Parties are a dime in a dozen in LA - Parties that center joy, freedom of expression, host top-notch DJs, and are led by queer women? Not as common. Luckily for LA, we have Auntie.
What started as a release party for Etari’s 2024 EP Kweenie, Auntie co-founders Dani Dallas and Etari are seeing theri vision for an inclusive and celebratory party florsih before their very eyes. 2
Just past 2am, backstage and the party just getting started, we aksed Dani Dallas about all things Auntie for their fifth even in LA.
What started as a release party for Etari’s 2024 EP Kweenie, Auntie co-founders Dani Dallas and Etari are seeing theri vision for an inclusive and celebratory party florsih before their very eyes. 2
Just past 2am, backstage and the party just getting started, we aksed Dani Dallas about all things Auntie for their fifth even in LA.
What inspired you to start Auntie?
Auntie came from wanting to bring a more European sound to LA - also there aren’t a lot of queer women running parties in LA. We’re not the first but we saw a space that needed to be filled. It also came from wanting a party where everybody felt like family.
This is Auntie’s fifth event. How does this time feel compared to your first event back in May of 2024? That’s a really good question. This is one of the first ones that we built from the ground up. The first one was in a shareable space; the bar, the sound, everything was situated. This one was 100% Auntie.
This was the whole shebang.
This was the whole shebang. This feels like a graduation.
What advice would you give to someone going to Auntie for the first time? Our advice would be to enjoy yourself, don’t be shy, talk to people! (not on the dancefloor haha). And dance!
Auntie came from wanting to bring a more European sound to LA - also there aren’t a lot of queer women running parties in LA. We’re not the first but we saw a space that needed to be filled. It also came from wanting a party where everybody felt like family.
This is Auntie’s fifth event. How does this time feel compared to your first event back in May of 2024? That’s a really good question. This is one of the first ones that we built from the ground up. The first one was in a shareable space; the bar, the sound, everything was situated. This one was 100% Auntie.
This was the whole shebang.
This was the whole shebang. This feels like a graduation.
What advice would you give to someone going to Auntie for the first time? Our advice would be to enjoy yourself, don’t be shy, talk to people! (not on the dancefloor haha). And dance!
"...This feels like a graduation."
On the lineup we have Papa Nugs and Angel D’lite coming in from London - what about their sound felt right for Auntie?
When it comes to the artists we showcase at Auntie, we’re drawn to that fresh, sexy, energy from the UK/European scene that we’re both inspired by. It’s about sharing a unique sound that’s not always brought to LA. Having the platform to bring this energy is something we truly value. The music that Papa Nugs and Angel D’lite create is a breath of fresh air, and they’re both artists we deeply admire and are continuously inspired by.
Musically, how do you feel like Auntie represents LA and its underground music scene here? You, Etari and Fun2bjane are all Angelenos.
The underground scene in LA is really starting to embrace the groovy, sassy, prog-driven sound that myself, Etari, and her fellow kweenie fun2bjane love. The sets we play are all about bringing that wild, bouncy energy that LA itself has. I wouldn’t say our sound represents the underground scene, because the scene is so diverse. But it is nice to see a shift towards our sound since we love it so much.
Your first event was an Etari release party - how did you start working together?
We were actually partners for 5 years! We aren’t in a partnership anymore but we’re still best friends. We both share a love for our community, the scene, and the music so it’s been easy to continue running auntie together.
When it comes to the artists we showcase at Auntie, we’re drawn to that fresh, sexy, energy from the UK/European scene that we’re both inspired by. It’s about sharing a unique sound that’s not always brought to LA. Having the platform to bring this energy is something we truly value. The music that Papa Nugs and Angel D’lite create is a breath of fresh air, and they’re both artists we deeply admire and are continuously inspired by.
Musically, how do you feel like Auntie represents LA and its underground music scene here? You, Etari and Fun2bjane are all Angelenos.
The underground scene in LA is really starting to embrace the groovy, sassy, prog-driven sound that myself, Etari, and her fellow kweenie fun2bjane love. The sets we play are all about bringing that wild, bouncy energy that LA itself has. I wouldn’t say our sound represents the underground scene, because the scene is so diverse. But it is nice to see a shift towards our sound since we love it so much.
Your first event was an Etari release party - how did you start working together?
We were actually partners for 5 years! We aren’t in a partnership anymore but we’re still best friends. We both share a love for our community, the scene, and the music so it’s been easy to continue running auntie together.
"...there aren’t a lot of queer women running parties in LA. We’re not the first but we saw a space that needed to be filled."
For some, joy and expression can be seen as a tool of political resistance - do you feel that applies to Auntie? Is that something you think about?
Fostering joy, freedom of expression, and creating safe spaces is our north star. These values guide us through every process of Auntie and they definitely connect with the idea of joy and expression being a form of resistance. In a world where so many people’s voices go unheard, offering a space where people can truly be themselves and experience joy feels like a powerful act in itself. So yeah that’s absolutely something we think about
here!
What do you want to say to anybody who came tonight or who is thinking about attending an event?We would first of all say thank you for coming to Auntie. There are hundreds of events every weekend in LA and for them to choose Auntie means a lot. And also - Welcome! Please come to the next one and tell us what you want to hear. We want Auntie to be a collaboration project.
For our last question - any music, rave, or DJ hot takes u wanna share?
Cut the strobes!
Fostering joy, freedom of expression, and creating safe spaces is our north star. These values guide us through every process of Auntie and they definitely connect with the idea of joy and expression being a form of resistance. In a world where so many people’s voices go unheard, offering a space where people can truly be themselves and experience joy feels like a powerful act in itself. So yeah that’s absolutely something we think about
here!
What do you want to say to anybody who came tonight or who is thinking about attending an event?We would first of all say thank you for coming to Auntie. There are hundreds of events every weekend in LA and for them to choose Auntie means a lot. And also - Welcome! Please come to the next one and tell us what you want to hear. We want Auntie to be a collaboration project.
For our last question - any music, rave, or DJ hot takes u wanna share?
Cut the strobes!