The Upside Down: A Stranger Things Party
San Diego is home to one of the biggest conventions in the world, San Diego Comic Con. This event takes place mid-July every year and has expanded over the years offering alternatives to fun if you weren’t able to snag tickets to get inside of the convention center. There are outdoor activities and pop up events. A lot of it is to promote upcoming or returning TV shows. There’s games, photo ops and sometimes free giveaways. However, I went to San Diego not for the con but for the party that was hosted by Bernie Bregman of XLE Entertainment. This event was put on by Nerdist and they rented out the nightclub Fluxx as their party venue. The Upside Down: A Stranger Things Party was focused on none other than Stranger Things. It was advertised as a party created by fans for fans so this was not an “industry” party. This wasn’t something SDCC put on. This was a private event open to the public to purchase tickets to.
My sister and I bought VIP tickets which went for around $100. With it, you got your own section in the club and a free swag bag. There was no dress code for this event, but everyone was encouraged to dress up in Stranger Things cosplay or in 80’s attire. The inside of the club was decorated with scenes from the Netflix show. Scenes included Starcourt Mall, Castle Byers, The Palace Arcade and Recreation Center from season 3. There was actually a lifeguard tower in the middle of the room with a lifeguard watching over the dance floor who looked like Billy Hargrove from Stranger Things. The dance floor was shaped like a circle so it looked a lot like a pool. There was a Demogorgon over where the bathrooms were. In the VIP section there was a 2nd bar serving drinks with the alphabet wall from season 1. There were so many cute and clever details. You could tell the people who decorated the place were fans of the show which I appreciated. In the center of the room was the main dance floor and the stage. There was a DJ playing electronic Stranger Things inspired music. The main attraction on stage though was the Flux Capacitors. They are an 80’s cover band who travels to different venues and plays everyone’s favorite hits from the 80’s. This was my 3rd time seeing them perform and they never disappoint.
The Scoops Ahoy! Troup
Everyone was singing, dancing, drinking and having a great time. It was cool to see a club full of nerds being themselves and having fun. I include myself when I say that because I am not a “club girl”. That night, I felt like I was among my peers so I felt comfortable letting loose a bit. We saw people there dressed up as the Scoops Ahoy! Troop, Jim Hopper, Eleven, and pretty much every character from Stranger Things. The host, Bernie, had announced on social media that there would be a special guest in attendance that night but he didn’t say who. He surprised everyone with Andrey Ivchenko who played Grigori or “Russian Arnold Schwarzeneggar” on season 3 of Stranger Things. His character was the main villain in that season who beat the crap out of Hopper and killed fan favorite, Alexei. Andrey came out on stage and said hi everyone. He was in town visiting San Diego unrelated to SDCC. Bernie was cosplaying as Hopper, so it was funny to see the two of them reunited. Andrey didn’t stay long. He made a cameo at the party and then dipped out. I was able to catch him for a split second and asked to grab a photo with him. He looks exactly how you would expect him to in-person. He’s a very large muscular man. Also a total sweetheart, so don’t let his acting and appearance fool you.
Selfie with Andrey Ivchenko
The party pressed on. Everyone was hyped from Ivchenko’s appearance and the Flux Capacitors bringing down the house. Toward the end of the night I started getting tired. It was midnight at this point. My sister agreed and we started making our way toward the exit. It was super crowded so we were pushing through people. At one point I was being pinballed back and forth between one person and another person wearing a long black coat. He was very tall. I was stuck and couldn’t move. I also noticed the professional photographer working this event taking photos with the flash on in my direction was shouting “Jared!” It was dark in the club so I didn’t figure out who it was until I saw him fully turn around and realized it was Jared Padelecki from Supernatural. My sister and I gasped. What was he doing here? Shouldn’t he be at some network industry party? I turn to him and ask for a photo with him. I would like to clarify that I do not do this anymore. I have better etiquette when it comes to seeing artists I love out in public. Because Jared is the loveliest of people he stopped and said “Of course!” and we took a few photos together. I immediately told my sister, “We’ve gotta go. Nothing can top this and if I stay knowing he’s here I’m just going to be a creep about it.” See, I have personal boundaries. We left on a high note.
The next day, I got the full scoop on who really was there at that party and why Jared Padalecki was there. Apparently, the cast of Stargate SG1 and Adam Devine from Pitch Perfect were there. From the photos I saw on Instagram, Adam was 3 people down from where my sister and I were standing. I hope he didn’t hear my God awful singing to Toto’s “Africa”. I put everything into that performance. Jared was out and about that night exploring. I think he had gone into one other establishment and then wandered over to the party. Bernie Bregman stated on Instagram that a woman was being harassed outside the club and Jared stepped in to help her. He then came inside and partied with everyone. He was at SDCC that whole weekend, but he was flying solo without his pal Jensen Ackles. Once the clock struck midnight, it was his birthday. If I had known that then I would’ve wished him a “Happy Birthday”. From the photos I saw people posting of him at the party on Instagram, it looked like he had a great time celebrating it with everybody.
The Upside Down party was the most fun I’ve ever had at a party and it’s all thanks to the people who put it on. They put the fans first and as a result it was super successful. I think that’s why a lot of industry people did show up to this because they’re nerds like we are and just wanted to have fun. They didn’t want to feel obligated to network or act a certain way. They could just be themselves. I hope they do more events like this because I had a great time and I recommend people checking out XLE Entertainment for more events like this.
