A Few Fur(ther) Thoughts on Further Confusion 2008

Jesus Christ people, I've written meaner things about big-name drag queens and had fewer flames aimed in my direction, so let me clarify a couple things that are getting buried in my responses to comments.

Further Confusion is a huge event, with some 3000 people attending this year. By the measure of scale alone it's a big deal to pull off, and you have to give people serious credit for that. Many people, including my friend Neonbunny, worked very hard over several months to make this thing happen, and I can definitely say that he in particular did as professional a job as you can given the circumstances - the sound in the main room, for example, was the best it's ever been, and at least this year they didn't keep blowing the electrical circuits.

But when it comes down to the behavior of many individuals at that event, that's where the amateurish aspect of things come into play - or, to use a term I had avoided because it seems far more perjorative, the immaturity. For me, the prime example of this is the incident on Friday night when a kid smashed a DJ's laptop because the DJ wouldn't (or couldn't) play a request he made. I also saw a lot of this immaturity on display in the ways in which people were interacting with each other, and the way they were dealing with themselves. Finally, on Saturday night I saw a lot of kids doing stuff they just couldn't handle, and it bothered me to think about what the consequences of that might be.

I didn't like the way the organizers reacted to the Friday night incident because I thought it was rewarding bad behavior - it said if you act out, we'll substantially change what we're doing to accomodate the possibility of others acting out, which means the whole event becomes held hostage to its anti-social elements. I thought that the kid who perpertrated this act should have gotten tossed out in the rain, and let the show go on (for me the point of comparison is how the Burning Man organization reacted to the Paul Addis incident this year). Of course I also was upset that this meant my DJ slot got cancelled, and I was quite vocal about that at the time; a lot of what I was looking forward to in the event itself revolved around getting to play some music. But it also seemed to me that the FC organizers need to do a better job of figuring out how to deal with these sorts of problems, especially as the event grows - when you're bringing together a group of people where you know some of them have these tendencies you need to figure out how you're going to deal with it before it happens. As the event grows, in other words, it also needs to grow up and start thinking about itself more.

I think FC could be a great event if it had a stronger sense of what it was trying to accomplish, and if part of that was bringing people together as members of a community, and getting them to act like members of a community, rather than, as I see it right now, just being a vehicle for certain egos to put themselves on display, followed by a hedonistic throw-down; if it could find some way to bring these things about, then I think it could actually be a positive force in people's lives. I would like to go to FC and feel that I've had a chance to meet and interact with some interesting people, since I'm sure that describes many of the people there; at the moment, though, I feel like there is too much distraction, brought about by much of the behavior that I find problematic, that interferes with my ability to do that. This doesn't mean that I don't think that there shouldn't be dances, or room parties, or even hedonistic throw-downs; I do think, though, that a greater degree of consciousness needs to be brought to the event and its attendees.

And a final word; these are my opinions, and mine alone. My boyfriend is more involved with this world than I am, and has more friends in it than I do. Just because he's my boyfriend doesn't mean we have identical thoughts and ideas. If you have an issue with anything I've written here, take it up with me, not him.

Okay people, I know you're linking in to the previous article (in fact, I can see everyone who's linked to me through my referrals), but I'm hoping at least a few of you will read this and perpetuate it out into the furrysphere. I'm perfectly willing to talk about any of this stuff with anyone in a public forum, but I will not respond to anyone who thinks an adequate response involves an ad hominem attack (which I've seen plenty of so far, thank you). Let's have some reasoned discussions about the event, what's good about it and what's bad, what can be improved and what's okay, rather than judgements about me because I have an opinion that you disagree with.

Addendum: Five Things That Could Be Done to Make FC a Better Experience

1. Cap the Number of Participants
The bigger this thing gets, the more difficult it will be to try and control the way it goes down, as well as provide a positive experience for people. This year was, in my opinion, too big; figure out what the financial requirements of the event are and work from there. Keep it inexpensive enough that people won't be priced out of attending, but also keep in mind that the point is to provide an experience for people, not get bigger and more elaborate.

