Friday, June 29, 2007

DJ Reflections

This past weekend I spent more time behind the decks than I have in a very long while, and aside from being fun, it was also cause for some reflection on music, style, and skill.

I first took up DJing in 2001 when I moved back to Virginia and realized that I would have lots of time on my hands. DJIng was something that I could amuse myself with in the evenings when my schoolwork was done, and it helped me keep in touch with things going on in the wider world, at least in relation to music. At that time my main musical interest was in psytrance and I played CDs exclusively. My musical orientation changed slightly based on the music that was available to me (whatever I could pick up in the Used Electronica bin at the local Plan Nine Records), and after about a year I picked up a second-hand set of 1200s because I felt that I should learn to play records. When I came back to San Francisco in 2003 I played both CDs and records, and my style was pretty eclectic, though mostly based in trance.

Stylistically I have always been an admirer of the school of the long mix; I like the dream-like way in which DJs like Sasha, Richie Hawtin, and Luciano, for example, move from track to track. I've also always preferred depth and progression; I like to feel that the music envelops and moves me on the dancefloor at the same time. I lost interest in psytrance because I felt it lacked these elements, and got into minimal techno because I could hear trance-like elements in it - interesting sounds, a sense of depth and space that opens up vistas of the mind, and a strong sense of dynamics. Techno, for me, became far more psychedelic than trance.

Though I love going out to dance, it would be fair to say, as my boyfriend often does, that my approach to music, and the music that I appreciate, is pretty cerebral. Some of this also has to do with the circumstances under which I've DJed; while I've had some occasions to rock a room, or an open-air party, for the most part I've often been either late or early on a line-up, or in a chill room. These material conditions, along with my own taste, have directed me toward certain artists, labels, and sounds, and way from others. Six years after starting to teach myself how to DJ, I think I've finally arrived at something that I can call my own sound, and though I'm pretty happy with it, I'm not sure where it will take me as a performer. On the one hand, after having played a pretty mellow set at Afterglow, then having the Honey Sound System kids come on and absolutey re-invigorate the dancefloor with some super bangers, I felt a little lame, as though my set was an ennervating influence on the party energy. On the other, the next day at Faerie Freedom Village I had a good group of dancers who actually gave out an occasional whoop. I had tailored both sets at the time to what I felt was the energy of the situation, and while different tracks were played, I think the vibe of both sets was fairly close. It seems that there are definitely certain situations, and audiences, where my sound works better than others.

Of course, my skills, or lack thereof, have played as much of a role in determining what I sound like as my aesthetic taste. I'm not that coordinated, nor do I have a superb sense of rhythm. I have had some musical training that was even a bit on the avant-garde side, but it was just enough to convince me that I don't have the physical talent necessary for picking up an instrument. This bugged me because I really wanted to make music, and even come from a line of musically talented people (my recently deceased grandfather had perfect pitch and once had a budding career with his brother as a country-western artist). DJing was a way for me to be able to perform music without having to learn an instrument - or, at least, so I once thought. Learning to manipulate records on a turntable at the same time that you're running a mixer requires some physical abilities that I'm still learning to master. But the long mix DJ is a different beast from the guy who does quick crossfades and EQ kills - I once worked as an intern in a recording studio, and I think my DJ style is more akin to what you do in a production suite than a live performance; in the long mix it's much more about slow, gradual, and being a careful listener. As a result, I sometimes think that my mixes are perhaps more well-suited for something you listen to in headphones rather than something that makes you jump on the dancefloor.

Six years on I think I can say that I'm a pretty good DJ, with a sense of what it is I want to do with the music I play and a where my strengths and weaknesses are. My skills still aren't what I would like them to be - it's very difficult for me to record a mix without some flaw in it - and there are times when I wish I had the musical sense and physical skill of other DJs I know. But recognizing my own deficiencies has helped me appreciate other DJs, and to also develop a better critical sense of DJing as an art. I've pretty much given up on the idea of being a superstar DJ - which has as much to do with your social situation as it does your musical taste or ability - but DJing is something that continues to open up the world for me by exposing me to great music, interesting scenes, and fun people. Even if I never play out ever again it is still something that has enriched my existence; I hope that it will continue to do so, and that I will continue to develop skills for myself and an appreciation for others.

Event Review: The Workout at House of Shields

The Workout has definitely stepped up in the world in its new location at House of Shields, and though this reporter had to make it short night, I'll definitely be adding to it my regular calendar of events.

The boyfriend and I met at House of Shields around 10PM, he having gone off to see the latest Stephen King flick, 1408, while I stayed at home and twiddled some knobs. When I got there around ten there was a smallish crowd that seemed more like overflow from The Palace Hotel across the street, but there were definitely a few kids there for the evening's festitivities, and as the hour approached midnight their numbers increased substantially. The House of Shields is an old-school, dark wood panelled bar that looks like it's been there for at least a hundred years. There is an upstairs mezzanine area where the DJ gear was set up, and I expect this probably serves as a small dance floor when it gets really rockin' (I think it may have been a sort of orchestra loft back in the day). In keeping with the old-school motif drinks were generous and reasonably priced, $5 each for a well cocktail and a draft import beer. It was a really fun space to hear electronic music, if only for the contrast between the old world and the new, both joined together by the spirit of people wanting to go out and have a good time.

Johnatron was on the decks when I first arrived but passed off to Pozibelle shortly thereafter. The sound was a tremendous improvement over Le Suckplex, though I pitied Pozibelle and her lack of a monitor. Nonetheless she soldiered on and laid out some fun tracks of an electro techno dance variety to warm up the evening, including one of Lord Kook's favorites from his Drunk and Horny days, "Greetings from Flashbackville" by Gods of Blitz. Around 11.30 she started into more hip-hop territory, I expect to set the stage a bit for Ghosts on Tape, but both the boyfriend and I needed to call it an early night, so we didn't get to see just how crazy things got.

This has the makings of a really cute little scene (with some cute boys, too) for a Thursday evening, and I'd strongly encourage you all to go check it out. The Workout kids definitely have an ear for what's new, cool, and interesting, and I look forward to seeing what they bring to our little scene.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Your Saturday Guide for June 30, 2007

Pride was just last week and already things are getting crazy again, with Burning Man fundraisers and all-night techno parties, oh my!

Weeklies and Bar Nights

Spunk
This new party at The Cinch features "electro-burlesque," "filthy go-go boys" and "circus acts." Well, that's quite a bit of entertainment right there. With DJ Malakai, I believe that they're going for an electro groove, and this is a fun place to hang out on the Polkstrasse, so go check it out for something different.
9PM - Close (whatever that means)
No cover listed
The Cinch, 1723 Polk between Clay and Washington


Drunk and Horny
Sorta like those high school parties you'd wished you'd had. Get drunk, flirt with boys, and dance to good-time party standards. Reliable, easy-going, and a short stumble home. Check out my review of Drunk and Horny.
$5
9PMish - 2.00AM (with maybe an afterparty)
Underground SF, 424 Haight Street x Webster

Frisco Disco at The Transfer
This night just recently started up and I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but with tunes provided by the likes of Jefrodesiac and Richie Panic, and Lady Meleksah as the cruise director, there's some great potential for a good time. This Saturday is even Richie Panic's birthday!
No cover listed
9.00PM - 2.00AM
The Transfer, Church at Market

Monthlies and One-Offs

Filter SF at Fat City
Another monthly installment of techno from the Bay Area Beat Drop crew, this time featuring Joel Mull and Seth Troxler. Marke B. of the San Francisco Bay Guardian told me that the last one was off the hook, so I'm going to try and see for myself what these kids are up to.
$15 before 11PM, $20 after, $10 after 2AM
9.30 - 6.00AM
Fat City, 314 11th Street at Folsom

