Many people braved the extreme cold temperatures on Friday to go dance at the one-time-only “Rae of Light” party hosted at Gallery Art Bar from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The party’s name pays homage to two pop singers: established pop icon Madonna and emerging pop star Addison Rae. Drew Kalsto, senior in Media, came up with the event and reached out to GayBar — a former house show focused on pop music that now hosts events at Gallery Art Bar.
“We are celebrating two very special artists in my life,” Kalsto said. “Their music gives me a sense of freedom and expression. I wanted a night centered around them because I wanted a night where the music was intentional and focused on freedom and authenticity and being yourself.”
To start the night, DJ CJK performed numerous pop hits from multiple generations, including hits by Madonna and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” Throughout the sets, Kalsto, acting as an emcee in his outfit inspired by Madonna’s black leather outfit with the cone bra, would call out to the audience. Notably, Kalsto called out to express support for the transgender community and denounced ICE followed by cheering from across the dancefloor.
“GayBar has been one of the few places on campus that plays the music I feel I can dance to,” Kalsto said. “I just got back from abroad where I felt like the clubs had a lot of the music I liked and was adamant about not losing that here, so that’s why I reached out.”
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In between sets, partygoers could fill up on refreshments like the “Sex on the Beat,” a cocktail made for the event Kalsto named.
Following DJ CJK’s set, Kevin Murphy, owner of GayBar, did a set with a focus on dance pop hits. Murphy knew Kalsto from seeing him frequent GayBar when it was a house show venue and was excited to collaborate with Kalsto on this party when he reached out.
“I feel like Madonna is such a queer icon and so is Addison Rae,” Murphy said. “When picking music, I was looking for songs that were giving ‘hot girls’ and that would make people dance.”
Following Murphy’s set, DJ Vorborg filled in for DJ Bravada at the last minute to do a set featuring more contemporary pop songs, including songs from Charli XCX and Chappell Roan. The night wrapped up with some closing remarks from Kalsto, thanking everyone for coming out and dancing well into the night.
“I thought it was a fantastic event, and I was shocked by the turnout,” said Ethan Ashley-Ferguson, senior in Media. “I was looking for the opportunity to dance and sure found one, and I had a great time.”
