The Church

Pretty good spot; Jade P. has an accurate review. I haven’t been out to a goth/​industrial spot in a long time but I’ll probably be going here more often.
Music was above average. Let your body free with everything from chunky classics to the «In Strict Velvet Commando» stompiness so popular with teen thought leaders today. You don’t have to restrict your hedonism to a single dance floor– When Robert Smith hits a little too close to home and you Just. Can’t. Even., Haddaway awaits you elsewhere with a loving embrace. Everything is going to be alright.
The crowd will inspire you to discover heretofore unknown watershed moments in humanity’s quest to understand the universe through the art of dance via the usual mix of wallflowers (hi!), guys in frilly shirts, one or two schoolgirls, candy ravers born too late, a smattering of pagans, a couplea fellows who can actually dance rhythmically, the random curious passers-​by and of course a bunch of exhibitionists. Gang’s all here!
When your back starts throbbing from all the shoegazing and stomping around, have a seat and lose yourself in the calming epileptic backing visuals. The ever-​present Church logo ensures you never forget where you are while schoolgirls kissing each other’s asses lets you know you’ve arrived at a Safe Space™. You’re your own person! Take that, Pastor Dad! You’ve never even _​heard_​of the Matrix! This is our time! Our time for huggles. And chess.

My favorite club of all of Dallas, people are very easy going and fun to talk to. Not your usual judgmental club people its a special blend of every type of person. The drinks are cheap and there is good music in both rooms with a patio to chill with people and there is rarely drama there.

Love the place and their special events. Non pretentious goth club with all ranges of people. Great music, strong drinks and black boots galore. Also, the bartenders are crazy friendly and can remember your fav drinks months down the line. If your part of the scene, or just visiting for the night it’s way more fun than uptown or any vanilla club.

If u like base u can feel it here. Small but outside area with 2 different types of music. Filled w/​hotties and stage dancers. Closes at 2am and DPD likes to hangout outside killing the action. Drinks are above Avg. but Bartenders were fast and drinks were made well. The night I went was a Costume Party so it was hard to judge the crowd but I can say there was nice eye candy for both men and women.

Love this place.

I’ve nver been im a Lil sweet gay black guy with big vampire emo goth fetish but I’m going tonight is this a good place to meet cute long haired tall guys or vampire’s

I go this club all the time and I strongly recommend this club to all my friends. I really wish I could go to this club all the time if I were living in the area I would be a regular

It was my first club in Dallas, and I had a blast. The crowd was great and there is something foreverybody. There are two sides and on my night one side was fist-​pumpy amateurs, me, and the otherside was the younger pros. It was packed but not crowded. The GuyGirl ratio seemed 3:2 which was neat. I’m not from Dallas so it did seem expensive which is the reason for 4 not 5. Cover was 20, due to a bigname dj playing, beer was 6 a bottle, and shots were 9. Costly, but fun isn’t cheap.

Texas is lucky to have such a vibrant and lively industrial/​goth club. Considering this particular subculture never took off in America as strongly as others, it is a real treat to make the trip up to Dallas and have what I consider to be a good night out.
So, don’t donate those New Rock boots or Lip Service frocks to The Salvation Army, yet — there is a place where you can dust them off and transport yourself back to the 1990’s.
I’ve been to The Church twice now, both on Sunday night. This place is a riot. There are two dance floors. One, for your inner Euro trash, where they play industrial music and ebm. The other, smaller dance floor near the smoking area plays all 80’s dance music.
I prefer the main dance floor, myself. I think it’s kind of neat that it’s set up very much like a stage and sits in front of a large seating area and even a mezzanine. They play a lot of your typical Rotersand, Combichrist, Centhron, VNV Nation, Faderhead, Covenant, etc., and some old favorites like Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, and Bauhaus. Everything you need to get a little drunk, break out those weird, punchy-​kicky dance moves, and get a little flirty with some dumb BDSM dude.
I love this club!

Hey kids, gather around and let me pull out my walker and tell you kids about The Church.
The first time I went to the church was back in nineteen-​hundred and ninety-​seven. I was what you called back then a club kid and I loved dressing up and partying. The dressing up part was just as important as the being there. The first time I went to The Church I did not even know it was a goth club/​night because I had partied at The Lizard Lounge other nights since 1996, but I fell in love immediately. Plus, it gave me another way to dress up in fashions I loved and dance to music I felt just as passionate about.
In goth world for those who may not know, dancing is a bit different. If you just go with the flow and borrow some movements like you’re part of a modern dance troupe people will think you’re an old pro. Also, take that happy look off of your face and look like your puppy just died and no one will ever be the wiser. To wait to be confused when you talk to people because despite the dark makeup and sullen style, goths are seriously some of the most hilarious and chipper people you will ever meet. Talk about acceptance city, that is the goth scene. Trust me, I’m old hat.
The Church has two dance floors and if you are wondering where in the heck is everyone, try the patio area. It gets seriously crowded and this is where you can have some of the most riveting conversations and back in the day this is where you could also get a good spanking. ;)
The Church entrance fee and drinks are low and they are always having theme events, concerts, special dj sets, fetish fun and etc, so you won’t be bored. If you’ve never experienced a goth club and don’t have a spare latex body suit or corset lying about, just throw on some black and you will feel right at home. And relax, no one will bite (unless you ask them to) and you will have a great time.