Opulent Temple Fundraiser "Audible from Space" at DNA Lounge
Tonight Opulent Temple goes trance and techno with two rooms at the DNA, bringing in the likes of Syd Gris, Dutch, Atum, Sentient, and Spesh.
$10 in playa gear, $15 otherwise
10.00PM - 6.30ish AM
DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street (if you don't dig it there's FilterSF right down the street, and vice-versa)

Deep End Fundraiser at The End Up
For all the house afficianados this is definitely the place to be tonight. If you don't catch Syd Gris at Opulent Temple maybe you can catch him here, along with Aaron Pope, Shooey, and many others.
$15
10.00PM - NOON! on Sunday (Jesus Christ people, what ARE you on?)
The End Up, Sixth at Harrison

The Grind at The Cat Club
Here's your gay guys dancing with their shirts off option. The Cat Club is a fun space, and guest Sam Labelle is the owner of Soundworks. I heard Sam DJ at the now-defunct Detour a couple times and he definitely goes for a harder, grittier beat. Sean Greene is resident, I only heard him once at Dirty when it was at The Stud - pretty standard diva tribal house.
$10 before 11, $15 after
10.00PM - "late"
The Cat Club, 1990 Folsom at 8th

Your Friday Guide for June 29, 2007

Happy Birthday to my sister, Pam, who, unlike her brother, has followed the path of blissful(?) domesticity and provided me with a nephew and two nieces to dote upon! Have a drink for her tonight, won't you?

So it's the 5th Friday of the month, a Friday out of time, as it were, for all those regular events that line up on the normal schedule of four weeks to a month. Consequently you may just want to pick your regular watering hole and see what they've come up with for tonight, though there are a couple every week events and one special one-off I can recommend to you.

Weeklies and Bar Nights

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Charlie Horse at the Cinch
Best place to go out and have a cheap drink while being entertained by drag queen antics. Recently voted Best Drag Show in San Francisco by the SF Weekly! Music by DJ Dirty Knees and Bearzbub is more rock and new-wave oriented, but at least it won't interfere with your conversation. Check out my latest review of Charlie Horse at The Cinch.
9PM - close
NO COVER
1723 Polk Street (btwn Clay and Washington)

Fag Fridays at The EndUp
Reliable, not all that exciting, but it's gay and you can stay until 6AM.
10PM - 6AM, and then Ascension starts up
$20
6th and Harrison

One-Offs and Monthlies

Snake at The Porn Palace
A fundraising event for yet another Burning Man project, this will feature lotsa breaks and house action in two rooms from the likes of Space Cowboys, Laird, Felix the Dog, and a whole host of DJ celebs, including Lee Coombs as the star attraction.
1oPM - 5AM
$15 Snake-ified, $20 normal
Porn Palace, 942 Mission btwn 5th and 6th

Dancing Ghosts at The Stud
Go get yer goth on with Miz Margo (After Dark), Jeff You! (Death Guild), Orko (Compulsion), and Otter (Audiotech) in this tribute the label Beggars Banquet. With CD give-aways and free cookies (huh, back when I was an aspiring vampire you were never supposed to let people see you eat).
9.30PM - 2AM
$3
The Stud, 399 9th at Harrison

"Shimmer?"

At a party over the weekend an acquaintance came floating by on faerie wings and told me he was trying out something called "shimmer," which he described as being "like E with a touch of 2CB." I did a little Google research and couldn't come up with anything definitive, but thanks to a thread on tribe I got these possibilities:

It is a white powder in dosage of about 10-20 mg
Consensus seems to be in the 2C family. somebody mentioned 2CP...?

2,5-DIMETHOXY-4-NITROPHENETHYLAMINE
2C-N
Possible dose 100-175mg.
Yellow fluffy crystals.
Comes on very fast and immerses one in body, not the visuals of the 2C-B 2C-I, very body orientated.
To start a bit like MDMA, but it kind of walks it's own way and falls short of the electric kind of rush of 2C-B/2C-I.
Doubting whether anything else.
This is basically the end of the chain of the 2&3C product groups.
2C-N cannot be played with any more as in the case of other substances of this group.

2C-T7 or one of the same group.
Very visual

So, anybody out there know what this is? I'd be interested in hearing reports, either via comments or email, about any shimmering experiences.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Mix Downloads: Modyfier Blog

Over at the local Modyfier blog there is a great series of mixes called Process that feature everyone from Pharrell to 8ball to Apendics Shuffle, with lots and lots of other great stuff in between (there are a total of about 30 Process mixes right now). The best part is that each of the artists actually takes the time to write something about the sets they've created, so you get to have a little insight into how they approach the music, the concept of mixing, and what it is they're trying to accomplish. There are also some compilations put together by the blog's author, though when I tried to import them into iTunes they all broke apart into seperate MP3s. Check it out, you're bound to find something both interesting and enjoyable.

Upcoming Event: Staple Presents Sabotage at Anu, Thursday June 28

More future house and deep techno from the Staple Music Residents DJ Javaight and Fil Latorre, with special guest Andre Lucero (wastered). Check out my review of the Staple Music Party at The Transfer.

Club Anu
43 6th Street (btwn Market and Mission)
10PM - 2AM
FREE
More info at staplemusic.net

Upcoming Event: The Workout at House of Shields, Thursday June 28

The kids from The Workout move into a new location this week, The House of Shields, half a block from the New Montgomery MUNI stop. Live sets from local hero Ghosts on Tape and resident Johnatron, plus DJ sets from Pozibelle and Johnatron. Check out my review of The Workout from when they were at Le Duplex.

10PM - 2AM
$5 cover
39 New Montgomery Street
More info at discoworkout.com

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

San Francisco Pride Recap

Whooo, Tuesday morning and I'm still a bit bleary from all the weekend's activities: passing out on Friday night from too much champagne on an empty stomach at Kitty's birthday party; up till 6AM on Sunday morning with Comfort and Joy at the Afterglow party, showing up at Faerie Freedom Village so Lord Kook could spin at 1, then my turn came at 5; and finally, some quality time with the boyfriend in Golden Gate Park on Monday, when we got to chill and go through a good system's re-boot.

Afterglow was the main event of the weekend for the boyfriend and myself since we not only had to set up and manage the gear, but also play a set each. The evening started out slightly difficult as we had two CDJ-800s in road cases, along with a folding keyboard stand, that we had to get over to the party right at that point when none of the cab companies were answering the telephone. After some frantic attempts to find other transportation I finally got a City Carshare car for the night, but the consequence was that I would have to drive us home after the night's festivities. After that bit of hassle, however, the party itself was a rollicking, smashing success, with an almost full dancefloor in the first hour. DJ Neco D got the mood up and carried through until the show started (again, late, and, again, overly long, but we were prepared for that on this occasion); by that time the room was completely packed, so I didn't see any of the performances, but when Lord Kook came on afterwards it all busted loose - at one point there was a shirtless, sweaty, writhing crowd up on the stage chanting "More! More! More! More!", and a group of happy lesbians were puddled together in the clawfoot bathtub in the restroom - it was like a scene from a Frameline movie, I swear. I went on around 3.30 and had it in mind to crank up the knarzy techno, but two songs in I was told that the cops had come by, so I took it down fairly deep and chill for the duration of my rather short set. Then DJ Pee Play and Ken Vulsion, aka The Honey Sound System, came on and absolutely ripped the roof off the place. We didn't get to stay for much of their set, as I had to have the car back by 6AM, and needed to put myself into a bed for a couple hours as well, but I heard that the cops came back again, and that there were still folks hanging out at noon the next day. Now that's a party, people.

