Dome of Doom, get ready to battle dance

I count myself among the few, the proud, the armored—I have taken on the guise of a mythological soldier fighting for honor and eternal life on the astral plane—and returned to our world to tell about it. The event was a Dome of Doom battle. The place, a friend's upstairs flat in Wicker Park circa 2002. My fight was brief and pitiful—a samurai in life, I was but a weak-willed fly to be swatted in the god-world of the Dome of Doom. My play in the afterlife tournament was short, bloody but well, a lot of fun.

James Kennedy, with whom I ran in the same circles at Notre Dame years ago, is bringing back his Dome of Doom this month—and this time, you can go, too. Kennedy, since hosting his last DOD, has published a young adult fantasy novel, The Order of the Oddfish, that's got more than a sizable cult following. But he's still not averse to donning a costume and throwing a concept party. This month's Dome of Doom is also a a gallery show of fan art for The Order of Odd-Fish, hosted with art party people Collaboraction. It's the org's 7th annual Carnaval fundraiser event.

If you're still in the dark, Kennedy explains the basic concept and illustrates it in the video above—the scenario around the Dome will surely become more detailed and complex in the host's hands. But his latest email blast lays it out in layman's terms, "Come dressed as some kind of fighter—a boxer, a wizard, a scorpion, whatever—and you will be put in the ring to battle-dance against other fighters. The champion is sacrificed to the gods! There will be 64 fighters, and slots are filling fast. Basically, the most ludicrous costume / moves / shtick wins."

I tend to prefer Kennedy's more over-the-top descriptions of the party/dance/battle:

"The CRASH of ASTRAL SWORDS!
The eerie SCREECH of DIVINE AGONY!
The ROAR of BLOOD-DRUNK DEVILS!
The dizzying SPLENDOR of HEAVENLY VENGEANCE!
Who will survive . . .

THE DOME OF DOOM

All DIVINE WARRIORS eager to prove their CELESTIAL MUSCLE are invited: murderous ANGELS, immortal BACTERIA, supernatural GLADIATOR DROIDS, mystical VAMPIRE NINJAS, chthonic DEATH-OOZE, righteous SERAPHIM clad in armor of HOLY LIGHTNING -- fighters of any kind!

Ritual COMBAT-BY-DANCE shall be judged by the WARRIOR-PRIESTS of COLLABORACTION, based on COSTUME, fighting STYLE, and signature DEATH-BLOW.

The champion shall have the honor of being sacrificed to ICHTHALA, the ALL-DEVOURING MOTHER, in an OCCULT RITUAL of APOCALYPTIC TERROR!"

DOME OF DOOM
Saturday April 17
437 N. Wolcott, doors open at 7pm, dance party begins at 9pm, fights begin at 10pm.

If you use promotional code 185, tickets are $15 for general admission and $45 for premium admission. Registered fighters get in free. Email Collaboration to register to fight.

Volunteer to help with decorations, and you can also get in free—contact Collaboraction's Sarah Moeller at sarahemoeller@gmail.com.