Incredible music and lots of dancing.

Amazing Goth /​Industrial Club
2 Dance Rooms
1 Rooftop Lounge
Great DJ’s, Great venue, Decent priced drinks, safe parking and low cover charge.
You definately want to come in your goth/​industrial attire or you will stand out and feel out of place. Even wearing just black is better then normal everyday street clothes.
Highly Recommended.

Sadly, I can only go on holiday weekends… otherwise, I’d be here every Sunday fo sho!
Every walk of life is welcome at The Church… girls, boys, girly boys, boyish girls. even a dude in a rabbit suit. Bizarre yes, but its nice to go somewhere, where no one cares what you look like, or what brand name you have on. I had a great time!
Tunes in one room were Retro 80s. Tunes in the other room were Nine Inch Nails… now I’m sure they played other things besides NIN, but that’s all I heard the few times I passed thru. oh yea. and Rick Astley. I heard that too.
Now. I will say this. It does smell kinda funky in there (I have a very sensitive nose). The NIN room totally needed deodorant, and the bathroom… OMG, I about passed out. Next time, I’ll bring a glade plug in. That is really my only beef… oh, and beer is expensive too.
If anyone is listening. I vote to open a bar dedicated to these kinds of tunes… Please refer to Independent Bar in Orlando, FL… I miss you!

In Tampa, there is a fantastic goth club known as The Castle. Inside you will find three bars, two dance floors, fresh music, a dungeon with spider web chains, fire eaters, transvestites, exhibitionists, a 50-​year old guy who looks like Peter Pan (nice fella), lesbians, gays, genderqueers, attorneys, grocery clerks, fashion models, lithe bisexual geeks, comic nerds, middle-​aged folks, tourists, crazy people, and just about anything else you could possibly imagine. Even if you don’t consider yourself a goth, you’d have to be clinically dead not to enjoy gallivanting among such an amazing spectacle of human energy.
Regrettably, Dallas has no such venue. The top gothy destination in town is (still) The Church, a once-​proud venue that has been coasting on fumes for at least a decade. Ratty furniture, icky bathrooms, and uninspiring playlists mix with a semi-​attractive hands-​in-​pockets youth crowd searching vainly for inspiration. I’m polite enough not to burst their bubble… it ain’t here.
Management seems to be aware of the fact they are serving hordes of thankless teenagers week in, week out… but since the venue doesn’t have enough panache to be choosy, what other choice is there? Might as well collect another decade of cover charges while the Twilight phenomenon still has some lingering marketability.
Two stars & generally a waste of time for anyone over 23. But where else are you gonna go on a Thursday night dressed as a vampire hooker?

You want to people watch… its a good spot; eclectic crowd. Enough friendly people to mingle. You MUST be o.k. with strange peeps and dorks. Dont go trying to pick someone up, they r mostly in their own world.

Hmmm, all I can say is to not go unless you have an open mind. This has got to be one of the longest surviving clubs because I used to come here over 10 years ago and not much has changed except the drink specials. You can do anything you want and dress however you want and no one is going to blink an eye. I prefer the retro 80’s room: Echo, Bauhaus, Siouxsie, Love and Rockets, etc. The larger room in the back plays more updated goth/​industrial music. Most peeps are wearing black on black on black but there are a lot of Halloween costumes as well. There are people of all ages which is nice, most places I go to at night in Dallas make me feel like an old maid…

Yes it’s a goth club, and despite the scenes reputation for being pretentious this place is anything but. Yes you have the expected crowd with heavy eyeliner and dark clothing. Some of the regulars aren’t even goth. There’s a fella that appears to have at least ten years on my father dressed in what one would expect an older Texas gentleman to wear. There’s this one Asian guy always out having a blast on the dance floor in his khakis and polo shirt, looks as if he just got of work at some IT job. My husband and I had great conversation with a German tourist here one night. Even my husband friend who is more of the typical Dallas yuppie type used to be a regular here. Anyone can come here and have a good time, there isn’t even a dress code that I know of.
The playlist is a bit stale, as some songs have been played every night in the history of the place. DJ Virus get kudos from me for supplying lots of Industrial music, and he also plays 80’s New Wave, and takes requests. I have no need to dress «goth» anymore, but I still love the music and this is one place where I can get my fix. They throw in the occasional punk, and metal song to keep everyone happy.
For something that many will dismiss as a trend, The Church has had staying power, it’s been around since 1994. I first came here for NYE 1998/​1999, it was my first time going to a nightclub and I was so excited to go. Makes me feel old to realize that was nearly 11 years ago now.
It can get really cramped during special events, with Halloween being wall to wall people packed in like sardines.

