{"id":496909,"date":"2026-01-06T16:50:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T16:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/496909\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T16:50:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T16:50:12","slug":"legendary-phoenix-edm-party-returns-for-first-time-since-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/496909\/","title":{"rendered":"Legendary Phoenix EDM party returns for first time since 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRed Monkey 2016 at Monarch Theatre on Thursday, November 24.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

One of Phoenix\u2019s most infamous electronic dance music <\/a>parties is coming back from the dead.<\/p>\n

Legendary house music night RedMonkey <\/a>is set to return in February after a nine-year hiatus. The long-running but irregularly scheduled party was a staple of Phoenix\u2019s dance scene from the mid-1990s through the 2010s.<\/p>\n

Pete Salaz, the influential local DJ behind the party, announced RedMonkey\u2019s resurrection on social media last week.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 31, Salaz shared a teaser image on Facebook of a fist punching out of a grave marked with the words \u201cRedMonkey.\u201d The post also included the date of Feb. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

Phoenix New Times later spoke with the DJ via Facebook and confirmed the event\u2019s return. Salaz says he\u2019s keeping key details, including the venue, under wraps at the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor now \u2026 I really don\u2019t want to reveal much info,\u201d Salaz says. \u201cEspecially the location. I\u2019m working on the lineup as I type.\u201d<\/p>\n

Longtime RedMonkey fans are jacked about its comeback, owing to the party\u2019s revered status in Phoenix\u2019s dance scene lore.<\/p>\n

\"\"Pete Salaz DJing at a Phoenix rave in 1998.<\/p>\n

RedMonkey\u2019s legacy in Phoenix\u2019s dance scene<\/p>\n

RedMonkey was launched by Salaz in 1996 at the Riverbottom Lounge, a now-defunct Phoenix dive bar. The night featured house sets by guest DJs, including former Valley resident Eddie Amador, a frequent collaborator with Salaz.<\/p>\n

The party spun out of Chupa, a notorious series of underground dance parties Salaz and Amador produced at warehouses around Phoenix.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically, RedMonkey is the son of Chupa,\u201d Salaz told New Times in 1999<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s an extension of Chupa, with me at the controls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally booked as a one-off, RedMonkey hit hard enough to demand an encore. Salaz first ran the events weekly, then pivoted to one-offs every four to six weeks as the crowds ebbed and flowed. At its height, RedMonkey parties attracted hundreds of dancers.<\/p>\n

Eventually, RedMonkey found its groove as a regular Thanksgiving night tradition<\/a>, with appearances by Amador and a series of guest DJs on deck. The parties took place at venues like Monarch Theatre and the now-defunct spot anti_space.<\/p>\n

\"\"Red Monkey 2016 at Monarch Theatre.<\/p>\n

After years of running the night, Pete Salaz pulled the plug on RedMonkey in 2017. Asked why he decided to bring it back, Salaz said nostalgia played a major role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think many (people) have great memories. And those memories are strong,\u201d Salaz says. \u201cGoing out to different places here and there, in my social media DMs, comment sections, I get people asking for it or wishing that I\u2019d bring it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salaz, an influential figure in Phoenix\u2019s EDM scene<\/a>, ultimately granted those wishes. The longtime DJ, who has shaped local nightlife through long-running dance nights like Solstice Saturdays and by formerly co-owning downtown venues Bar Smith and Monarch Theatre. Preserving his legacy also factored into the decision, Salaz says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I am considered an OG, I can still move, walk, dance, promote, DJ, etc. I don\u2019t want to fade off into the sunset yet,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve been very active in the dance community, but people seem to respond differently to the RedMonkey. It\u2019s a beautiful piece of my history. I have more to share.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Red Monkey 2016 at Monarch Theatre on Thursday, November 24. One of Phoenix\u2019s most infamous electronic dance music…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":496910,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,21201,12079,1589,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-496909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-phoenix","tag-america","tag-arizona","tag-az","tag-edm","tag-nightlife","tag-phoenix","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115849188146471682","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=496909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496909\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/496910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=496909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}