Hear the lyrics, "I like girls who make love/ But I love girls who like to fuck," without yelling, "That’s what’s up!" I dare you to, and so does Harrison Patrick Smith (AKA The Dare). Last Friday, on a packed Do Lab stage, The Dare brought his New York City dizzying electro hits to Coachella, and PAPER was there to dance along, watching him as he transformed the stage into a divey Manhattan bar, black-suited out, holding a cigarette in one hand.
In 2023, The Dare shared his first release, The Sex EP, containing the aforementioned bop, "Girls," premiered here on PAPER, sharing at the time that he "just wanted to write something funny and true about my relationship to sex." "It’s also the most time-honored and classic theme of rock and roll, so I had to do it," he added. "The other, less horny songs are coming later.”
Backstage at Coachella, The Dare's all smiles as he gets ready for his DJ set. “I’m most excited to play unreleased music during my set today,” he tells us, balancing a drink in one hand, and mic in the other, his eyes hidden behind chic Celine sunglasses. “I’m most excited to play 'Uptown Funk' by Bruno Mars during my set today,” he jokes. So, outside of today’s performance, what’s a memory that's stood out from his recent DJ sets? “An attendee from Frequencies [the illustrious NYC party series he hosts] set himself on fire by leaning into a candle with a fur coat. The club smelled terrible... it was awesome.”
When asked what The Dare wanted to share with his fans next, he jests: “I’m not gonna share anything with my fans next, I’m not excited to show them anything. If they get anything, they’re lucky.” Before leaving, we had to ask: What was the last text he sent, and to whom? “The last text I sent was to my friend, and it was of a crazy little muppet.” Oh, and one last thing. “It’s beautiful out here," he tells us. "I love being in Los Angeles and never apologize.” Great advice.
Photography: Jamie Rosenberg
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