262 NIGHTLIFE SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2025.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2025 marvels of the modern world for its unreal, swirling lights and lasers. Combine it with a killer sound system and plenty of room to dance amid Walter’s iconic art cars (made to look like mega Volkswagen vehicles) and you have a party nonpareil. As in the Burning Man environment in which Walter was born, personal expression is highly encour- aged — you’ll see lots of eccentric outfits or people using flow objects. This is a play- ground for the mind, an immersive art expe- rience. The Where?House also hosts one of the Valley’s finest art galleries, which rotates out pieces as fast as they sell. e e e B E S T P L A C E T O P A R T Y O N A T U E S D A Y BIKINI LOUNGE 1502 GRAND AVE. 602-252-0472 INSTAGRAM.COM/THEBIKINILOUNGE If your week is in motion and you’re looking for a little party action to take the edge off, you need you some 602sdays at Bikini Lounge. The Tuesday night party at Phoenix’s legendary cash-only tiki joint (which has been around since 1947) is as reliable as they come. But this is no cocktail hour — it’s for the late-night crowd. Like clockwork, the place gets jumping around 11 p.m. on Tues- days. Count on seeing longtime local vinyl master Djentrification spinning obscure records from around the world until 2 a.m., giving the party a uniquely cultured texture for a midweek dive bar experience. Shimmy between the improvised dance floor and the bar, past the pool table to the back patio. There you’ll find a collection of Phoenix’s midweek warriors, artists and industry heads mingling and ripping cigarettes like it’s 1920s Paris. Tuesdays, baby. e e e B E S T D J DARK MARK INSTAGRAM.COM/DARKMARKAZ Dark Mark has been a fixture in Phoenix’s dance music landscape for decades. The guy has seen and spun it all since cutting his teeth in the mid-2000s at infamous local goth haunt Tranzylvania. Ever since, he has unleashed heavy, hard-hitting sounds at late- night clubs, off-the-grid desert raves, festi- vals, fetish balls, after-hours spots, art galleries — you name it, he’s dropped bass there. Partygoers in the Valley know him as a sharp purveyor of dark sonic alchemy. His sets lean bass-heavy, fusing the chest- rattling, face-melting anthems of dubstep and riddim with excursions into trap, EBM, industrial and rhythmic noise. Despite the ominous moniker, he’s known as one of the friendliest DJs behind a booth. In a scene as decidedly cutthroat as Phoenix nightlife, that counts for a lot. e e e B E S T D J C O L L E C T I V E LADIES WHO BRUNCH INSTAGRAM.COM/LADIESWHOBRUNCHAZ This growing group of like-minded, music loving, socially conscious women around the Valley is becoming a force to be reckoned with on the scene. DJ M-80 (Mandie Smith), DJ Jasper K (Karen “Jasper” Cristobal Gacula), DJ Kate Scratch Fever (Katy Mason) and their collaborators work with a variety of venues — bars, restaurants, local events — to spread the joy and strength of music while working steadfastly to help local nonprofits provide needed services to people around the greater Phoenix area. These DJs bring a wealth of music background and knowledge, as well as incredible taste in headbanging and bopping tunes. Adding them to your event ensures good times that are likewise good for your soul.
