Alex Stock
A massive crowd buzzes at Trans Pride Fest, a dynamic six-hour event organized by North Texas artist Alex Stock (they/them). The lineup is diverse and relentless, spanning three stages and covering a range of sounds: from rock, moody pop, and emo to shoegaze, house, and DJ sets of electronic dance music. Inside the venue, Vera Drew’s cult classic The People’s Joker flickers on a TV screen in the arcade, offering a surreal backdrop to the charged atmosphere. Barely thirty minutes in, the space is already packed — no empty seats in sight, and outside, young people mosh wildly by the patio stage.
The eclectic crowd flaunts ripped jeans, fishnets, and neon-dyed hair, with trans flags and beanies blending into the scene. It’s clear this is more than just a show — it’s a safe space, a celebration, and a testament to the rebellious spirit of North Texas youth.
DJ Eve.ning electrified the crowd with a blend of grime and nu-industrial, while screamo band As the Grass Withers, the Flower Fades brought heavy energy to the largest outdoor stage. Inside the venue, one-person acts like Angel shredded through layers of dark noise, the atmosphere thick with the sound of electric guitars run through a labyrinth of pedals.
This is the third iteration of Trans Pride Fest, an annual music showcase celebrating and supporting the trans community in North Texas. Hosted by Denton’s iconic Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, the festival is a perfect representation of the venue’s ethos — an ongoing commitment to hosting a range of independent musicians, often in a regional scope, year-round. Having recently celebrated its five-year anniversary post-reopening, Rubber Gloves has become a staple for North Texas’ fringe music scene, providing a platform where youth culture can thrive through genres like hardcore, metal, and industrial. The night’s energy fluctuated between intense mosh pits, euphoric dancing, and moments of chaotic noise — a true reflection of North Texas’ raw, unfiltered artistic spirit.
I spoke with Stock about their recent art exhibitions, how organizing music events has impacted their artistic work, and what they have in store next.
William Sarradet (WS): You recently completed a solo exhibition in Lubbock at East Lubbock Art House. Can you tell me about how that came together?
Alex Stock (AS): I had my solo exhibition titled Host Portal, which ran from August 16 until September 29 at the East Lubbock Art House, a nonprofit art space in Lubbock. In 2021, they posted a call for artists to apply for a solo exhibition, and I was one of the artists selected.
In the show, I presented work from the past five years of my practice, including sculptural pieces, drawings, and paintings. Most of my work explores animalistic themes and predator-prey interactions, which intersect with my interest in colorful, abstract imagery influenced by my experiences in the rave scene and digital cultures. At the end of the exhibition, I’m teaching a drawing workshop on October 1.
WS: I know you primarily as someone who was making work while in school, and then you graduated and have since started DJing and coordinating music events. Is that separate from your art practice?
AS: I was working on my art practice and showing my work throughout my degree. I briefly took art classes at the University of North Texas but later changed my major. My degree doesn’t really impact my creative work; I’m essentially self-taught in terms of my artistic practice. Through personal research and the internet, I’ve learned everything from graphic design to 3D animation to music production.
I started my monthly event series, Fluid Construct, shortly after the pandemic when I noticed a lack of dance music events in Denton. Fluid Construct is held at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios and has been running for almost three years. It features a rotating lineup of DJs and genres, from local and international acts playing everything from techno to drum and bass to gabber. I also DJ as “freakhorse” and usually play high-tempo sets, though I never limit myself to a single genre. I like to be versatile in all my creative endeavors.
To me, my music events are intertwined with my fine art. I explore similar imagery in my show flyers and fine art pieces. I put a lot of care into the aesthetic curation of my events, often using my digital artwork in my flyers and promotion.
Wailstone Band at Rubber Gloves
WS: What kind of community have you found through organizing music events?
AS: As I mentioned, there weren’t consistent dance music events in Denton when I started Fluid Construct, at least not with a lot of variety. I was disappointed there wasn’t a space for that, so I wanted to create something special. I thought, “If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it my way.”
I’ve also helped with Trans Pride Fest for two years now. Both Fluid Construct and the festival aim to create spaces for community building, especially for queer and trans people. That’s really important to me.
We have a great team of volunteers for the festival, and everyone puts care into creating an event like this, especially here in Texas. It’s incredibly important to have events where people can celebrate trans existence and art with joy!
WS: Who did you bring to Trans Pride Fest this year?
AS: This year, we’ve got about half returning acts and half new acts. The lineup spans different genres, from techno DJs to indie acts to hardcore bands. Our goal is to highlight trans and queer talent from Denton and the greater DFW area.
WS: What have you learned from running this one-day festival?
AS: It’s really important to me to create spaces for trans and queer community building, even if they’re temporary. It’s a lot of volunteer work, but it’s worth it when people tell me how much they appreciate events like this and how important they are.
WS: Are you looking to show more visual artwork across the state?
AS: Absolutely! I’ll show my work wherever they’ll have me.
WS: What are your plans for the rest of the year?
AS: I’m playing DJ gigs and working on expanding my artistic practice even further. I plan to spend most of the winter focusing on digital art and music production. My next goal is to create audiovisual experiences to accompany the music events I curate. I want to make interactive media pieces using projection mapping combined with my 3D animated work.
Attendees at Trans Pride Fest
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William Sarradet is the Assistant Editor for Glasstire.
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