Reverend Dollars DJing at the first Darqness.
  • Viviann Nguyen
  • Reverend Dollars DJing at the first Darqness.

A lot of music promoters try to appeal to as many people as possible, and consequently they end up sounding generic and bland (and often reeking of Axe®). Jarreau Greene—aka Seattle DJ/producer Reverend Dollars—said “Fuqq that,” and started a new club night called Darqness, which bestows to “queer and trans people of color” a wide, vibrant variety of dance music in the welcoming environment of Maxim’s.

Catering to such a narrow niche may seem on the surface foolhardy, but it’s actually brilliant, as this demographic traditionally hasn’t had a place of its own to get down. The time is ripe for such a celebratory event. Greene says that the first Darqness in August drew about 60 people, “which exceeded my expectations. The word of mouth has been very strong, so I'm expecting even more for September 26.”

That second edition of Darqness features special guest DJ from Boston, Jamila Afrika. I had some questions for Greene about his night, which he answers below.

What inspired you to start Darqness?
I started Darqness after hearing many complaints from friends and experiencing incidents myself where Seattle's white-dominated queer party scene wasn't always welcoming and comfortable for queer and trans people of color. I'd also heard about problems with what few events there are aimed at QTPOC, and while I'm not trying to be in competition with them, I wanted to create more options. Basically, the demand for a party like Darqness already existed, and I realized it was a demand I could fulfill. I was very intentional in hosting this event in somewhere that was away from the Capitol Hill scene, I wanted it to be in a minority neighborhood, and when I found a venue that was owned and operated by queer women of color, it felt like a perfect match.

What sort of music do you and Jamila Afrika spin?
At Darqness, I'll be playing a mix of rap, R&B, house, dancehall, Latin, ballroom/vogue, club, bounce, and more. Jamila Afrika (a Boston queer scene veteran who will be making her Northwest debut) plays a similar mix, but takes a particular interest in house, especially Afro-house. She even has future plans to spend time in South Africa to experience the house scene there.

What if a straight or queer white person wanted to attend Darqness?
If straight and/or white people want to come to Darqness, they are welcome to come party, but are asked to remember that they are guests in a space for and centered upon queer and trans people of color. If they insist on centering their whiteness or straightness, they will no longer be welcome.

Find more info on Darqness here.