Faerie Village was the calm in the midst of the Pride whirlwind that it always is. Aaron Neonbunny was the producer this year and went for a more low-key set-up, just two tents and sound systems on either side of the plaza, one for acoustic performances, one for DJ music. The idea had been to keep the sound pretty chill, but after about three songs Lord Kook had a small dancefloor rolling and decided to keep the energy up. DJ Mak, who can be heard at the W Hotel on Friday evenings, came on with some great Eurolounge after him, followed by trance stalwart KJ spinning worldbeat downtempo grooves, and then Mr. Neonbunny hisself demonstrated his command of the electro vocabularly. I got my shot to close out the village after Aaron, and though there were some odd technical difficulties (I've never had to adjust the tracking on a tone-arm to keep it following the record groove before), I was thrilled to play some sunny day techno for an appreciative crowd that included Marke B. of the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Monday the boyfriend and I really needed some down time together, so we got together with an old friend I hadn't hung out with in years and went to Golden Gate Park. We walked from the Stanyan entrance all the way to Ocean Beach, had an amusing bus ride back to Laguna, hung out, went for a walk to enjoy a beautiful evening, watched Yellow Submarine, and reflected on an awesome Pride weekend.

It's easy enough to be cynical about Pride, especially when you live in the bubble of San Francisco, where the lack of repression felt by the LGBT community in the rest of the world tends to make us lazy, complacent, precious, and prone to in-fighting. But when you see guys walking hand-in-hand down Castro street like it's the most fantastic thing they've every done together, when you have the opportunity to meet up with friends you haven't seen in weeks or months, when you get to take part in events that you know have created special moments for others, then in those situations you do begin to appreciate what Pride does for us, both as individuals and members of a community.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Iraqi LGBT Blog

It's pretty well known that homosexuality is a capital offense in Iran, where two boys (under 17) were recently hung (yes, hung) for being gay. What is not widely reported is what's going on in that "center of democracy" in the Middle East, Iraq. This blog:

iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com

reports on the "sexual cleansing" being carried out on all sides under the cover of the other executions and murders that are taking place in Iraq's civil war. There's some pretty horrific stuff here, and what is most disturbing is that it now seems that it's becoming part of Iraqi policy that it's okay to just go ahead and kill someone based on the accusation that he's gay. I don't know if gays and lesbians had it better or worse under Saddam, but our invasion has certainly taken the top off the pressure cooker and created an environment in which wholesale killing takes place because there is no longer any rule of law besides the power of the gun.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

The Place to Be on Sunday: Faerie Freedom Village

Faerie Freedom Village in the Civic Center area of Pride is probably the best respite from the crowds and noise you'll be able to find. This year it's being produced by my friend Aaron Neonbunny, and after my own experiences with stage managing and helping produce FFV for three years in a row, I can only salute his fortitude and determination in putting this together for everyone's enjoyment. On one side there will be acoustic performances, including poetry reading and such. On the other, dowtempo DJs including DJ Mak and Lord Kook, with yours truly rounding off the day with some sunny day techno from 5-6. Come by, have a chill, and say hi!

The Panhandle Bandshell is Up!

Back in May I wrote about the controversy over setting up a temporary bandshell made out of recycled materials in the Panhandle. Well, according to this post in SFist, as well as the accompanying pictures, it seems that it indeed is up and functional, and anybody can sign up to do performances there; however (and I might be thankful for this if I lived in the area), NO DRUMMING.

Post 200: Meta

Four and a half months, two hundred posts – it’s funny to think that this blog has come so far in such a short time. My number of daily hits has doubled in that time, with pageviews up to over 3000 a month and no signs that the growth has stopped.

My intention when I started this blog was two-fold. On the one hand, I had several experiences of scanning the various weeklies on a weekend night to find out what was going on, only to discover that the listings were often incorrect, or incomplete, or that I had no idea what the night was really like. It seemed to me that there was a need for a more selective approach to event listings, including a trusted voice who could make recommendations about what might actually be good. On the other, it has always seemed to me that, especially in the gay scene, event reviews are largely about cheerleading, without any critical component. Coming from a background where criticism is considered inherent to any process of improvement, I thought that my critical voice might be able to play some small, tiny role in helping to nudge the San Francisco dance scene, and the gay dance scene, in some progressive direction. I can certainly say that the work involved in tracking down events to write about has opened my eyes to some really vibrant, exciting things happening in this City, while at the same time that it has convinced me that I was right in judging some things to be as dull as I thought they were.

In the same way that going out to find things to write about opened my eyes to things going on in the city, the actual writing of my reviews and occasional essays has also taught me some things about making my opinions publicly known. In the beginning I really didn’t think anyone would care what I had to say, or would even read me. Then I started to get the emails, and other things reached me by word of mouth. Some people, including a friend of mine, have been upset about things I have written here; in some cases I’ve taken things down, or re-written them, because I realized that a bitchy tone that makes for fun reading does not always necessarily make for a fair or accurate depiction of something. Though it sometimes causes me a lot of anxiety, I actually like it when people write me to challenge something I’ve written; it keeps me straight, makes me think about what I’m writing, and it also forces me to make a decision about what I think is a genuine critical opinion versus what is not. In a recent email exchange with the promoter of a popular gay event I was willing to concede that some things I had intimated in my writings were unfair, but that I still thought the DJs he brought in were boring and not that skilled. He, in turn, conceded that I probably had a better ear for electronic dance music than he did, and, besides, what he really was interested in creating was an event where all the guys had facial hair. That particular episode taught me that while my instincts about things are probably pretty good, the way in which I express them may need refinement, and that I need to focus on the specifics of what makes an event good or bad more than just my own reaction to it. So, friend or stranger, if I have written something that you feel is negative and unfair, feel free to call me on it; if I think you’re right, I’m more than happy to offer up a mea culpa and make appropriate corrections. But also be aware that there will be times when I stick to my guns, especially if my negative reaction has to do with the real material circumstances of the situation. Nothing you can argue will make an overcrowded party fun, or a bad sound system or DJ sound good.

In emails with other writers I’ve discussed the problem of writing the negative review, especially when you live in a city that’s as small as San Francisco, where people recognize who you are and social situations can quickly become uncomfortable. One of the reasons I write under an alias is that I initially thought of myself as being like a food critic, an anonymous “every person” who shows up, looks at event through the eyes of a typical attendee, and reports back. However, since San Francisco is a small city, it’s not taken very long for people involved with the club scene to at least become aware of me (I’ve gotten emails from the promoters of almost every regular event I’ve written about, some of them have even friended me on myspace, and promoters I've never heard of have contacted me list their events) even if they don’t know what I look like (yet). It would be a lot easier on my social standing, and, in some ways, my night’s sleep, to only write reviews of things I’ve enjoyed. However, this would go against some of my initial purposes in starting this blog, and, while it would certainly make things easier for me, it would not really serve you all, my readers. How can you come to trust my recommendations if I don’t also tell you about the things I don’t like, the bad clubs, the DJs who bore me, the scenes that are almost too precious to endure? The good, in other words, can only be seen as really good when counterpoised with the bad. If I want you all to trust me, in other words, I think I sometimes need to run the risk of alienating myself from certain people and scenes in order to deliver the goods. That is the other thing that writing this blog has taught me; if you want to be a good critic, you have to have the courage of your convictions and realize that you probably won’t win any popularity contests.

It’s hard to say how this blog will evolve over the coming months; I have lots of ideas, but not so much time to execute them. If this was my only job I would put much more effort into following stories, digging up interviews, and generally turning it into more of a journalistic undertaking. Unfortunately, I work a real job and have a lot of other things going on in my life as well, and, frankly, there are times when I really just don’t want to think about and deal with all these things. However, if you’ve been reading me, I hope you will continue to do so, and if I’ve helped you have a good night out after a tough week, I will consider all the effort to have been worth it.

