The party Friday night at Mesa Theater was dead, literally.
Local radio station 88.1 KAFM kicked off the Halloween season October 1 with their second annual Zombie Prom, an event which evolved from dance parties the station began to put on during fund drives in 2008. For the fashionably undead couples shuffling down Main Street, Zombie Prom was the place to be.
“There are these two girls in there dressed as prom queens, and they’re wearing mangled crowns with brains twisted in them,” said one partygoer at the door. Other attendees arrived without limbs, and gaping wounds and guts were not an uncommon sight.
This is the first year the party has been held at Mesa Theater. Last year’s Prom was at KAFM’s station, but the venue proved too small to host the 200 to 300 attendees. This year, Ryan Stringfellow, known in the radio and zombie community as DJ Strangefellow and the driving force behind Zombie Prom, expected 500 zombies, which made Mesa Theater the perfect spot for the 21 and up Zombie Prom. Tickets were sold in advance at Mad Margaret’s, which also supplied zombie bits and pieces; tattoo studio The Raw Canvas; and Planet Earth and the Four Directions Gallery, which supplied vintage dresses and suits.
“Other venues around town have taken the zombie prom theme and gone with it. They’re looking for zombies, and giving them discounts. It’s become a community event,” said Valerie Stringfellow, Ryan Stringfellow’s wife. “There was a sign at Goodwill that said ‘Buy Zombie Prom dresses here.’ Everyone is getting into it.”
In fact, Zombie Prom is nothing if not a community affair. 88.1 KAFM makes of point of emphasizing its role as a community station, and Zombie Prom is the undead embodiment of that commitment. A Zombie Bike Ride was organized, starting at the Main Street Community Garden. The bike tour wound its way to Planet Earth and the Four Directions for a Sustainable Roots fundraiser and art auction, then hit the Exposed Show, a gallery and concert at the Raw Canvas, before finally making its way the Zombie Prom.
“The Zombie Ride is part of the Grand Junction Junk Ride, and it’s a great opportunity to meet people. Chris Brown from Brown’s Cycles across the street donated all the bike racks out front [of the theater],” Ryan Stringfellow said.
DJ Strangefellow was one of nine DJs at the event, several of whom were from 88.1 KAFM. The other DJs represented Grand Junction’s electronica scene. Strangefellow played a monster mash up specifically made for the event, including pieces from Nirvana, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, and Deep Purple, which listeners voted for in advance.
All of the money from ticket sales went towards KAFM’s operational costs, like paying the station’s mortgage and buying new CD players and other equipment. The station, operated by volunteers, relies on the revenue generated during pledge drives and fund raising events like the Zombie Prom.
“This is the second to last day of our pledge drive. KAFM is a non-profit station like KMSA, so we depend on events like this to keep the station running,” Ryan Stringfellow said.
In the future, the Zombie Prom may not be restricted to those over 21, leading to more attendees and more revenue for the station.
“We’re trying to lower the age limit. We just weren’t sure about some things and it was easier this year to make it 21 and up,” Valerie Stringfellow said. “It’s a great community thing and a great way to kick off Halloween.”