By Shannon Turner
How great is it to sing as loud and off-key as you want when it’s guaranteed no one can hear you? How about being able to do so outside of being home alone or in your car? Que the need for a silent disco.
How is this possible? Headphones. It’s a typical dance party. Great music, big crowds, bright lights, but no speakers. In place of a sub and a speaker, each attendant is given a set of headphones.
“The Silent Disco was a space where people got to be in the same room listening to the same music but still remain in their own bubble. You could sing your heart out in front of a crowd of strangers and not care because they couldn’t hear you,” said Maiah Overton, senior pre- law major at WPU.
The Ritz at Raleigh hosted a silent disco on Saturday, Jan. 18. It involved three playlists with the theme of “Guys vs Girls.” It featured a female DJ against a male DJ as they competed to get the crowd to rep their playlist color.
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Peace’s Campus Activity Board is hosting a silent disco on campus Thursday, April 2 from 9pm-12am.
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Each headset has an option for you to change between three playlists, each playlist has a different color. Each DJ has their own playlist, and they judge the crowd by what color is winning the crowd. The Ritz posted to their followers explaining this new mystery concept.
“As you switch between the DJs, the color of your headphones will change so you’ll know if you’re jamming to the same song as your friends. It’s the ultimate dance party,” said in a post to the venue’s Facebook.
Each silent disco has a unique element with different genres, decades, and themes. The Ritz has previously hosted a “90’s to now” version which offers hits from the last few decades.
It was a general admissions event that took place in the warehouse-like venue with a dance floor featuring the retro black and white tile pattern. They offered a buy- one- get- one- free deal, making tickets range from $10- $20.
Silent discos are on the rise in the Raleigh area. The Ritz has said they will have them throughout the year, while other local places such as Level 7 and Raleigh Beer Garden, have planned to join in.
Peace alum Hugo Martinez shares why he would make a night out of silent disco again.
“I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. Then once I had my headphones on, I started having fun with it,” said Martinez. “I would take my headphones off and listen to people singing as loud as possible. It was kind of surreal because you don’t realize how much music affects the aesthetic or sets the tone.”
Alum Hugo and Peace student Mary Todd in their headphones at the silent disco