Your Saturday Guide for June 23, 2007 - Pink Saturday

Okay, so there is one event that dominates all the others, and that's Pink Saturday in the Castro. Yes, it's a huge crush, yes, it's dealing with humans on a scale I don't even like to contemplate, but, yes, it's something you really should do just to think about the grand spectacle of it all, and how unique this is to San Francisco. I've lived in lots of different places, in both the US and abroad, and there's really nothing like this anywhere else. BUT, when you've grown tired of the crowd, there's some other fun stuff to check out as well.

Bar Nights and Weeklies

Spunk
This new party at The Cinch features "electro-burlesque," "filthy go-go boys" and "circus acts." Well, that's quite a bit of entertainment right there. With DJ Malakai, I believe that they're going for an electro groove, and this is a fun place to hang out on the Polkstrasse, so go check it out for something different.
9PM - Close (whatever that means)
No cover listed
1723 Polk between Clay and Washington


Drunk and Horny
Easy walking distance from the Pink Saturday festivities. Get drunk, flirt with boys, and dance to good-time party standards. Reliable, easy-going, and a short stumble home.
$5
9PMish - 2.00AM (with maybe an afterparty)
Underground SF, 424 Haight Street x Webster

Monthlies and One-Offs

Afterglow
A fundraiser for the Comfort and Joy camp. With electro-house techno-funk deep-groove beats courtesy of yours truly, Neco D, Lord Kook, and the Honey Sound System (DJ Pee Play and Ken Vulsion), and midnight drag show featuring Raya Light (Miss Trannyshack), Ultra, Miss Nix, Vida de Voe, and Miss Black Rock City (you wouldn't believe the things she had to do to get that sash!) Private underground location, "Shortbus" playspace, the fun starts at 11PM and goes until you decide you're strong enough to wander off to Pride on Sunday. Note that this is an "alcohol-free" event.
$10 donation before midnight, $20 after
11PM - ?
Call 415-419-3545 on Saturday for location

Your Friday Guide for June 22, 2007

Welcome to Gay Pride Weekend, kids, when the masses descend upon our city to participate in Anheuser Busch-sponsored celebrations of gay family values. Or something like that. You know, I'm still old enough to remember things like the Gay Pride parade in Richmond, Virginia, where we seriously wondered if it was going to start a riot. My, how things change when you become a target demographic.

So what to do this weekend? My recommendation is to get together with friends, have some drinks, flirt with out-of-towners (that's what they're here for, after all), and then go have a nice brunch somewhere while everybody else is downtown eating chicken on a stick and buying rainbow tchotchkes. But there are also some fun events to check out that won't cost you $40 to get in and then hang out with guys who are mostly interested in checking out the size of each other's pecs.

Weeklies and Bar Nights

Charlie Horse at the Cinch
Best place to go out and have a cheap drink while being entertained by drag queen antics. Recently voted Best Drag Show in San Francisco by the SF Weekly! Music by DJ Dirty Knees and Bearzbub is more rock and new-wave oriented, but at least it won't interfere with your conversation. Check out my latest review of Charlie Horse at The Cinch.

Fag Fridays at The EndUp
Reliable, not all that exciting, but it's gay and you can stay until 6AM. Expect to pay around $20 to get in and to dance to pretty typical San Francisco deep house.

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Lights Down Low at Club 222
This installment a live performance by Juiceboxx, with resident DJ Sleazemore, UFO, and Rchrd OH!. Five bucks, swell space, fun kids, what the hell more do you want on a Friday night? Check out my previous review of Lights Down Low.
10PM - 2AM
$5
222 Hyde Street at Turk


Starfucker at Deco Lounge
Probably the best club in the 'Loin, though I can't speak to the particulars of this night (yet). Given that it's Pride weekend, I'm sure there will be all kinds of craziness.
10PM - 2AM
$5 all night.

One-Offs and Monthlies

Sphongle/Hallucinogen at 1015 Folsom
With back-up support from local psy DJs like An-ten-nae, KJ, and Rob Rayle, and a dub room courtesy of Full Melt.
Pre-sales at www.wanttickets.com/1015

Shark Attack!
Residents 0rko, Rubyacht, Starr (Bondage-a-Go-Go), Macro spinning "Electro/Progressive/Techno/Grime/Popdancecrap."
9.30PM - 2AM
FREE before 10, $5 after
Julie's Supper Club, 1123 Folsom x 7th

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Upcoming Event: The Workout Moves to House of Shields, Thurs June 28

Just got word from both Johnatron and Pozibelle that The Workout, previously at Le Duplex, is getting out of that overpriced stinkhole and moving to the much nice House of Shields at 39 Montgomery Street, just half a block from the New Montgomery MUNI. Their first event in the new locale will feature local hero Ghosts on Tape. Further info available on their blog as it becomes available. Check out my review of The Workout from when it was at Le Duplex.

Upcoming Event: Queer Hellraiser Happy Hour at The Pilsner

The San Francisco Bay Guardian is having their 3rd Annual Queer Hellraiser Happy Hour, hosted by Marke B., at The Pilsner Inn (Church and Market), this Wednesday the 20th, from 5.30 - 8.00. Tunes by Bus Station John, drink specials, and Niman Ranch pulled pork sandwiches. Plus, spin the Well-Lubricated Wheel of Mystery, Mischief and Mayhem to win awesome prizes, including tickets to the 10th Annual National Queer Arts Festival, Frameline 31 LGBT Film Festival, Branchar & Lewis Day Spa for Men & Women ... and much more!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Mix Download: DJ Pup "Real Bad Chill Room" Audition

Okay, yours truly had a very quiet weekend since I had to get up at 9AM on Saturday and Sunday for a class that lasted eight hours both days. Urgh, and right when we had some nice weekend weather for a change as well. However, I did put Saturday evening to good use and recorded an audition for the chill DJ slot at the upcoming Real Bad party for this year's Folsom Street Fair. Though I suffered from the usual assortment of technical problems as a result of having a kinda sketchy recording set-up, the end result is, IMHO, pretty good, especially when you consider that it is recorded live, straight from vinyl (no Traktor trickery here, mates). Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

DJ Pup's Real Bad Chill Room Audition Mix

Friday, June 15, 2007

Upcoming Event: Uke-y Stardust, Saturday June 16

Okay, this is a little nutty, but when will you ever have the chance again to hear the Bowie's "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars" played from start to finish on ukulele?

Ukulele Apocalypse Presents:

The Rise and Fall of Uke-y Stardust
An entire evening of David Bowie's music, culminating in his glam rock masterwork, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," from start to finish, on the ukulele.
Featuring:
Stella!
Five Cent Coffee
Just Henry
Liquor Cake
and Megan Lynch

Saturday, June 16
The Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell Street
$10
9.30 PM

Meth

Sad to say that it wasn't until I moved to San Francisco that I realized just how big a problem crystal meth is for the gay community. I've had two friends who were absolutely destroyed by it, and two other very close friends who have had intense struggles with it. At my first Radical Faerie gathering I was naively surprised to discover how many people there were dealing with it (or in it), and it has had a very negative impact on the gay party scene. Fortunately, meth use seems to be on the decline, but walking through the Castro yesterday I had two potent reminders of just what a scourage it still is.

First, I saw sidewalk stencils and posters for a new "Resist Meth" campaign, with constructivist imagery obviously copied from the famous "Obey" posters.











And then, stopping by to pick up my mail at Market and Sanchez, Chris, who owns the mailbox stop and is a recovering tweaker himself, noticed a little baggy with a tiny, tiny amount of crystal still left in it. At first he was going to throw it away, and then he decided that he wanted to really frustrate someone, so he dumped the contents on the sidewalk and split open the baggy.





It's an odd moment when you see both the problem and an attempt to solve it in the space of a few hundred feet like that. It brings home just how very real the problem continues to be.

