We Attended The DART Techno Train. Here’s How It Went

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) held its first-ever Techno Train DJ event to boost ridership and showcase the importance of public transit. The concept is inspired by a German pop-up party that travels through the Bavarian countryside in a similar fashion.

“The goal is to get more people on it, organically,” said Randall Bryant, chairman of the board for DART. “We oftentimes know that transit isn’t people’s first option, so [we’re] encouraging them to take transit and do it in a cool way.”

The event converted two cars on the Orange Line — running from Plano all the way to the American Airlines Center — into a mobile club, with DJ Sober and DJ Blackbeard on the decks. The train ride served as a pre-game for the Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers game on Saturday. Registration and the standard $6 day pass were required to board the specially converted trains.

The first 60 people to arrive received an exclusive invite to a watch party at Tower Club, a members-only club at the top of Santander Tower downtown, and the first 250 riders were invited to a private after-party there.

“It’s about our partnerships with the businesses that are along our rail, and so I have to give a shout out to the Tower Club Dallas, because a lot of their staff wanted to do something like this,” Jazmyn Carter, DART director of public relations, said.

Naturally, we arrived early to beat the crowd and to score a watch party pass.

All Aboard the Techno Train

After take-off, riders were hesitant, politely staying in their seats. It wasn’t till about 10 minutes into the ride that two brave souls got up from their seats and began dancing, prompting others to do the same. A few moments later, the music paused to introduce Jason McMurray, known as Menace, a radio show host from 97.1 The Eagle, to give away an autographed Mavericks-branded basketball to a fan who could answer trivia questions. Halfway into the ride, a CO2 cannon emerged, filling the car with nightclub-style smoke. The music paused again to introduce Bryant, who said the only rule was to have fun. He then shot the CO2 cannon after his speech. 

At one of the stops, the Mavericks ManiAACs, the team’s official hype men, joined the ride — people quickly began standing on the seats, including us.

The rest of the ride was smooth sailing. Before we knew it, we had arrived at Victory Station, but because we were early to the train’s arrival, we were headed to the 48th floor of the Santander Tower for the watch party.

Watching From Way Up

The Tower Club set up a private room with three big TVs, couches and cocktail tables so guests could comfortably watch. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a breathtaking view of the Dallas skyline from the very top. The DART board says similar events are already in the planning stages and that they’re open to suggestions.

“I’m glad that we can do new, cool things that invite people who normally don’t ride transit to see new opportunities, see places they normally wouldn’t choose to take transit first, and to do it in a way that’s fun and safe,” Bryant said.

We were admittedly a little skeptical, but overall, it was actually a really fun experience. The Mavericks lost in overtime to the Clippers, though. That part wasn’t so fun.