2. Come Up with and Publish a Set of Actionable Values
This is where FC could take a lesson from Burning Man and their 10 Principles; these help guide people in their interactions with each other, and make it clear what the event is about. They don't have to be the same as the 10 Principles (though I rather like decommodification and Gifting), but they should be something that helps people come together in a community.

3. Create More Social Events that Will Foster Interaction
The dances are great, because they give people an opportunity to interact with one another in a non-structured way; however, they are also a source of controversy, and, honestly, aren't everyone's cup of tea. My suggestion for one night would be a cocktail social (with non-alcoholic drinks too, of course), and another would be a banquet. Have hosts and hostesses at these events who are there to work the crowd and foster interaction among people.

4. Make Con Ops Less Con Cops and More Con Pops
Again, Burning Man provides a great example with the Black Rock Rangers; they aren't there to bust people or get them in trouble, but to serve the community, help out with problems, and deal with negative situations. Part of the problem I've seen at past FCs is that the Con Ops come through a room with their headsets and walk out as long as they don't see anything obviously heinous going on. This makes them seem aloof, and I think people are less likely to go to them when issues come up because there's a perception that it's narcing. Instead, Con Ops should be more like the public safety patrol, and if they see something like a kid getting really fucked up drunk, they should be able to intervene and take them some place to sober up for a while. People should feel that they can go to them for help, or to deal with a situation, without it being like going to the cops.

5. Have Everyone Who is Involved with Organization at the Lead Level Read Hakim Bey's "The Temporary Autonomous Zone"
Here, I'll even give you a link. This was a central text for the Cacaphony Society, who were part of the original Burning Man. I put this out there simply because it provides some philosophical basis for thinking about what an event like this could be; it's provided the basis for my own approach to doing events, and I think it could provide some further fodder for thinking about those values.

Your Friday Guide for February 1, 2008

Bar Nights and Weeklies

Cosmic Gypsy Happy Hour with DJ Mak at the W Hotel
Get your lounge groove on with DJ Mak in this swank hotel bar.
6PM - 8PM
No cover
W Hotel, 181 3rd Street x Howard

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 reviews of Charlie Horse at The Cinch.
9PM - close
NO COVER
The Cinch, 1723 Polk Street (between Clay and Washington)

Fag Fridays at Pink
With residents Leon Neon, Rolo, and Manny Ward and special guest Paul Goodyear.
10PM - "late"
$10
Pink, 2526 16th Street x South Van Ness

GhettoDisco at The EndUp
With residents Vince, Hawthorne, and Jim Hopkins.
11PM - 11AM (honey, don't forget the pills!)
FREE before midnight, $20 until 2AM, $30 after 2AM
The EndUp, 6th x Harrison

Sick! at The Matador
Just found out about this techno night that started up in November in the location of the old Arrow bar. Residents D Spurlock, Jeffrey Allen, Jonathon Neil, Kuze, and Meekrob.
9PM - 2AM
FREE
Matador, 10 6th Street x Market

Monthlies and One-Offs

Garth and Jeno Back2Back at Club222
San Francisco house legends Garth and Jeno in one of the best intimate dance spaces in the city.
10PM - 2AM
$10
Club 222, 222 Hyde Street

Club Loaded at The Rickshaw Stop
This week with a live set from We Are Wolves along with resident DJ Audrock.
10PM - 2AM
$8 before 11, $10 after
The Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell x Van Ness

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Lucky Pierre at The Stud
This month it's "Wet," a birthday party for the new Miss Trannyshack, Pollo del Mar!
Check out my review of Lucky Pierre!
10PM - 3AM
$5 before 11PM, $7 after
The Stud, 9th x Harrison

Gemini Disco at Mighty
For those looking for some old-skool disco flavor. DJs Nicky B., Derek Love, and Robot Hustle (Honey Sound System) and featuring Juanita More, members of the Think13 circus troupe, and Lady Meat.
10PM - "After Hours"
$5 before midnight, $8 after

Event Review: Further Confusion 2008 at the San Jose Doubletree Hotel

Note: I have been informed that the event did indeed have event insurance to cover the cost of the damaged laptop, I was given a different impression during event itself.

