Dark sanctuary
The Story of The church
A feature-length documentary about the historic Dallas goth club - The Church. The documentary will explore the incredible history of one of the longest running goth clubs in the U.S. and the world-renowned artists who performed there.
Through interviews with world-famous music artists, local bands, and patrons, the film will tell the story of the community that formed in the nearly three decades of the legendary club’s existence. The motto of The Church became “Enter Without Prejudice” meaning no matter who you are, how you look, how you dress, your sexuality, your gender identity, the color of your skin, your body type, all are welcome and embraced at The Church.
The film will center on the club’s DJ in residence, Joe Virus, and follow his journey from aspiring musician to DJ’ing the main stage for over 20 years. The film will also narrate the events of 2019 and 2020 as a multimillion-dollar real estate company bought up the neighborhood, and the pandemic claimed the community’s beloved building at 2424 Swiss Avenue. Over the decades, it has often been said by Church-goers, that The Church was theirs-“Our Church.” Now, their home of nearly 3 decades stands on the brink of being lost forever.
background
2424 Swiss Ave began its storied history as a trolly repair station in 1899. Over the years it has been everything from a dinner theater, to a strip club, to a 80s new-wave club called Empire. In 1991, DJ and club owner Don Nedler acquired the building with the vision of transforming it into the newest location for his chain of dance clubs The Lizard Lounge. Don saw incredible potential in 2424 Swiss. The building’s span as a dinner theater created a unique space in which to build a club, with its towering ceilings, its looming stained glass window overlooking the stage, its sweeping mezzanine, grand staircase, and the iconic chandelier above the dance floor.
Don Nedler for some time had forseen the future of popular music, the age when the DJ would be the new rockstar of the 20th century. His aim was to bring this burgeoning techno and EDM scene to Dallas, TX. And that’s exactly what he did. The biggest names in EDM graced the stage of the Lizard Lounge in those early days - Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, Moby, Tiesto, The Prodigy. But this was just the beginning. In 1994 while visiting a club in Miami, Don was inspired by a weekly industry night called The Church which played darker, heavier, more aggressive music. With the permission of the club’s owner, Don brought the concept back to Dallas, and on a Sunday night at 2424 Swiss, The Church was born. Little did Don know this once a week gothic industrial night would jump a new surge of life and energy into the club.
Apart from a few themed nights here and there, the goth scene in Dallas in the early 90s was somewhat disparate and unconnected. Slowly but surely, The Church became the mecca of the gothic scene in Dallas. Many people who felt like outsiders at home, at work, at school found a home at The Church and eventually a community and a family. The motto of The Church became “Enter Without Prejudice” meaning no matter who you are, how you look, how you dress, your sexuality, your gender identity, the color of your skin, your body type, all are welcome and embraced at The Church. This philosophy became the life blood and energy that coursed throughout the community and into the very walls and foundations of the club.
In tandem with this, The Church would become the destination for biggest names in gothic industrial music- Clan of Xymox, En Esch, VNV Nation, Peter Hook, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Front 242, Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy, and the list goes on and on. The Church became the destination hangout for the biggest personalities in the scene. Such giants as Marilyn Manson, The Cure, Dita Von Teese, Trent Reznor, and The Pet Shop Boys have graced 2424 Swiss Ave with their presences. At one point, Madonna and Dennis Rodman even considered buying the club! Along with live music performances, The Church began putting on events, the most legendary being the annual BDSM show, The Dallas Fetish Ball. How to describe The Fetish Ball? Participatory floggings, insane elaborate outfits, suspensions, the infamous Wheel of Pain. As many have put it, what happens at the Fetish Ball stays at The Fetish Ball. And don’t forget Halloween, the Gothic High Holy Day. It was widely known that the best event on Halloween in Dallas was at The Church. The rise of The Church was meteoric through the 90s and on into the 2000’s. By March of 2020, it seemed that things could only continue upward. But we all know what happened next. The blow was catastrophic, and by April of 2020, The Lizard Lounge and The Church shuttered their door for good.
The Church meant so much to the people that gathered among its darkened halls, under its blood red lights. But as it would turn out, The Church had become something more than a building, more than a dance club. It became a community. Through the turmoil of 2020, The Church family supported and lifted each other up. As restrictions began to ease, Don opened up a nearby club he had acquired before the pandemic called It’ll Do. It quickly became apparent that The Church could and should live again. Like a revenant from the tomb, The Church rose again to Sunday nights at It’ll Do. Admittedly, It’ll Do lacks the grandeur and scale of 2424 Swiss, but it turns out that The Church never needed it. It’s more than that. The Church lives in the people, in the experiences under that glittering chandelier, in the relationships that were made, in the countless nights of euphoria, love, loss, and even tragedy. It lives on. It cannot die. The Church is undead.
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