On a Friday night this fall, the Eleanor Roosevelt Room inside Tacoma's century-old Armory will fill with people dancing — and, to anyone standing outside the door, near-total silence. That's the premise of Epic Nights Silent Disco: Live at the Eleanor, a recurring series running three nights between October 16 and December 4, 2026, in which every guest is handed a pair of wireless headphones at the door and invited to build their own night out of two competing DJ sets.
It is a format that has quietly become one of the more democratic ways to throw a party. Rather than a single sound system dictating one room-wide mood, the music is broadcast over radio transmitters to individual headphone receivers. Guests flip between channels — two live DJs, two distinct sounds — and dial the volume up or down to whatever suits them. Dance full-out, or keep it chill; the room's energy is yours to set. Those without headphones hear nothing but the shuffle of feet, which is precisely the point.
The silent disco has its roots in practical problem-solving as much as in nightlife. Music festivals adopted the format so dancing could continue past local noise curfews, and the earliest versions, before 2005, carried only a single channel. Multi-channel setups like the one coming to Tacoma arrived later, turning the headphones into a kind of remote control for the evening. The concept has since spread into cathedrals and historic buildings across the UK and Europe, where organizers found that a room full of people dancing to nothing visible is its own kind of spectacle.
Tacoma's version leans into the two-channel rivalry. Each date pits one sound against another. On October 16, DJX2050 spins throwback hip-hop and rap against Semaj's current hip-hop and rap. On November 20, DJX2050 returns with nu-disco and baile funk, facing off against DJ Vega's Motown, classics, and disco. The December 4 closer pairs Afrobeats with reggaeton, with That Kid Digz joining DJX2050 on the decks. (An earlier September 25 installment in the series, throwback R&B versus current R&B with DJX2050 and K Phi, precedes the window covered here.) Headphones are included with admission, and organizers encourage guests to reserve a headset in advance.
DJX2050 is the series' anchor. The Seattle-based DJ, whose real name is Axzavor Dill, started spinning in 2012 while studying at Eastern Washington University, shadowing a family friend who taught him the basics of equipment and running an event. He has since built a business spanning weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, proms, and club nights, and describes himself as co-owner of Puget Sound Records. His stated reason for doing any of it is simple and unpretentious: music has been a constant in his life since childhood, and he feels "at peace and free" when it's playing.
The setting is as much a character as the lineup. The Tacoma Armory was built in 1908 as part of the Washington National Guard's statewide construction push, one of a trio of armories that went up around the same time in Tacoma, Seattle, and Spokane. Its cavernous drill hall hosted training and mobilization for both World Wars, but the building was never only a military facility. Over the decades its rooms held graduations, concerts, dances, and sporting events; The News Tribune documented hundreds of wrestling and boxing matches there. The Polish pianist Ignacy Paderewski performed within its walls, as did Tacoma bands like The Fabulous Wailers. The National Guard's involvement ended entirely in 2011.
Two years later, local developer Fred Roberson bought the building with a vision of giving it new life, and in 2022 he and his family gave the Armory to Tacoma Arts Live, the nonprofit that now programs and rents it. The Eleanor Roosevelt Room, with its exposed brick and hardwood floors, is the Armory's intimate counterpart to the 20,000-square-foot parade floor — a room Tacoma Arts Live describes as carrying "a classic elegance befitting the historic location."
That history now comes with an uncertain future. In early 2026, Tacoma Arts Live announced it would wind down the majority of its programming at the end of the performance season and put the Armory up for sale, citing millions of dollars in debt and the cost of operating its new home. By mid-March the board had placed the organization into voluntary receivership, a court-supervised process intended to address its obligations while keeping operations running. Under receiver Shelly Crocker, Tacoma Arts Live said the Armory is expected to remain operational through at least December — the same month Epic Nights Silent Disco closes out its run. Programming slated to continue includes community events like Skate the Armory, Grit City Championship Wrestling, and maker markets, alongside continued bookings and partner events on the parade floor and in the Eleanor Room.
That makes these three nights something more than a novelty. They are a chance to stand in a 1908 building that has hosted soldiers, boxers, and big bands, put on a pair of headphones, and choose — for a couple of hours — exactly what you want to hear. The series runs October 16, November 20, and December 4, 2026, at the Tacoma Armory, 1001 S. Yakima Ave. The event is open to those under 18 with a parent or legal guardian, and parking is free.