Decade 80s Night in Salem celebrates 9th anniversary Saturday Sept. 2nd at Koto

This month marks NINE YEARS of celebrating the Decade of Decadence, kicking off a decade of Decade! DJ Alvis started Decade 80s Night on September 4th, 2008 at 90 Washington St. (then Bangkok Paradise and now Koto). DJ Alvis met DJ Zombi through mutual friends in the Salem music scene and soon joined to make Decade a team effort, since both deejays had an intense love of 80s music. Decade 80s Night has always been a blend of 80s pop hits, New Wave gems, and dance cuts, with some old school Goth/Industrial, hip-hop, hair metal, and freestyle tracks thrown in the mix. DJ Alvis began spinning at Decade: 80s Night, and she and Zombi worked so well together that for a few years they ran the Wonderland LGBTeadance at the Gulu-Gulu Cafe and were the resident deejays for the Harry Potter Halloween Ball with HP Salem. DJ Alvis has also been a guest DJ at HOG-a LGBT night previously held at In a Pig's Eye, and Darq-Salem’s Goth/Industrial Night. DJ Zombi started out in the mid-1990s as co-host of WUNH's "Non-Stop", a radio show devoted to the obscure New Wave and No Wave tracks of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Zombi then went on to a short stint as an 80s DJ with his Non-Stop partner DJ Entox at the Elvis Room in Portsmouth, NH. DJ Zombi has been a frequent guest DJ at Darq, HOG, the Gulu-Gulu Cafe's "Friday Night Spins," SCENE's "Sunset Hang," and Katalyst in Salem, among other local gigs.

Originally the two deejays alternated nights and Decade was a weekly night at Bangkok Paradise. But the duo found themselves to be an excellent team so they joined forces to spin together and consolidated the 80s night into a monthly event at the Thai restaurant. This venue was also home to Darq, Salem's Goth/Industrial dance night created by local talent Vudu:DJ. Highlights of their years at Bangkok include throwing an annual Halloween Thriller Dance Party, often involving costume contests for the best 80s and Halloween costumes, and hosting the Awesome 80s Prom in 2011.

After a change in ownership of the Bangkok Paradise, Decade 80s Night moved to a few different locations, temporarily in Salem's short lived Caribbean restaurant, Lakay Island, and the Sand Bar in Lynn. In 2013, Decade 80s Night found a home at In a Pig's Eye on Derby St. in Salem and was a regular feature there until the Pig closed in September of 2016. While at the Pig, Decade hosted an 80s New Year's Eve Party, a tribute night to Prince, and a fundraiser for the victims of the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, in addition to monthly dance nights.

In November of 2016, Decade 80s Night returned back to where it began at 90 Washington St. Salem, now the home of Koto. The 80s dance party has become a regular event on the first Saturday of every month. This Saturday, September 2nd, celebrates the 9th anniversary milestone for the longest running 80s night in Salem. The venue is better than ever with a DJ booth, larger dance floor, improved sound system, and more lights for the crowd that comes to dance to their favorite 80s tunes. Koto charges a $5 cover for the night, and the event starts at 9:30PM. DJ Alvis and DJ Zombi would love to see everyone come out to celebrate 9 years of awesome 80s!