HC: so what's the deal with the name? what does it mean, and what's the story behind it? AD: Dance Party Massacre floated around in my head for so long that I needed for it to come out or else it would have wracked my brain forever! It's derived from cheesy slasher films like Slumber Party Massacre and Sorority House Massacre. The name and the brand are both meant to represent a fun, almost ironic, take on horror imagery and themes. The real heart of DPM is about killing those demons we all have and just having some fun with your life.
HC: what made you get into the tshirt business and how did you start your company? you know… american dream stuff? AD: I've always felt the need to create things and eventually went to art school where I continued to grow my skills and sell my stuff. T-shirts always interested me because they are a blank canvas and whatever you put on it changes who it's for. When my shirt designs started getting more attention than my schoolwork, I felt the next step was just to ride that wave and open up a line with a strong idea and cohesive designs.
HC: where do your designs come from? what's your inspiration? AD: I've been a huge fan of horror films since I was young and there came a point where fighting for your life and just trying to live really connected with me in my own life. I would be hanging out with friends, having fun, being stupid, making them watch horror movies, running around the city, staying up into the night, and it all just became this thing to me. It came after a long while of what felt like constantly being dissatisfied with how my life was going, and constantly struggling with trying to live how I wanted, that it felt like such a release.
HC: what's your favorite ensemble to wear with a tshirt? AD: You can't go wrong with slim jeans falling into some good high-top sneakers.
HC: if you could fight one historical or fictional character, who would it be? AD: I sometimes have nightmares of killers coming after me (probably from watching horror movies before going to bed) and just the other night I imagined Freddy, Jason, and Michael standing in my doorway before my eyes shut. If I had to fight someone it would surely be one of them, but probably Michael because he's my main man.
HC: heard any good music lately? AD: I'm really bad with keeping up with music. Film, I'm pretty in-the-know. With music, I hear random songs and musicians from all eras and styles from all different places and some things stick with me, some don't. I love Weezer's "Pork and Beans" because the chorus is so driving and I would sing that out loud any day. I really like The Flobots "Handlebars", but if you search for their old video on Youtube it's better than their new cartoon one.
HC: what's on the horizon for DPM? AD: Season 2 will come out in October and we'll be having an awesome Halloween party (of course, our favorite holiday) as well as selling and promoting at a few events around Boston. I'd also really like to start throwing our own parties and events and seeing Dance Party Massacre in more outlets. I really want this to be more than clothing. It's a brand, a design project, a party, a state of mind. Right now I just need to find people who connect with it.
We met The Blue Pages over at Compound in July. They were performing and we also had to share a space to sell things—which we HATED (not really)! They actually left their stuff at the table while they were out gallavanting and performing and people kept handing me money asking to buy their CD.
I shoulda took that money and handed them a t-shirt...
Anyway, they turned out to be really nice, fun guys and if you've been catching them live or around town chances are you've seen them in DPM. For their latest shoot Zac wore our Purple Blood Bandanna and Dave wore our Electric Blue Blood on the Dancefloor shirt in the latest Twolip Magazine.
James and Zac out and about.
Friday, September 12th they open for Parker House and Theory at The Paradise amongst others dates booked in the future. Go see them and tell them Alex sent you!
-Alex
PS-I attached their myspace music player below. We recommend "Speed of Light"!
Just wanted to give you guys an update up on our little social experiment we call What are U afraid of?
• Launching quietly at the end of April, after 6 weeks we had about 50 posts to the website. • After officially announcing the venture on Friday the 13th in June, we received over 450 posts within just the next week! (Thanks to posts by Hide Your Arms, T-Critic, and StumbleUpon) • Since then we have now come to a total of 640 responses. (More if you count all the nonsense, spam, and downright blatantly offensive responses we decided to dismiss.)
We also handed out packets of stickers to those who asked (Scream Team anyone?) as well as handing out stickers at events and tossing in some paperwork to their packages to those who bought from us on our website. This allowed WAUAO? to get off the internet and into the real world.
While we can't tally how people are truly interpreting the project, or if those little stickers are having any effect on passer-byers, we can read what is being written at http://www.whatareufraidof.com. They range from funny and obvious, to personal and just plain dumb. We knew why we posed the question, bit in the end the point was just to see what people would write.
A BRIEF SUMMARY SO FAR We found that many people hate spiders. Almost as many were confused as to the point of the website. More people than I want to count up are afraid of never fulfilling their dreams. I found out about a reason to fear 12/21/12. The world alone is used 38 times. The word death 30. Penis—7 times. That same number of people said they feared nothing.
One post said they feared 666 responses. That's just 26 to go. What will it be?!
-Alex
SPREAD IT AROUND YOUR CITY Contact the Scream Team!
If you think starting up an apparel line with blood and knives on it takes off like Hannah Montana's latest CD ...well then you live in our world. But no, that's not the real world. I still got another job to take care of (albeit a good one at Converse), but being the mastermind behind DPM things run a bit slow when I have to leave the US for China.
That's where I've been, and I'm back with some GREAT UPDATES!
DANCE PARTY MASSACRE @ TECHNICAL Our shirts are now being carried by Technical on Newbury Street in Boston! It's a great store backed by Joey Kramer of Aerosmith with Newbury Street exposure, but an underground facade. 2nd store in the Bean to carry DPM and we're so very glad.
So when you're done buying some cupcakes from Johnny head on over to Technical and tell them how much you LOVE us!
DANCE PARTY MASSACRE IN THE LATEST TWOLIP MAGAZINE The second issue of online zine/magazine Twolip Magazine (based right outta Boston) launched last week and DPM is featured in it! A spread starring local band The Blue Pages shows off our shirts, and DJ Melee is featured with a photograph of him spinning in our stuff.