Your Saturday Guide for June 16, 2007

We all know that next weekend is Gay Pride, right? And we've all taken off the appropriate time from work for preparation and recovery, right? No? Well, hope you have some sick days saved up, 'cuz after Pink Saturday, the Mikes on Bikes party, Afterglow, Drunk and Horny Pride edition, the "festival" on Sunday, and all the other regular stuff, you're going to bloody well need them. In short, everybody seems to be saving up their party energy for next weekend, but here are some events I think will be great fun if you're the sort who can party hearty from one weekend until the other. As for me, I've got DJ sets to practice this weekend.

Weeklies

Spunk
This new party at The Cinch features "electro-burlesque," "filthy go-go boys" and "circus acts." Well, that's quite a bit of entertainment right there. Rotating DJs (last week my friend Kitten had his DJ debut, which I was sorry to miss due to other committments), this week is Malakai. I believe that they're going for an electro groove, and this is a fun place to hang out on the Polkstrasse, so go check it out for something different.
9PM - Close (whatever that means)
No cover listed
1723 Polk between Clay and Washington

Drunk and Horny
Get drunk, flirt with boys, and dance to good-time party standards. Reliable, easy-going, and a short stumble home.
$5
9PMish - 2.00AM (with maybe an afterparty)
Underground SF, 424 Haight Street x Webster

Monthlies and One-Offs

Lotus Party
"True Dance Will Never Die" - now that's a slogan for a party that I can get behind. Co-sponsored by Soundworks, my guess is that this party will be a showcase of fine Chicago house and techo for a crowd of gay boys who dig it. DJs Gene Hunt, Kikkoman, Neon Leon, Gourachandra, and Spencer Drennan. No info on location or cost, but I bet it will be groovy.
Call 641-985-5999 ext. 26741 for deets.
UPDATE: FREE! Location info after 9PM, party starts at midnight!

Funrazor
The Evil Breaks kids present an all-night underground throw-down in a SoMa location with Kid Kenobi from Australia, Mancub (Space Cowboys/NetAmp), Mozaic (Nexus/Raindance), Aaron Jae (Evil Breaks/XM/Space Cowboys), Evinrude (Space Cowboys/Stimulus/NetAmp), Robb Green (Shameless), Dex Stakker (Opulent Temple)
$10 all night
11pm-7am
Hit the website link above for location.


Thursday, June 14, 2007

Your Friday Guide for June 14, 2007

Well, what a crazy week this has been for yours truly. Normally I spend lots of time scouring through all the flyers and online listings to snoop out the interesting stuff, but this week there's been so much going on that I've not been able to ferret out much beyond the ordinary. However, if things go well tonight I may have something to share with you all that I hope will explain what's been occupying my time so much. Gee, I am such a tease.

Weeklies and Bar Nights

Charlie Horse at the Cinch
Best place to go out and have a cheap drink while being entertained by drag queen antics. Recently voted Best Drag Show in San Francisco by the SF Weekly! Music by DJ Dirty Knees and Bearzbub is more rock and new-wave oriented, but at least it won't interfere with your conversation. Check out my latest review of Charlie Horse at The Cinch.

Fag Fridays at The EndUp
Reliable, not all that exciting, but it's gay and you can stay until 6AM. Expect to pay around $20 to get in and to dance to pretty typical San Francisco deep house.

FUK Werk Fridays Happy Hour at 111 Minna TIS NO MORE. Got the word today from one of the BABD kids that they were just having too many issues with the space of the sort I mentioned in my review (esp. the bad sound part). Check out my review of Fuk Werk Fridays.

Editorial Aside: after some email with the above-mentioned BABD associate today I think these kids warrent further checking out, especially their FilterSF party scheduled for next Saturday. Certain circumstances involved with trying to break into the cabal of the SF music scene may have led to some unfortunate marketing decisions of the sort I brought up in my dicussion of their Tabu Sky Bar flyers, but I think they're overall good kids who are set on bringing some new blood into the scene, so let's go out and support them.

One Offs and Monthlies

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Rhythm Society All Night Dance Celebration
If you ain't got an invite from a member you ain't goin', but this is certainly where I would like to spend my Friday night if I didn't have a damned class all weekend long. Check out my review of the last Rhythm Society event.

Glitterbox
The poster says "from the same souls who brought you Litterbox and Mad Magda's in the gay '90's." My stylist raves about the fun he used to have at Litterbox, and while I don't recognize the DJs Funkyard and Natureboy, the imagery is awfully glittery. With a special reception for Alexis Arquette following the premiere of her film at Frameline.
$5 before 10, $10 after
9PM - 3AM
The Cat Club, 1190 Folsom x 8th.

Okay kids, that's it for Friday, not much but maybe you just need to hang out and play some Scrabble with your significant other for a change, okay? And don't forget, next weekend is Gay Pride! Oh, the partying, the partying.

Reggae Artists Sign Tolerance Pact

Back in April I posted about an article on "murder music" in Planet Out, by way of Yahoo News, that pointed the finger at artists like Beenie Man for using their music to incite violence against gays. Now Planet Out reports that Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton have "sign[ed] a 'Reggae Compassionate Act' and promise to ban anti-gay lyrics in their music." It's nice to know that public pressure can still perhaps have an effect on people, especially when it threatens to hit them in their wallets.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Upcoming Event: Afterglow Fundraiser for Comfort and Joy, Saturday June 23 (Pink Saturday)

Okay, I'll 'fess up that Comfort and Joy is my Burning Man camp (even though I'm not going this year), and myself (DJ Pup), Kitty (Neco D), and The Boyfriend (Lord Kook) are spinning the hooj choons for this party. So if you want to finally see the faces that go with the names, have a lot of fun dancing to synthpop, electrohouse, and minimal techno, catch some crazy drag antics, and maybe (maybe) get a little frisky, then by all means, come check it out:


More info on Comfort and Joy

UPDATE: We are thrilled, thrilled to announce the addition of the Honey Sound System (DJ Pee Play, Kenvulsion, and associates) to the DJ line-up. The boys will be coming on at 4AM for a tag-team chill match that will take us through to the rising sun of Pride Sunday. Wheeeeeee!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Event Review: Drunk and Horny at Underground SF

If you’re a gay boy of a certain age, or from a certain place, high school, and maybe even college, probably wasn’t that much fun. Sure, we all went to the frat parties, or the keggers down by the river, but chances are that we often found ourselves having to hold back from the kind of debauchery that was central to those events – after all, there could be serious consequences for saying or doing the wrong thing after hitting that beer bong. Drunk and Horny, the weekly party hosted at Underground SF by the infamous duo of Jeff and Gary (Earth, The Love Haight Lounge, Wet Dream), is probably as close to those high school antics as is possible to achieve by people who are actually of legal drinking age. Beer bongs, vintage disco, AOR and alternative rock tracks, the occasional appearance of a whipped cream dispenser, references to “Spring Break” and “Finals” on the flyers, all evoke those hazy halcyon days of youth, or at least some imagined version of them.

I’ve seen this party evolve over the course of about two years, and it has undergone some changes in that time. When it started as a monthly it was usually so packed that you couldn’t even get a drink, though now as a weekly the crowd has thinned to more manageable levels (it's no longer necessary to sneak into the back alley for a pee, for example). At first the crowd was very alteraqueer, drawing from various faeries, Haight Street boys, and those who had come to other Jeff and Gary parties. Once the owner of the bar started taking out ads in Gloss, however, the crowd began to take on more of a classic Castro caste, though I have continued to meet interesting guys milling around in the back smoking area (my favorite place to hang out, since that's where the bad boys are). The music has changed somewhat as well, with a distinct trend toward classic disco and 70s tracks, with more contemporary alt-rock and pop thrown in. Lord Kook used to open with a harder electrohouse sound that I really enjoyed, but since he has moved on, with the opening slot taken up by Sparky, the sound is much more consistent, and perhaps more accessible to the larger masses who like their music funky and familiar enough to sing along with .