I hope it won’t hurt my street cred for you all to learn that I hang out with furries. Not all the time, mind you, and not exclusively, but I can definitely tell you the animal totem of about fifty percent of my friends and associates. This past weekend the boyfriend and I went to Further Confusion, a furry convention at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, to hang out with those friends in an environment where it was perfectly okay to don a tail, ears, and collar to proclaim your animal identity, but this time, my fourth visit to FurCon, I found myself thinking more about what’s wrong with this particular event than I did about the opportunities for self-expression it presents.

In some ways Further Confusion is a lot like Martin Luther Queen; gay boys, check (probably 80% of furry guys are gay, or at least can be convinced to engage in sexual activity with other male beasts); pre-occupation with sex and porn, check; heavy emphasis on costumes and dressing up, check; intoxicant-fueled debauchery, check; and, finally, everybody getting together with the pretty obvious intent of humping on Saturday night, check. What was different about Further Confusion was how amateurish all that was, and how heavily the scent of desperation hung over everything.

Three of the four years I’ve gone to FC I’ve been involved with DJing and doing a party. In the first year it was a room party with several folks I knew, and it was a blast. The next year, we got upstaged by kids down the hall playing dubstep and psytrance (for some reason furry DJs are all about hardcore and drum and bass, which should tell you a lot about them right there); the third year I decided I wanted nothing to do with FC, but was coaxed into going down to see some folks I know; and then this year, I had a Saturday night slot in a side room from the main dance. But, because the night before some whacked out kid had busted up another DJ’s laptop when the DJ refused to play a request, the powers that be, who hadn’t had the foresight to get event insurance to cover things like broken gear, decided that only people who were going to DJ on equipment owned by the event could perform. Since I play records and brought my own turntables, this meant I was out.

In my opinion, this was an amateurish and ill-considered response to something that no one could have planned for, but the act that brought it on was emblematic of the general state of amateurish-ness that prevailed over everything. I saw way too many kids (and here I am referring to their maturity levels, not their actual ages, as most were well into their 20s) who couldn’t handle their intoxicants, mostly booze, getting way fucked up as a means of dealing with their own social awkwardness. On Saturday night, everything from the music to the drinking to the sexual behavior all seemed driven by a pent-up adolescent energy that was desperate to find its expression in the hours between midnight and 3AM (wandering the hotel at 6.30 I was shocked at how much of a ghost town it had become, save for the lone guy playing his PSP in the lobby). When I first wrote about FurCon in my journal back in 2004, I was into the fun of it, the cuteness of the costumes (and the occasional alternaboy), and the light-hearted nature of it all. What I saw this time was that everything that makes FurCon cute and playful is also what makes it desperate and a little icky; both are aspects of a child that loves cartoon characters and anthropomorphized animals, but also finds it difficult to express itself (sexually, socially, artistically) in any but the most childish way. I felt like I was watching a constant stream of temper tantrums being thrown by children who were desperate for attention.

This might all sound a bit harsh coming from someone who goes by DJ Pup, and there’s probably just a tad bit of sour grapes involved since I got knocked out of my DJ slot AND I didn’t even get any tail at any of the room parties (but by Saturday night every guy I found slightly attractive seemed to have so much baggage attached to him that, without hours of Internet communication and porn trading, I don’t know how I would have been able to make even a sexual connection). But I was known as Pup well before I even knew there were furries, and Pup has never been all that I am, just an aspect of myself. When I think about my friends who are part of the furry world, this is where I see the difference between them and the kids I encountered over the weekend; for my friends, identification with an animal is a vehicle for expression, a totem to meditate upon, a way to bring parts of their personality to light. For many of the kids at FurCon, their animal self is an almost psychotic fantasy, a means of escaping who they are in reality (all the evidence of this you need can be found in the images of their characters on their con badges compared to their actual physical being), a constant performance intended to cover over the things that they find undesirable about themselves, from their physical attributes to their sexuality. I'm not Pup all the time, nor do I want to be; but for these kids, the entire world, their social life, their friends, revolves around being a furry.

