In 1983 a small nightclub opened in downtown Minneapolis named "Graffitti's." Through a series of mistakes and mishaps (and thanks to the work of sneaky young DJs, Mike Hopper and Luke Soiseth) the club's format soon reflected the boyz' taste for indie-pop, electro-funk, ska, industrial, glamgoth, and british synthdance. With the addition of newcomer DJ Dean Vaccaro, Graffitti's quickly became a favorite destination of the twin cities' college-aged scenesters and gained the reputation of being a place that was always crowded, where the staff was usually as drunk as the patrons, and where one could be assured of a weekly exposure to new music (and asbestos). Under the management of the notorious Wally Pickle, and under the influence of Paul Sciamanda's coconutty cocktails, the Graffitti's staff, in one form or another, carried-on the "Long Island Tea" tradition through 1988 until the bar was sold to become a stripclub. It was the end of the world (as we knew it).


Jump ahead to 1993... After all the others had long since moved-on to bigger and better things, DJ Dean Vaccaro, was working at a downtown nightclub known as "Rogue," and plotting... REVENGE! Although his "retro 80s" concept was initially a hard-sell to management, after a series of mistakes and mishaps, they agreed to try "Graffitti's Revenge" for a night. With less than a week of preparation and promotion, the evening (which was meant to duplicate the original Graffitti's experience in every detail; from the music, to the videos, to the Long Island Teas) was a huge success and was immediately adopted as the permanent Rogue Thursday night concept. Some nights drawing over 1000 people, Graffitti's Revenge continued at Rogue until the club's untimely closing in June, 1995.


Immediately, offers from other clubs came in, and ultimately, after careful consideration, a club called "Ground Zero" was chosen as the most suitable to carry the torch. With little or no advertising, Graffitti's Revenge took place every Friday night at Ground Zero for the next two and a half years until the club's owner decided that he, himself, could copy Dean's now familiar repertoire and, with the help of a flunky DJ sidekick, keep the crowd (and cash) for himself. What an unfortunate ending to one of the city's most enduring and successful concept nights.


SEEK REVENGE! To book DJ Dean Vaccaro's Graffitti's Revenge for your club or event, contact Dean Vaccaro at clean@tamboo.com. ACCEPT NO IMITATIONS.