Drunk and Horny is a pretty reliable night out, and at only five dollars, with some of the absolute strongest drinks in town (three usually leave me completely plastered), it can be an easy-going way to pass some time with friends on a Saturday night, get totally shit-faced, and maybe strike up a chat with a cutie and get lucky (especially if there’s an afterparty). I don’t personally groove on the music that much, but, for me, the dancefloor isn’t really what this night is about. Drunk and Horny is well on its way to being a classic San Francisco event, so you owe it to yourself to check it out at least once, whether you want to feel like you're in college again, or you really are and are just tired of partying with all the straight kids. Maybe that will be enough for you, or maybe it will just whet your appetite for more.

Monday, June 11, 2007

NYTimes Article: "Coke is the New Weed"

Way back in February of this year I wrote an entry for this blog on "the new coke," about how cocaine seems to have made this incredible resurgence on the club scene. Now I have the New York Times to confirm that it's not just here where cocaine is becoming a nightlife staple once again, and that prices for a half-gram party pack are set at about the same level as in New York as they are here ($25-30). There are some great quotes in this article, including an investment banker guy who buys two grams a week (urgh, and how is that sinus condition treating you?):
“I do it every day,” said Kristoff, a European transplant to New York who works in finance and would not give his last name. He said he pays $150 for two grams of cocaine. “If I have to work at 6 in the morning and I have to be on top of the game, I’ll do it. I’ll take a gram of coke and make half a million dollars.”
Wow.

Event Review: Sex and Icons Show at Magnet, Reception at The Transfer

Friday night's opening for Leo Herrera's "Sex and Icons" show at Magnet, followed by the reception party at The Transfer, was certainly the weekend's see and be seen event for the alternaqueer crowd, where there were more well put-together boys with complicated coifs than I have seen out in Clubland for a very long time. And though the show did not quite match my expectations , and the scenester aspect of the party tended to overpower my perceptions of its other elements, both confirmed for me that there is a younger gay underground art and music scene that is well on its way to re-defining the San Francisco club experience, with artists like Herrera providing the iconography, and DJs like Pee Play, Jason Kendig, Kenvusion, and Robot Hustle, along with their many associates, providing its essential heartbeat.

Leo Herrera's photos bring to mind Pierre et Gilles and David LaChapelle on first glance. Like the images of those photographers, Herrera's seem to come from a space inhabited by fables and mystical creatures, and he shares with them an anti-naturalistic aesthetic - unlike Pierre et Gilles, however, his images are not the supporting material for painterly re-workings, nor, like LaChappelle, does he work with the direct qualities of light. Instead, Herrera's muse is Photoshop, and you have the sense of hours spent trying to get just the right level of color saturation, or using filters to manipulate specific layers. Herrera has a terrific visual sense for both color and composition, and what was perhaps most notable about all his images was the consistency of the vision that ran through them, from work that was produced for commercial purposes, up through his faux porn posters, to his more abstract moments, such as the straight-on contemplation of a poppers bottle and a bumper, or, perhaps the most memorable image of the show, a large, metal bracelet-adorned dildo with very convincing pre-cum courtesy of a hot glue gun.

As the title of the show makes clear, Herrera is interested in the iconic aspect of his images, their ability to encapsulate a quality that transcends their specific nature and reveals their connection to a universal concept. In light of this, I thought it interesting that so many of the images had a commercial context, such as the image of Peaches Christ as a towering tranny monster that was used to promote her Midnight Mass shows, or the porn posters. In many ways, the work of a commercial photographer is to create iconic imagery by investing the ordinary with a supernatural or super-real quality. This was what I saw as the craft in Herrera's work, and the rationale for his image manipulations: the imposition, by the photographer, of meaning onto things that are ordinarily mundane, like a brown poppers bottle, or a dildo that you could pick up anywhere in the Castro. However, if Herrera's images were successful at imbuing meaning into objects that ordinarily had none, I thought it was less successful when contemplating objects that already had the capacity to speak for themselves. One of the images I was most curious to see, for example, was of Harvey Milk's suit that he wore the night he was assassinated. Herrera's treament was to crop the composition very tightly, so that the form of the shirt was reduced to just the front panels, and to put a light behind it that glowed through the material like an ethereal heart. But, did Harvey Milk's shirt need to be aestheticized to this degree to make it speak as an iconic object, did it really need Herrera's artistic intervention to have a voice? In looking at this photograph, and of Daddy Alan Selby's leather hat perched on top of someone else's head, I wished Herrera had taken an approach more out of straight photography, giving the objects the ability to simply be what they were, which, to me, would have placed them more in the realm of the iconic than an aesthetic interpretation that was, for me, too literal-minded. My final thought at the show was that Herrera has both an aesthetic vision and the skills to execute it, but perhaps needs to spend more time thinking about what he is revealing rather than what he is creating.

The reception at the Transfer was probably the most fabulous event I've attended in a while - disco balls threw diamond spots of light all through the bar, posters and proof sheets were suspended on lines along the walls, they even moved the damn pool table out of the way. Kids were crowding in on the heels of the Magnet show closing, and DJs Ken Vulsion and Robot Hustle were setting a fun, easy-going vibe. The tracks tended toward electro and a little bit retro, and though I was personally in the mood for something a bit harder and a little more techno, I had no real complaints. Well, aside from the fact that I still can't get the hang of the Transfer's space - even after clearing the pool table and moving the tables and chairs into its previous space the dance floor seemed more like a way station on the route to the bathrooms, with the bar serving as the soul for that space. The boyfriend and I eventually headed off to Lights Down Low at 222 Hyde, since we were in more of a mood to dance than to hang out and add our own iconography to the scene, but it seemed pretty clear to me that this was ground zero for the new clique of kids who will be defining the gay club scene for their generation, and I will be happy to check out their events and chart their progress.

Friday, June 8, 2007

Upcoming Event: Prepare for the Playa, Sunday June 10

Okay, so whether you want to prepare for the playa or just make sure you have some togs that will get you off the cover charge when it says "playafied," you should definitely check out this playa fashions sale at Mighty (especially gear from my friends Jovino and Mermaid at Bunnywarez). DJs, fire, fashion, essential playa gear, dancing, all at Mighty (119 Utah Street) from noon until 7PM. Hit the link for full details: Prepare for the Playa!

Your Saturday Guide for June 9, 2007

Oh, the smell of playa dust is in the air! Three Burning Man-related events and fun in the Tenderoin are all on the schedule for this Saturday.

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Funky Dust! Underground Fundraiser for The Opulent Temple
All your fave Opulent Temple DJs like Syd Gris, Smoove, Icon, Hoj, Dulce Vita, Nathan Vain, Jeffrey Allen, & Astro spinning dirty house, electro, and breaks at a secret underground location. Arrive early, as they'll be closing the doors when they hit capacity. First 250 to arrive will be entered into a raffle to win a free Burning Man ticket.
10PM - all night
$15 playafied, $20 normal
Secret location, check the website for more info the day of the event.

