What began as a joint birthday party between pop artist Gia Woods and Evan Candelmo at Tenants of the Trees eventually blossomed into a full year of parties hosted at the Los Angeles venue.
Having thrown events while living and studying in New York City, Candelmo wanted to continue working in nightlife upon moving to the West Coast in 2022. He quickly bonded with a music producer named Jack Laboz and spent his first year in LA partying around town. “It was interesting to see how different the LA scene was,” Candelmo says. “At the time, we used to say it was a lot of ‘music without words,’ which was cool, but started to get stale.”
Together, Candelmo and Laboz decided to liven things up with their own party AS IF ! as a “celebration of community, queer culture and pop music.” Their first proper go at it had no real budget, so Candelmo remembers Laboz teaching him how to use CDJs the week of their debut.
Since then, AS IF ! has grown “more than I ever expected,” Candelmo admits with RSVPs doubling into the thousands and regularly pulling in a wild cast of characters. “At our third party, I looked up from the booth and saw American Idol legend David Archuleta dancing next to indie pop fave Devon Again,” he says.
Previous hosts and DJs have included names like Chrissy Chlapecka, Lydia Night, Leland and Ambar Lucid. This month, AS IF ! celebrated its one-year anniversary with DJ sets from Candelmo, Rossi and Brendan Jordan. Photographer Callum Walker Hutchinson was among the lineup of hosts, as well.
Below, AS IF ! regulars reflect on their favorite memories from attending the party, ahead of its Halloween installment later this month in San Diego with Castle Ferreira. “It’s more an ‘if you know, you know’ situation,” Candelmo says, revealing names like Allie X and Chase Icon as headlining performers. “I’m grateful AS IF ! is resonating,” he says.
Lilyisthatyou (Host of AS IF ! Pride and 006)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
It feels like a family affair. It feels like a ballroom. It feels like the stranger dancing beside me, sweating on me, is my sister or something. When I go to AS IF !, I dress up as a character who doesn’t exist (Eve). My favorite memories are seeing my friends and they don’t know who I am because I’m pretending to be someone else. We dance on whatever elevated surface we can find, we drink 'til we can’t see, we cry and whisper secrets under the DJ booth, tequila soda all over me and all over you.
Jesse Saint John (Host of AS IF ! 002, 003, 004, 005 and 007)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
Chrissy Chlapecka on top of a bench singing her face off for a room of adoring LGBTQ's.
Mehki Clay (Host of AS IF! Pride and 007)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
My favorite memory was at the Pride edition, and looking around the room and seeing everyone’s pure joy. It felt like a meeting of the worlds: people from different backgrounds and identities all wearing the most sickening outfits you’d ever seen, with the brightest smiles and the most infectious energy.
Kate Richardson (Host of AS IF ! 001, 002, 003 and 007)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
The very first AS IF ! was one for the books because no one knew how it would go. Would people show, would it be too industry, a total flop? At a certain point I went outside to check on a friend, and saw the line to get in and even overheard a couple complaints. When people are hating from outside the club, that’s when you know it’s a good party.
Ethan Haddox (Host of AS IF ! 006)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
I could say it’s the time spent dancing with friends, sipping strong cocktails, and brushing up against strangers and crushes alike — which is all true. But what really sticks with me is how I feel every time I’m at an AS IF ! party. There's this undeniable sense of safety and freedom, a space where the crowd is mostly queer people being unapologetically themselves. It’s a break from the usual, where we collectively let go and enjoy the moment. I’ve been to plenty of LA parties, but none have given me the same feeling an AS IF ! party does.
Callum Walker Hutchinson (Host of AS IF ! Pride and 007)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
If I could remember anything from an AS IF ! party it wouldn’t be an AS IF ! party...
Lori-Ellen Howe (Door Mother of AS IF ! 001, 002, 003, 004, 005 and 007)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
Dylan Mulvaney dancing to "Still the One" by Shania Twain.
George Todd McLachlan (Host of AS IF ! Pride, 001, 002, 003, 004 and 007)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
AS IF ! is LA’s magic blend of homo and hetero. Disco doll-ies (usually Brendan Jordan) twirling around the DJ booth, while in the bathroom pop divas are having "unreleased demo" battles between "powder" breaks. And in the smoking section? Your favorite actor/model/influencer lip-locked with a co-star or fan — or both — wrapped in a cloud of vape and cigarette smoke.
Sean Ellmore (Host of AS IF ! Pride)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
I helped host the AS IF ! Pride party and it was just an absolute rager of a night. People were dancing on the DJ booth, drinks were spilled, pictures were being taken during all of it. But that wasn’t unique to the Pride party, that happens at every AS IF ! — I was just behind the booth this time.
Rossi (DJ of AS IF ! 007)
What's your favorite memory from an AS IF ! party?
Checking instagram in the morning and seeing 18 videos of me up on the platform doing choreo to "Bad Romance" thinking, Wow... I crushed that. The best part is genuinely the energy and the music. The DJs always do an incredible job of playing current bangers, while giving us the classics that no one wants to admit they want to hear in the club. The guilty pleasures, if you will: "What Dreams Are Made Of" by Lizzie McGuire, "Your Love Is My Drug" by Ke$ha, "Who Owns My Heart" by Miley Cyrus.
Photography: Dimes Burner
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