CHECK OUT HELLEUAXX WEDNESDAY Last, but definitely not least, Dance Party Massacre will be doing giveaways at Hellauxx in Cambridge (@ the Enormous Room) this coming Wednesday the 13th. We got promo packs and FREE shirts to give out so if you're looking for your next party shirt stop on by!
Our pals DJ Nato and Justincredible will be spinning, with hosts Lucky Lux and Texas Mike and visuals by Walters Gropin The US. I'm not gonna pretend I know who all those people are (or if that last name even makes sense), but you bet they sound like a good time.
That's it, I'm off on a vacation!
Go break a sweat, Alex
PS-It's 08/08/08! Not as good as the day it turned 06/06/06, but we'll take it.
When we came across them, we knew the band Enjoy The Zoo and Dance Party Massacre would go together like blood and knives. With songs like "Teenage Girl Killer" and "Planet Zombie" how could you go wrong?
Well actually, you could, but they don't! With a great melding of electronic, rock, and hip-hop influences their songs are also catchy. Their bright image and fun stage presence wins over fans as well. (Just check them out on urSESSION!)
They recently played with Boys Like Girls and Metro Station, which is no easy feat for an unsigned band. To me they also remind me of Cobra Starship, another band in full, unashamed immersion of the dance-pop-rock genre. Somebody sign these guys ASAP!
Listen to what is probably my favorite song of theirs below. They recently took down most of their songs from their myspace playlist (no idea why), but you can also listen to "Teenage Girl Killer" at this website.
It was only a matter of time until we released our logo as part of our designs. We wanted to build up an audience who could appreciate the brand, before we just started knocking things out there with our identity.
This new shirt comes in our classic colors of Blood Red, Night Black, Pure White, and Bright Blue. This retails for a price of $24 instead of our usually $28. You'll start to notice as we expand the plan is to have shirts at 3 basic price levels. One for our standard signature shirts, one for the current season's designs, and one for limited editions. This is the start of our signature designs.
We also knocked down the prices of our older designs so be sure to check out our webstore!
A week or so ago I met with Christopher Muther from The Boston Globe to talk about the line. We met up at JP Licks in Brigham Circle to discuss DPM for an article he was doing on local t-shirt designers. He mentioned I would be one of 5 featured for the article.
Next thing I knew I was hanging out with Jason Dove, their resident photographer, to take some photos of Dance Party Massacre, and of myself too! It was really awesome meeting up with them. They were great guys and I appreciated them taking the time to talk with me.
And now the article is up in TODAY'S Boston Globe! There is a blurb on the top left of the front cover (featuring our Something's After Us design) with an article on DPM and myself on D5. Be sure to check it out in person or go to the links below.
*UPDATE* Scans are now posted below! Just click on the thumbnails for bigger images.
Let's get it going, Alex
DANCE PARTY MASSACRE The connection between dance parties, T-shirts, and campy 1980s slasher flicks may seem about as random as the link between a Rob Schneider movie and the Oscars, but it makes perfect sense to 24-year-old designer Alex Dakoulas.
"You go to a dance party, and everyone there is young. You watch slasher films, and they're all about young people having fun," Dakoulas explains. "They don't think they're doing anything wrong, and then they get killed for it."
The concept behind Dance Party Massacre, which features tees with images such as a knife through a high-top sneaker and the infamous "Halloween" hockey mask, was cemented during Dakoulas's senior year at the Massachusetts College of Art. In his studio apartment, he hosted screenings of horror movies, followed by dance parties. He's quite clear that he's not trying to make scary horror tees. Dance Party Massacre shirts are bright, hip party shirts that just happen to be inspired by the art on boxes of old VHS slasher tapes. Dakoulas, who works as a sneaker designer at Converse, wants to get the gore on the shirts, but he doesn't want to scare away potential customers.
"My friends want to support me," Dakoulas says. "But at the same time they're always asking 'Can't you make something without blood on it?' "
And I use that term appropriately because this Thursday will be a time to get out your Halloween costumes and prepare for some scary fun. Our House West is holding a Halloween in July complete with costumes, giveaways, and prizes. And yes, one of those prizes will be some free gear from Dance Party Massacre!
Our House West is one of the best bars in Boston because of how comfortable it'll make you feel. They don't call it "our house" for nothing. There's couches to crash on, board games to play, foosball and pool tables, video games, TVs, and affordable drinks and food. Maybe we can start up a dance party to make things even more like home!
If Allston doesn't know about DPM by Thursday, then you all are lost because this will be the 3rd event we have inside you in about a month! But we love you, and that's why we keep coming back.
Keep in mind LAB Boston in Allston is the only store in the area currently carrying the line, so if you want to see our gear in person head on over!
Thursday night was a blast. It was a great atmosphere and we met some awesome people. I hope you all enjoyed your free stuff and we get to see you again!
The photos by Lara Callahan are now online. You can view them on our website and the full set over at Two Lip Magazine. DPM representation was in full-effect which you can tell by the pictures! We love seeing people wearing our stuff so keep it coming!
We have more events planned for the future so keep checking back in! You can subscribe to our blog here if you want.
A week from today we'll be sponsoring the dance night Compound. This monthly party jumps around in Boston and this time it takes place at Great Scott in Allston. That's Thursday night starting at 8:30 PM at 1222 Commonwealth Ave.
They'll be live bands, live DJs, a photographer who we assume will be alive, and us who we hope will still be living by then. But that's right, a photographer! So dress to impress—like wearing your DPM gear!
We'll be sponsoring the night by giving out free promo packs and some free clothing to lucky winners!