Precompression: Official Burning Man Kick-Off Party at 55o Barneveld
Artists, flames, DJs, the whole playa experience minus the heat and the dust, brought to one of the best venues in the city. My friend Aaron Neonbunny (Bunny Jam) will be spinning an early set in the main room, so get there and check him out.
8PM - 5AM
$10 before 10pm; after 10pm: $15 in costume; $20 no costume
550 Barneveld

NIIMBY Roots to Roof Fundraiser for the Steampunk Treehouse (Emeryville)
If you're in the East Bay this should be a total blast. Lots of performances, with beats provided by The Space Cowboys and the Unimog.
8PM - 2AM
$15 - $15,000 sliding scale
NIMBY Warehouse, 1649 28th Street, Emeryville

Green Gorilla Lounge Presents No Fucking Requests Ever at Club 222
With DJs Lance DeSardi, Ryan Poulsen, David Skye, and DJ M3
9PM - 2AM
FREE before 10:30p, $10 after
Club 222, 222 Hyde Street

Gun Club at Deco Lounge
I guess Ryan Poulson is just going to walk down the street after his set at Club 222. Super space, well worth it for just that alone, but I'm sure the residents will also lay down some groovy ElectroTechnoHouse sounds.
10PM - 3AM
No cover mentioned
Deco Lounge, 51o Larkin at Turk

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Upcoming Event: Staple Presents Shreddin' on Shrader for the Haight Street Faire, Sunday June 10

Since there ain't no booze at the Haight Street Faire this year you might have to wander off a little ways to get yer buzz on, so why not check out some grooves from the Staple residents Fil Latorre and DJ Javaight, with special guests Alland Byallo (Kontrol), dj Seven, and Paul Guido? From 12PM until whenever the fun runs out, on Shrader between Haight and Waller.

Upcoming Event: Fundraiser for Steampunk Treehouse with the Space Cowboys, Saturday June 9

ROOTS TO ROOF, a fundraiser for the Steampunk Treehouse Project

Featuring: Loop!Station, Mark Growden, Kinetic Steam Works, Exxothermia, Orion Fredericks, THERM, Copper Lantern Fire Theater, Dept. of Spontaneous Combustion, Jamie Vaida and the "Goes Around Comes Around," Spy Girl Friday, Jeremy Krentz & His Tesla Coil, One Man Banjo, DJ Delachaux, DJ Halon, DJ D. Vennerbeck & His Steam Powered Mixological Arts

Plus THE UNIMOG
with Space Cowboy DJs Mancub, Kaptn Kirk, The Geometrist and 8ball will collaborate on beats later in the evening

Art by Michael Christian, Ben Carpenter, Jamie Vaida, Steven Rademaker
Sponsored by The Crucible
Lighting by reFRACTion
Admission: $15- $15,000 (sliding scale)
Location: NIMBY Warehouse // 1649 28th St., Emeryville, CA 94608 //
(between Mandela Parkway & Peralta)
http://www.steamtreehouse.com/

Your Friday Guide for June 8, 2007

My my my, things are getting warmer here in the city of fog, and after a slow couple weekends the scene is starting to pick up as well. This Friday there are so many things I'd like to check out, it's going to be a challenge to my little legs and my ability to snag taxis to get around to them all. So, without further a-do, your Friday Guide:

Bar Nights and Weeklies

Charlie Horse at the Cinch
Best place to go out and have a cheap drink while being entertained by drag queen antics. Recently voted Best Drag Show in San Francisco by the SF Weekly! Music by DJ Dirty Knees and Bearzbub is more rock and new-wave oriented, but at least it won't interfere with your conversation. Check out my latest review of Charlie Horse at The Cinch.

Fag Fridays at The EndUp
Reliable, not all that exciting, but it's gay and you can stay until 6AM. Expect to pay around $20 to get in and to dance to pretty typical San Francisco deep house.

FUK Werk Fridays Happy Hour at 111 Minna
Miminal techno happy hour in a space swarming with the buzzy busy bees of San Francisco business. Check out my review of Fuk Werk Fridays.
111 Minna Street at 2nd

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Lights Down Low at Club 222
This installment features a DJ set from Greg Horner of Kill Hannah (oooh, he's so cute!), along with resident Sleazemore, The Booster, and the Gemini Disco DJs. Five bucks, swell space, fun kids, what the hell more do you want on a Friday night? Check out my previous review of Lights Down Low.
10PM - 2AM
$5
222 Hyde Street at Turk

One-Offs and Monthlies

People's Voice at The Gingerbread House

"People's voice is the first in a series of events designed to give you the chance to make your voice heard and suggest artists and DJ's you would like to hear play in SF. The ultimate goal is to bring new and fresh talent into the scene, and create a musical journey throughout the night." This installment: Psytrance with an Ambient Mafia chill room.
The Gingerbread House, Connecticut at Cesar Chavez
10PM - 6 AM
$14 pre-sales (www.soundofmind.org), $20 at the door

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends:
Sex and Icons/ Reception at The Transfer
Art opening for photographer Leo Herrera at Magnet (18th and Castro) followed by a reception at 10.30 at The Transfer (Church and Market) with DJS Pee Play, Jason Kendig, Kenvulsion, and Robot Hustle.
FREE (?)

Stimulus - Excursions Into ElectroTech at Le Duplex
This installment features DJ Brian of Moontribe (!), along with regulars Dirt (Cymbalic / Omniscient Records - SF), Evinrude (Stimulus / Space Cowboys / NetAmp - SF), Little John (Raindance / Nexus - Santa Cruz), Mozaic (Stimulus / Raindance / Nexus / 3WS - SF), Satsi (Ammo - SF). Personally, I think Le Duplex is Le Suck, with bad sound and overpriced drinks, but I'd love to hear how these guys interpret ElectroTech.
10PM - 4AM
Le Duplex, 1525 Mission Street
$5
More info: 1-888-650-6660

Staple presents Mike Huckaby at Rx Gallery
Residents DJ Javaight and Fil Latorre will be spinning the future house and deep techno sounds with Detroit producer and DJ Mike Huckaby.
9PM - 2AM
$10 advance (www.blasthaus.com/calendar), free before 10.3o with the flyer
Rx Gallery, 132 Mason Street at Eddy

Deep End Fundraiser at Supperclub
The best place on the playa to get a nasty sunburn or whirled away by a dust devil is certainly The Deep End. Two rooms of their DJs in a very cool location.
10:00pm - 4:00am
$15 donation
Supperclub, 657 Harrison b/t 2nd & 3rd

The Rod at Deco Lounge
For all the gay boys who want to pretend that it's 1979. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. Check out my review of The Rod.
10PM - 4AM
FREE before 10PM, $5 After
Deco Lounge, 510 Larkin at Turk

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Upcoming Event: Opulent Temple Underground, Saturday June 9

SATURDAY JUNE 9TH - OPULENT TEMPLE UNDERGROUND

Funky Dust! The OT returns for its next installment of events to raise the temple like never before in BRC '07. For this one we'll be throwing a proper underground with undisclosed location in SF and all night revelry. Dirty house, electro and breaks provided by Syd Gris, Smoove, Icon, Hoj, Dulce Vita, Nathan Vain, Jeffrey Allen, & Astro.

Space is limited so early arrival recommended. When we reach capacity we'll be closing the doors. $15 playafied, $20 normal. First 250 to arrive will automatically be entered into a raffle to win a free Burning Man ticket with your entry!!!
More info: http://www.opulenttemple.org/

Upcoming Event: Staple Presents Mike Huckaby, Friday June 8

Another round of deep techno and future house with resident Staple DJs Javaight and Fil Latorre, with special guest Mike Huckaby. Co-sponsored by Blasthaus.

RXGallery (132 Eddy @ Mason)
9PM - 2AM
FREE with a flyer before 10.30, $10 advance from the Blasthaus website

Upcoming Event: People's Voice, Friday June 8

This morning I came into work to find an email from one of the organizers of this party asking me to list it, AND there were flyers all through the copy room, so I guess I should take the hint and pick this out for special treatment (it was already going to be on the Friday Night Guide - I am pretty much an events bloodhound, you know).