80’s Dark wave and industrial music
I started going years ago to this place, there is a vastly different vibe here on Thursdays and Sundays vs Friday and Saturdays nights. The mix of people can be 18 year olds to Drag Queens to 60 year old hipsters, and everything in between. The cover is $ 5, and before 11pm you can normally get a special on drinks. They have a small room and a larger 2 story room both are playing dark wave, industrial music
This is only on Thursdays and Sundays but both nights are good to visit if your into it.
I think Leslie P’s review is Spot on., Gotta Love Bela Lugosi.

It’s good that «The Church» has a seperate entry than «The Lizard Lounge». While both of these events occupy the Lizard Lounge building the two events are vastly different from each other.
This event is only on Sunday and Thursday nights, which is good, because otherwise it wouldn’t be as special.
The building itself is a small two-​story brick building. It isn’t much to look at during the day, and at night it could be easily overlooked if not for the Lizard Lounge sign and the small army of oddly dressed people hanging around. Inside is one main hall, one smaller dance hall, multiple small rooms, and a winding maze of corridors linking everything together. A coat of black paint covers every available surface.
Their main hall is a very large room, equipped with dancing poles and projected images of music videos on brick walls. Coloured lights, and strobe effects accent the area, while the sunken dance floor is a great place to headbang. In this room a great amount of hard-​pounding music will obliterate your eardrums. Tables are available for people-​watching. There is a balcony overlooking the main hall with several comfy leather couches hidden away in the shadowy corners.
The smaller dance hall is off to the side, playing retro 80’s tunes, with new wave and light-​hearted electronic beats. The lights are more colourful, and the bass is less oppressive. Things are bit more groovy here.
There is also a patio area next to the smaller dance hall if you need to cool down from the intensity and stop your head from spinning. For special events they open the upstairs balcony, which is a welcome touch. This end of Deep Ellum isn’t much to look at, but you do get a fabulous view of downtown Dallas skyscrapers.
While the club itself is great, what makes it special are the people. The goth community is generally welcoming, and doesn’t really care about your income, religion, or sexual orientation as long as you’re cool with them. The dress code is quite liberal, and you can dress pretty much however you like (as long as your private parts are covered) so many people come dressed for their own plastic fantasies.
So to wrap-​up. we the freaks, geeks, weirdos, and the rest of our beloved Dallas outcasts have a place all our own.
And Robert Smith looked upon The Church and saw it was good.
Amen.

«Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.»
— Bela Lugosi as Dracula, 1931.
On Sunday and Thursday nights, The Lizard Lounge is transformed into The Church — a Gothic haven. The Church DJs spin current and classic Industrial music, dark house, alternative 80s, and electro.
The main dance floor is surrounded by booths and tables, and the over-​hanging balcony also has tables and couches. The balcony is great vantage point from which a vampire can choose their next victim. Personally, I’m fond of nightclubs that have plenty of places to sit and rest after a Tequila induced dancing rampage.
The music in the main room is more of the dark house and Industrial persuasion — think Skinny Puppy, Lords of Acid, Nine Inch Nails, and KMFDM.
There is also a side room that plays more retro alternative 80’s music — the stuff they used to play on 94.5 The Edge before they sold-​out; The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, and Joy Division. The DJ’s in that room will take your requests as well.
If you ever went to Monopolies, Level 5, or Metropolis circa 1989 — 1992, you will fall in love with this place.
There are two main bar areas and a beer tub near the front entrance, which I utilize when the lines are long at the bar. Drinks are reasonably priced, and the bartenders usually mix strong drinks. Also, it’s a $ 10 cover, or free if you arrive early enough.
The dress code is «you have to wear at least a thong, and have your nipples covered.» Appropriate for a place that hosts numerous fetish balls throughout the year.
They also have special events such as a The Mad Hatters Ball, a Zombie Prom, and live music. This is also a great place to spend Halloween in. The patrons get really into their costumes, and the costume contest is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
This place isn’t just for the freaky-​deekies though, plenty of «normal» folks in jeans and t-​shirts will be there having a good time. It’s an eclectic nightclub, yes, but they bid everyone velcome. Embrace the dark-​side of Dallas’ club scene, and maybe even bite someone on the neck while you do it.