, TX-based goth music festival. Goths of all ages descended upon the Granada starting at the ungodly bright hour of 3 pm to catch the hottest goth bands from around the country all in one night.
The festival is the brainchild of Leah Lane of Dallas’ own Rosegarden Funeral Party, who also played the event. Leah not only hosted the event, but she also chose the bands who performed and put everything together herself in the span of an impressive six hours. Music Fiends’ Angela Alameda did a fantastic job helping Leah promote the Obituary Fest and she also scored some interviews with some of the performers.
Watch our interviews and performance footage from Obituary Fest above. Check out our photo galleries and discover more about the bands that played below.
\\ THE BANDS //
Rosegarden Funeral Party
Rising from the inferno of heartbreak with a determination towards gentility, humility, graciousness, and kindness, Rosegarden Funeral Party takes influence from life’s tragedies and spins chaos into beauty. Leah Lane fronts the band with a voice like that of the lovechild between Morrissey and Siouxsie Sioux and her guitar playing has been compared to that of Daniel Ash. with bass playing that takes obvious inspiration from Peter Hook. With synths trapped in the loving arms of the 1980’s, rhythmic percussion and drums inspired by dark dance floors, Rosegarden Funeral Party prove to be the second-coming of traditional goth.
Check out our Rosegarden Funeral Party photo gallery from Obituary Fest below:
Urban Heat
“A lightning rod of dark electro/proto-punk/new wave/synth wave/part goth/part industrial sound that is all the things but… simultaneously transcending them into something fresher.” – Laurie Gallardo, KUTX 98.9
The band formed in 2019 when multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jonathan Horstmann enlisted Kevin Naquin and Paxel Foley to form a live show based on his analog sound design. The result fuses dark 80’s stylings with modern flourishes, with Horstmann’s throaty baritone delivering musings on existence and romanticism against an unrelenting industrial gothic pulse. Their live show is undeniably energetic and engaging, earning them slots at Austin’s Levitation and Seattle’s Freakout Fest in 2021. They released 6 singles between 2019 and 2022 and while the pandemic saw their SXSW 2020 performance canceled, they returned in 2022 as official artists.
Urban Heat will embark on a European tour supporting Molchat Doma this fall.
Check out our Urban Heat photo gallery from Obituary Fest below:
Deceits
♱ TOO ROMANTIC FOR THE PUNKS, TOO FIERCE FOR THE GOTHS. WE PLAY PASSIONATE POST-PUNK ♱
DECEITS are 3 piece band from Los Angeles, CA that pull from different influences, including deathrock, hardcore punk, dreampop, 90’s screamo and new wave to craft their unique take on the darker shade of 1980’s post punk that was pioneered by bands like The Cure and Joy Division. DECEITS is Kevin “Puppy” Moreno (Vocals, Bass Guitar, Keyboards), Kevin Hernandez (Guitars) and Francisco Saenz (Percussions). For fans of : The Cure, New Order, Human Tetris, The Chameleons, Bauhaus
Forever Grey
Forever Grey is a darkwave band from Los Angeles, California. The first album was released in 2015 and was titled Poems About Eternity. Young & Cold Records produced Autumn Calling, Alabaster Chamber, Departed and Sympathy Garden on vinyl. Kevin and Anna are the artists behind musical projects Milliken Chamber, Prudence and Belladonna Grave.
Astari Nite
Astari Nite is a blend of shadowy atmospheres, powerful rhythms, and innovative soundscapes, inviting listeners into a world where conventional boundaries dissolve, and the unexpected thrives. The new album Resolution of Happiness transcends traditional genres, showcasing 90’s laced alternative music with elements of dark wave and glam.
House of Harm
House of Harm is an enigmatic force in the realm of underground music that defies categorization and transcends the boundaries of post-punk.
From the moment their demo EPs were released in 2019, House of Harm garnered a fiercely loyal global following. Sharing the stage with iconic acts such as Editors, She Past Away, Lust For Youth, Soft Kill, and the legendary Reeves Gabrels of The Cure, they’ve conquered a niche pocket in the indie music scene.
Trigger Discipline
“Imagine a world where Public Enemy waltzes with Prince, and Björk whispers secrets in the shadows. Dubbing it “gothspel”, it’s an ethereal mix of moody anthems, every track dripping with thought-provoking verses, celestial guitar strains, and dance beats… touching upon the regal notes of Vivaldi and the raw edges of My Bloody Valentine. Their live shows, often described as “unhinged,” caught the attention of Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde, who is now managing the duo and has brought them into the Bella Union family.” ~~ Post – Punk . com
Lorelei K
Lorelei K is a Dallas-based dreampop group. Lead singer Dawson Knowles performs arresting vocals over ethereal and atmospheric soundscapes comparable to Lana Del Rey, Portishead and Cocteau Twins.
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