A Gothic Night To Remember: Reno’s Ritual

Photo by Sam Ray-Johnson.

As restrictions ease in Nevada, one event has been at the forefront of my mind for a hot minute: Ritual, a once-a-month goth night downtown.

Reno is a city that has something for everyone: from Hot August Nights to Burning Man, Irish pubs to rodeos, if you want to find a scene we’ve probably got it. I had been to Ritual a few years ago but never returned because life got in the way. As we rise out of the COVID-19 pandemic and things are feeling ‘normal’ again, I was anxious to revisit the local goth scene and get a feel for what was available in the Biggest Little City.

The ambience at the event was exactly what I was expecting for a goth night: red lighting, leather couches and people donning black with an assortment of chains, fishnets and combat boots. While the evening started slow, the emotion from the crowd was evident — everyone was excited to be together again. Even my own post-quarantine anxiety vanished as I took in my surroundings, admiring all the different fashion statements and avant garde makeup on men and women alike. 

Aesthetics aside, my favorite part of Ritual is of course, the music. No other event that I’ve attended here is quite as authentic as this one. When I first tried my hand at goth night almost three years ago, I had the assumption that it would be metal and rock-heavy, which wasn’t necessarily a problem but if you want metal, Reno is not short of talented, high-quality metal bands. 

Ritual’s DJ played remixes of household names like Joy Division and The Cure, but I could have sworn he even had Molchat Doma too. When I think of gothic music, I think of dark synthwave mixed with 1980s post-punk, spooky, but beautifully poetic. The songs were moody and mysterious at times, but nevertheless easy to dance to. Every track was a banger and I was quite impressed with the setlist. I stayed for the entire event, which ran well over what was advertised. 

As I’ve said before about the Reno music scene, another wonderful aspect of Ritual were the people who showed up. I made several new friends that night, some locals and some from across the country. There were people who travelled from out of state just to attend, each carrying their life stories and adventures with them. The goth community is as diverse as any other, but one thing is clear — the art and music unified us all.

“How are you still dancing?” one man asked me, “Don’t you get tired?”

“I’ve been waiting for this for a year,” I said.

And I wasn’t disappointed. I look forward to the next goth night, eager to embrace new experiences, make even more friends and continue to expand my music horizons. 

To follow Ritual, like its Facebook page here.