People's Voice: A Journey Through Psychedelic Music
Friday, June 8

Main Room

Goldilox (www.djgoldilox.com)
Kepi (kepiandkat.com)
Tandava (CCC)
Atum (Astral Productions)
Sentient (Vaporvent Records)

Chillout Room by the Ambient Mafia
Actual rafiq
Hickory
Olde Nasty
Peek
The Captain
Redstickman
Seventh swami
Sixty4k
Squelchy

The Gingerbread House (Connecticut at Cesar Chavez)
All Night
$14 Pre-sales (www.soundofmind.org), $20 at the door

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Upcoming Event: Sex and Icons Show at Magnet, Reception at The Transfer

Local photographer Leo Herrera will be presenting a solo show of images "of rare gay artifacts pulled from the GLBT Historical Society's world-renowned archives (the suit worn by Harvey Milk the night of his assassination), as well as living gay figures (Amanda Lepore, gay rapper Cazwell), and historic monuments (Stonewall Tavern)" at Magnet on 18th Street (x Castro) this Saturday from 8.00 - 10.30 PM. Following the opening join Jason Kendig, DJ Pee Play, Kenvusion, and Robot Hustle at The Transfer for the get-down reception. The opening is free, and I believe the reception is as well. More info on the show at www.HomoSexualArt.com.

Monday, June 4, 2007

New York Pridefest Cancelled!

Over the weekend I heard that the New York City Pridefest, which is the festival that takes place at the end of the Pride parade, was being cancelled. It appears that this is a combination of the Mayor's Office refusing a permit for the location that was previously proposed (in Chelsea) and the organization behind Pridefest deciding that the alternative location (Washington Street in the West Village) was sub-optimal. Full explanation on the Heritage of Pride website. I'm trying to track down a couple sources for a more on-the-spot perspective and will share that info with you all as soon as I have it.

Halloween in the Castro "Cancelled"

According to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle Halloween in the Castro has been officially "cancelled." While this practically means that they won't block off the streets, bring in porta-potties, or increase police presence, it's anybody's guess what it really means. Ted Strawser of the SF Party Party has a good quote:
"People are still going to go to the Castro," said Ted Strawser, founder of the San Francisco Party Party, a group that opposes the move. "Without services, they're just going to pee in the street, and without entertainment, mischief will occur."
I'm unsure what will happen; without anything to draw people there, will there be crowds of people aimlessly milling around in the Castro? I imagine that the bars will continue to do well, but will the bridge-and-tunnel kids want to hang out at Daddy's? Will SFPD have to come through and clear the streets of costumed revellers? I guess we won't know until Halloween is here.

Event Review: Ritchie Hawtin at Mighty vs. Koinonea "2012"

Sometimes life presents us with perfect compare-and-contrast moments. In the case of this past weekend those moments were Ritchie Hawtin at Mighty and Koinonea's 2012. At the first: great music, lousy crowd, miserable party experience. At the second: great crowd, so-so music, okay party experience.

J and I arrived at Mighty around 11PM on Friday, just in time to catch most of Magda's set. Magda is a great example of what I think of as a classic Berlin techno DJ who sets a slow, steady burn for the duration of the night. None of her tracks were particularly dynamic or progressive, and at times I found them a bit too abstract to really engage me on the dance floor, but they had that steady thump that eventually weaves a spell over you and brings you into the space. Around midnight we became aware that it was getting mighty crowded in Mighty, and had I not known one of the bartenders from previous party experiences I suspect it would have been a maddening wait to get drinks. As it was it was only maddening to walk through the club, to try and get on the dance floor, or to dance. During the first part of Magda's set it was possible to get into the middle of the dancefloor, but by the time that Ritchie Hawtin came on at 1.15 it was impossible. Well, it was possible to get onto the dancefloor, but dancing itself was right out of the question, since every time I was able to get somewhat into the groove, I had some guy playing linebacker for his girlfriend push his way past me. This became such a problem that, after rolling my eyes as the third person within the span of about a minute knocked me aside with their elbows, a girl actually apologized to me. Finally J and I retreated to stand next to a speaker stack. Ritchie Hawtin is an awesome performer, and I found much in his set that was inspiring; for once I was able to listen to a DJ and not know what it was that he was doing. The tracks were all great, the flow was phenomenally smooth, and I came away thinking that techno is starting to incorporate all the psychedlic elements that I once associated with trance without that genre's bombast and cliche. We hung out for about an hour of Ritchie's set, and over that passage of time the crowd became absolutely ridiculous. I went into the bathroom and encountered much messiness, and when a guy burst in saying "Detroit Techno sucks" at the top of his lungs, I decided I had had enough. It seems pretty clear that Blasthaus oversold this event, or at least went for full capacity, without much consideration of what that would be like for people in the club (when I checked on tickets on Friday, all the pre-sales were gone, but they announced that they had an additional 300 at the door for $30 each). I'm sure they made crazy money off this event, but why they booked Ritchie Hawtin into a venue this small is beyond me. I hope that the next time I get to hear him I will actually be able to enjoy his amazing talent, and dance to his music, without having to deal with an ugly, aggressive crowd made even more so by the constant need to push your way past everyone else to move around in the club. And girls, here's a fashion tip for you: black cocktail dresses belong in the Marina, not at a techno party.

Saturday night Kitty and I went to Koinonea's "2012" party. Back during the height of psy-trance's reign in 1999-2000 we had been regulars at almost every weekend party, and for us this was a chance to re-connect with some folks we hadn't seen in a long time. I even had an auspicious moment on Saturday when I went to Warakabune for a quick sushi meal, something that had been a staple of our going-out days: two candy raver kids, complete with mighty gauntlets of pony beads to ward off the attacks of bad vibes, came in and sat by me at the sushi bar. It was a total blast from the past and set my mind reaching back to all that I had loved about those days. We arrived at the party around 11 and my first reaction was "Oh my god, hippies and dub-step." The Koinonea crew is an off-shoot of the Santa Cruz Koinonea commune, and the Santa Cruz hippie vibe was in full effect. There were many older folk there who I expect were part of the actual commune, and we even had a full-on grounding ceremony to start the event at midnight. So, instead of feeling alienated and aggressive toward one another as at Mighty on the previous evening, everyone here was encouraged to look at one another as new friends. The fact that the party had a very limited number of tickets also kept it from being stupidly overcrowded - for the first time in weeks I was able to really get down on the dance floor because there was plenty of room, and that experience alone was completely worth the price of a ticket. Unfortunately, the music at the beginning, mostly dub-step, caused considerable grumbling among the attendees. Around 12.30, after the ceremony, the DJ finally moved into psytrance, and at 1.30 Psynthetic, a DJ buddy of mine from way back, came on with some good uplifting psy. His set was a bit uneven, and I enjoyed the progressive tracks more than I did the full-on 150 BPM aerobic workout tracks, but it was really very enjoyable. Kitty, who rarely dances and is not that much of a party boy to start with, told me that I could write in this blog that "Kitty was not bored." That's a high achievement right there. We split around 3.00, being pretty pooped from the night before.

So there's your compare-and-contrast essay for this week. One party that had commerce and commercial success as its highest goal, another that was about creating a space where people could be nice to one another. If I could have squeezed them together, sifted out the bad elements from each and combined the good ones, I think I would have had the best party weekend ever.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Your Saturday Guide for June 2, 2007

Another Saturday with options for all your favorite dance music genres: trance, techno, and breaks.

Koinonea 2012 10th Anniversary Party, Cosmic Yellow Sun
Sorry kids, it's all SOLD OUT. But if other events don't intervene I'll be there and will give you the report.

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Kontrol at the EndUp, 2nd Anniversary Party with Baby Ford
The Kontrol kids celebrate two years of bringing techno back to San Fracisco with an appearance by one of the biggest names on The Continent. Sure to be worth checking out, just remember that security at the door is VERY tight.
$15, FREE before 11
10PM - 6AM

The Experiment at Fat City
For all you breaks freaks here's a great chance to check out local DJ heroes from The Space Cowboys, as well as appearances by David Starfire, The Phat Conductor (Bassnectar) and others. Two rooms of fun!
$15 before 11, $20 after
10PM - 4AM