The group’s 10th event is likely to bring out some men in tights.
By Daryn Wright
Photos by Geeks After Dark
There’s something lurking in the dark, intelligent beings plugged into computer monitors and Xboxes: geeks.
Geeks After Dark is a collective of people that organizes numerous geek-themed events for those who prefer video games to dancehalls. Started by Fairlith Harvey, Tyler James Nicol and Jesse Inocalla as a fundraiser for a convention (which never ended up happening), Geeks found a following and has been putting together events ever since.
Oct. 20 will be the 10th show they’ve put on, this time with a Legend of Zelda theme. Cameron Russell, part of the Geeks collective, explains why Geeks After Dark has been so popular.
“Nerds are loathe to separate themselves from the things they love, and they ought not to if they don’t want to. Going out, drinking, partying with your friends, dancing, and seeing a great show should have a tinge of geekiness to it if you want it to,” he says. “It’s important to have these folks, who might not go out to shows or clubs otherwise, have an opportunity to enjoy themselves on their terms, with the things they love.”
Previous shows have ranged from British Sci-Fi to Joss Whedon to Disney. The Legend of Zelda themed event, titled It’s Dangerous to Go Alone, is the first one to use a video game, so it’ll be sure to bring out a large and enthusiastic crowd.
“Coming up next month, we’ve got Saturday Morning Cartoons. Other stuff we’ve done has been as small as holding an intimate reading of 50 Shades of Grey to as grand as having a full weekend in Barkerville,” Russell says. Next year, they will be producing and staging a full theatrical play.
Generally, the events bring in a younger crowd, with very few people over 40 years old attending.
“Nerds know no colour or creed. Except Assassin’s Creed, maybe,” he laughs. The one thing that unites all attendees of Geeks After Dark though is a love for all things nerdy. It’s a great opportunity to bring people together who might only ever communicate with each other via headset.
As for the Legend of Zelda event, Russell says there will be burlesque, great music, and prizes for trivia and costumes, so guests are encouraged to dress up.
“You can expect to see Ganon try to convince folks why he should be the President of Hyrule after his nomination as the leader of the Gerudican party, as well as Link finally finding his voice and not just listening because he’s told to,” he says. If this doesn’t mean anything to you, then you should think about checking out the event and plugging into the world of geekdom.
