PHOENIX – When people think of Arizona, a thriving Goth scene may not be something that comes to mind, but maybe it should be.

The Goth subculture began decades ago as a post-punk musical style. It is a fashion style, music genre and lifestyle that often explores dark and romantic themes. Those who identify with the subculture often refer to themselves as “Goths.”

Today, the scene in Arizona has gained prominence through events and festivals and evolved into an accepting space for new and older generations of Goths alike.

Goth-centered artisan markets, Goth nights at clubs and Goth fstivals have emerged to provide the community with opportunities to express themselves in a welcoming environment.

Dj Beautiful John is a prominent figure in the Goth scene in Arizona. He first got involved as an 18-year-old in Tucson and frequenting The Fineline, a club that catered to Goths in the ’80s and ’90s. “I was already into the music. I was listening to bands like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees,” he says. He started as a DJ in 1996 and helped foster the scene through event productions in the early 2000s. Now a staple in the Arizona Goth scene, he DJs every Wednesday at Communion, a Goth night hosted at Stacy’s at Melrose, and is still involved behind the scenes in many Goth events around town.

Communion attendees dance to Dj Beautiful John’s set on Feb. 21, 2024. He has performed across the country, but says, “Arizona has probably one of the most hardcore Goth scenes in the entire country. In Phoenix, we have stuff running all week long. You have a Tuesday night spot if you want to get out, I run Wednesday’s Communion at Stacy’s, and on Thursdays back at Rips, they have another Goth night. We have Friday nights with 6 Feet Under. These cities put on great shows, but they can’t keep going like we are, it’s just not as intense.” He cites the state’s politics as another reason why the scene in Arizona is more fierce: “Right now we are fighting for rights for abortions back in the state. … We have all this angst built up, and we need an outlet.”

Dj Beautiful John said Arizona’s Goth community “is constantly growing” thanks to TikTok and Twitch streaming. “We have kids that are coming in because they are following a TikTok crowd, watching DJs live on Twitch. They love the music and are now 21 and want to go find this type of atmosphere,” he says. He calls it a welcoming space to those looking to learn more about the community, and thinks there are many reasons one could consider themselves Goth. “I think if they just love the music or love the art and they can find something that actually relates to the inner part of their soul, then, yeah, you’re Goth, welcome to the club.”

Vivian Orbweaver sits at the bar at Stacy’s at Melrose on March 13, 2024. She describes her experience entering the Goth scene: “It’s very down-to-earth. … It’s a very welcoming community.”

Charly Black stands at the door to Possession, a Goth event held at The Beast in Tempe on April 5, 2024. “I always wanted to be more Goth but was never able to because of my upbringing,” Black says. For her, the scene is a safe space. “I feel much more accepted and much more safe than in a regular club.”

A Goth Festival attendee spins a string of lights at the Arizona Goth Festival on Feb. 10, 2024. The Arizona Goth Society hosted its first festival last year, and this year’s festival at Walter Studios in downtown Phoenix featured multiple DJs, bands and vendors. Society founder Ruben Garcia started the group in 2020 as a place for Goths to connect during the pandemic. It now has over 7,800 members in its Facebook group, its primary platform. “At that time of the pandemic, everything seemed so hopeless, and I was just hoping to get some people to post funny memes and talk, but it wildly exceeded my expectations,” Garcia says.

Kris Martinez, owner of Slightly Twisted by Kris, hosted a booth at this year’s Arizona Goth Festival. Martinez says her art is more appreciated at Goth-specific events. “You don’t usually get to see this stuff, you can’t just go buy it anywhere,” Martinez says. “Here this is what they want and what they want to see.”

Kris Martinez talks with a customer at the Arizona Goth Festival on Feb. 10, 2024. “People who don’t fit in everywhere else, this is their scene. This is their scene, their people, it’s my people. They are comfortable around them, they can be themselves and they don’t have to worry about what anybody says,” Martinez says.

Kritters by Katherine owner Catherine Holland preserves and sells wet specimens, including octopuses, snakes and lizards, using formaldehyde. Dead animals are donated by local pet shops and get a second chance to be appreciated. “All of these could be in a landfill, but instead of being trash, I’m saving these and giving them a new lease on life and letting people enjoy it.”

A preserved snake sits in a jar at Catherine Holland’s Kritters by Katherine booth at the Arizona Goth Festival on Feb. 10, 2024. Holland says she’s new to selling at events. “It’s hard to find markets in the niche,” Holland says of her wet specimens. Unlike the first market she attended in October that catered more to a general audience, she feels her art is better received at Goth events. “The more exposure that these events gain, the more open people are going to be. We are weirdos, we’re odd ones, we don’t look like your normal type of people, we don’t dress like your normal type. … The more that anything not socially acceptable gains momentum in mainstream society, people are more comfortable showing their weirdness,” says Holland, who adds that she is excited for future markets she can attend.

Arizona Goth Society founder Ruben Garcia says he thinks one reason for the growth in the community is the welcoming environment. “Anytime someone wants to be a part of something, there’s a fear of rejection,” Garcia says. Vendors who may not be part of the scene will vend at events and see the reception from the community and are encouraged to come again, he says. “If you are a local vendor and you are selling something and it’s not necessarily Gothy, but it sort of is, and you have people who are coming to support you that aren’t a part of the Goth scene and they see this celebration of our subculture, that’s going to draw people in.”

Nick Feratu performs in February at the second annual festival organized by the Arizona Goth Society. The organization’s founder, Ruben Garcia says the Goth community is welcoming to everyone. “There are people who come and just have a good time, and maybe they aren’t going to become Goth, but they come and share in our culture and have a good time. You don’t need to be a Goth to come enjoy the scene and have a good time.”