New York party architect brings cult DJ series back to Australia with special guests Geese And Wet Leg
by Paul Cashmere
The Dare will return to Australia next month with two exclusive Freakquencies club nights in Sydney and Melbourne, extending his already locked-in Laneway Festival visit with after-dark events that have become a calling card of his rapid ascent from downtown New York curiosity to global tastemaker.
Presented by Penny Drop and Frontier Touring, the Freakquencies nights will take place at Liberty Hall in Sydney on Sunday 8 February and 170 Russell in Melbourne on Friday 13 February. Both shows are strictly 18+ and will feature DJ sets from The Dare alongside special guests Geese and Wet Leg, transforming the venues into late-night extensions of the Laneway circuit.
Freakquencies is not simply a DJ set, it is a travelling artefact of a particular New York moment. Originating in the basement of Manhattan bar Home Sweet Home, the night emerged as a meeting point for indie musicians, fashion insiders and downtown regulars drawn to Harrison Patrick Smith’s sharp sense of pacing and genre collision.
Over time, Freakquencies evolved from a semi-regular party into a recognised platform that mirrored, and in many ways propelled, The Dare’s own artistic shift.
Smith, born in West Hollywood and raised outside Seattle, first built a cult following in the Pacific Northwest under the name Turtlenecked. That project, active throughout the 2010s, leaned into literate indie rock and earned attention for its wordy confidence and college-radio reach. After relocating to New York City in 2017, Smith balanced music with day jobs, eventually settling into the Lower East Side scene where DJ culture, fashion and live music overlapped nightly.
During the pandemic period, Smith began writing deliberately loose, high-energy songs intended to cut through what he saw as an overly earnest musical climate. That instinct crystalised with the release of “Girls” in 2022, a track that quickly escaped its initial context and became a breakout moment. The song laid the groundwork for The Dare as a solo identity and set the tone for what followed.
In 2024, The Dare released his debut album What’s Wrong With New York?, a record that captured the tension and electricity of the city that reshaped him. The album positioned him at the centre of an indie sleaze revival conversation, while maintaining a self-awareness rooted in club culture rather than nostalgia. Extensive touring followed, including sold-out headline shows and high-profile festival appearances across Coachella, Primavera Sound, Lollapalooza and Reading And Leeds.
Australia last saw The Dare in 2024, when he sold out three headline shows across Sydney and Melbourne. Since then, his live and DJ profile has continued to expand. In 2025, he played to record crowds at major international festivals and released Freakquencies: Vol 1, his first instrumental project. The four-track release functioned as an audio snapshot of the club nights themselves, capturing the tension build, release and communal momentum that defines the experience in a room.
Recent iterations of Freakquencies in New York have drawn thousands, including a 4,000-capacity boiler room event and extended runs across Brooklyn venues such as Public Records, Elsewhere, Knockdown Center and 3 Dollar Bill. Internationally, the concept has travelled to Mexico City and major festival hubs, with guest DJs ranging from experimental pop producers to electronic mainstays.
For the Australian dates, The Dare will be joined by Geese and Wet Leg in DJ mode, a pairing that underscores the social and collaborative nature of Freakquencies. Rather than traditional support slots, the nights operate as shared environments, with artists moving fluidly behind the decks until closing time.
The Sydney and Melbourne events will function as standalone club nights rather than live concerts, offering fans a different entry point into The Dare’s world. With his profile continuing to rise through music, fashion and festival circuits, these two shows are positioned as rare opportunities to experience the Freakquencies ethos in its intended format, loud, late and communal.
The Dare Australian Tour Dates
With Special Guests Geese (DJ Set) And Wet Leg (DJ Set)
Presented By Penny Drop And Frontier Touring
Sunday 8 February, Sydney, Liberty Hall
Friday 13 February, Melbourne, 170 Russell
Tickets on sale Friday 23 January at 12pm local time
Frontier Member Presale from Thursday 22 January at 11am local time
Tickets available via Moshtix
All shows 18+
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