Audio By Carbonatix
One of Phoenix’s most infamous electronic dance music parties is coming back from the dead.
Legendary house music night RedMonkey is set to return in February after a nine-year hiatus. The long-running but irregularly scheduled party was a staple of Phoenix’s dance scene from the mid-1990s through the 2010s.
Pete Salaz, the influential local DJ behind the party, announced RedMonkey’s resurrection on social media last week.
On Dec. 31, Salaz shared a teaser image on Facebook of a fist punching out of a grave marked with the words “RedMonkey.” The post also included the date of Feb. 27, 2026.
Phoenix New Times later spoke with the DJ via Facebook and confirmed the event’s return. Salaz says he’s keeping key details, including the venue, under wraps at the moment.
“For now … I really don’t want to reveal much info,” Salaz says. “Especially the location. I’m working on the lineup as I type.”
Longtime RedMonkey fans are jacked about its comeback, owing to the party’s revered status in Phoenix’s dance scene lore.
RedMonkey’s legacy in Phoenix’s dance scene
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.
The party spun out of Chupa, a notorious series of underground dance parties Salaz and Amador produced at warehouses around Phoenix.
“Basically, RedMonkey is the son of Chupa,” Salaz told New Times in 1999. “It’s an extension of Chupa, with me at the controls.”
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.
Eventually, RedMonkey found its groove as a regular Thanksgiving night tradition, 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.
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.
“I think many (people) have great memories. And those memories are strong,” Salaz says. “Going out to different places here and there, in my social media DMs, comment sections, I get people asking for it or wishing that I’d bring it back.”
Salaz, an influential figure in Phoenix’s EDM scene, 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.
“While I am considered an OG, I can still move, walk, dance, promote, DJ, etc. I don’t want to fade off into the sunset yet,” he says. “I’ve been very active in the dance community, but people seem to respond differently to the RedMonkey. It’s a beautiful piece of my history. I have more to share.”
