By Jonathan Williams
Dragon*Con offers something for just about anyone who has even a passing interest in pop culture. But after the vendors close up shop and the celebrities and other icons have stopped signing autographs for the day, that’s when Dragon*Con’s party atmosphere begins. For the past three years, DJ Nemesis has helped con-goers unwind with his late night Dragon Dance parties. A longtime fixture on the Atlanta scene (first as a drummer, then as a DJ), Nemesis now spins his goth, industrial and metal tunes in Boston, Atlanta and beyond. Returning for his fourth Dragon Dance following performances by Abney Park and Freezepop Saturday night/Sunday morning, Nemesis will also be part of the State of the Goth Scene panel Saturday evening and spinning at CON*tourage‘s heavy metal party tonight.
Photo by Photognome
When you’re planning your set list for the Dragon Dance, do you try to accommodate the sci-fi, fantasy and horror fans or is it pretty much the same as what you’d do at any other club night?
It’s a lot different than being in a club because by the time everybody gets in the room they just want to rock. At a club you kind of start out slow and ease into things. You don’t start out with super fast songs at the beginning of the night because it just blows everyone out. But it’s the opposite at Dragon*Con – you start at prime time and work your way down. At about 6 in the morning I’ll start slowing things down.
Aside from the song selection, how else do you make the Dragon Dance more fitting with the Dragon*Con theme?
I’ve partnered with JSin from Secret Room and he knows tons of performers and Go-Go dancers and stuff like that. So he’s gathered up a bunch of people that will be at the Con from Los Angeles, New York, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta and they’ll be rotating out all night with go go dances on the stage and a couple of other performances. For the third year in a row, Gia Nova will be joining us.
Yeah, she just won the Exotic Dancer National Championship.
The big credit I think is cool is that she was in Rob Zombie‘s Halloween II and had a really huge part in that. I watched that scene about seven times just to pick out everybody I knew. I was recognizing so many people in that I was like, “Oh my God, I wish I was there.”
Photo by Shadow Darkwell
Who else will be dancing and performing at the Dragon Dance?
Defenz Mechanizm and Lyn Sky, they’re both from Orlando. Anise Dom Fatale from Hollywood, who was onstage last year wearing a Tron outfit. Alisa Kiss from Atlanta and, like, 20 other people.
What other shows do you have coming up after Dragon*Con?
On September 17, I’m going to be doing Saturday Stripped at the Shelter again. And on October 14 I’m doing the Ritual Vampire Ball at the Shelter. I have my first West Coast gig in December at Das Bunker in Los Angeles. And I’m doing a big Halloween event in Boston called Bloodfeast on October 29.
State of the Goth Scene. 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3. Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Montreal/Vancouver, 265 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, Ga.
Dragon Dance. $30-$120. 3 a.m. Sept. 4. Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atrium Ballroom, 265 Peachtree Center Ave., Atlanta, Ga. 770-909-0115, www.dragoncon.org.