I don’t know if I’ll go back to FC next year; there are friend who go that I enjoy hanging out with, and some of the costumes and playfulness I truly do enjoy, but if I do go, I will certainly not stay for the Saturday night amateur hours. It's just a little too depressing.

Thanks to Everyone for a Smashing Debut of Fuck Shit, Let's Dance!

On Friday evening Lord Kook and I were seriously worried about how well the debut of Fuck Shit, Let's Dance would go over. We'd done all the work you're supposed to do, we'd sent the emails, put up the posters, handed out flyers left and right, even gotten the MySpace page up and running, but then came the rain. Driving up from San Jose on Friday afternoon, where I had to go to pick up Lord Kook after another gig he'd played on Thursday night (more on that later), I resolved myself to the idea that if we just had a few friends turn out, had some drinks and played some music, that would be fine. I was ready to pay the DJs and everyone out of my own pocket, just to make sure that everyone was covered for the night.

Well, who would have thought that we could get 130 people to show up on one of the worst nights, weather-wise, that we've had in weeks? At one point I looked in on the dance floor during DJ6's set and could only think "wow, this is my happening and it kind of freaks me out." Boys and girls, gay, straight, and everything in between, were shaking their asses with an intensity like I have not seen at any Deco event previously. Many friends were in attendance, but there were also many people I didn't know, so I guess we must have done an OK job of getting the word out.

So I owe special shout-outs to members of the local crews who came out and supported us: Kitten, Randerella, Neon, and a whole bunch of other fun folks from Comfort and Joy; Jeff, Gary and Sparky from Drunk and Horny; Ken Vulsion and DJ Pee Play from Honey Sound System; iii for providing us with a DVD of awesome visuals; DJ Candy from Bender; and Alex and DJ Donimo from Heat. And of course, there was the FSLD crew, with DJ Neco D helping out as our coat check girl, and Scooter on the door. Huge thanks to everyone for coming out, it was an awesome, awesome night and we're looking forward to our next installment on February 22nd with our guests Baron von Luxxury and Johnatron tag-teaming, and Aaron Neonbunny opening. It'll be a night of crazy, crazy electro, and this time maybe it won't rain!

It's Official: How Weird Street Faire Returns on May 4th

From the media relations department of the How Weird Street Faire comes the official announcement:

The World Peace Through Technology Organization is excited to announce

the return of the
How Weird Street Faire
on Sunday May 4, 2008

from 11:11 am to 5:55 pm

on Howard Street, between 1st Street and New Montgomery
and on 2nd Street, between Mission and Howard
and both blocks of Minna St. and Natoma St. off of 2nd Street

The faire will now be centered at:
Latitude = 37°47'12.4" N
Longitude = 122°23'53.7" W

Visit the website for updated information...
http://www.HowWeird.org

1015 Going Rock!

Well here's a kicker: according to this article in the SFWeekly, 1015 is about to transform into a rock club, complete with a marquee on the outside and a name change. Not a huge surprise, as the only things that have really seemed to do well there lately have been big-name DJ nights, which are generally few and far between; otherwise, much of the club's capacity has gone unused, and many a night I've passed it by when it was just a darkened monolith of concrete. Perhaps by booking in rock acts they will be able to get more use out of that space during the week, and also dispel some of the general bad vibes that have settled upon it. It will definitely be the end of an era, though, as I doubt that they will continue on with the electronic music scene: too many hassles, not enough profit.

Your Saturday Guide for January 26, 2008

Weeklies and Bar Nights

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, but beware that it gets claustrophobically crowded. Check out my reviews of Drunk and Horny.
$5
9PMish - 2.00AM (with maybe an afterparty)
Underground SF, 424 Haight Street x Webster

Frisco Disco at The Transfer
Every Saturday night they're lined up on the street for this party; haven't made it past the sweating crowds myself yet, but this looks like one of the hottest things going right now. Check it out yourselve and let me know what you think.
No cover listed
9.00PM - 2.00AM
The Transfer, Church at Market

Hot Mess at The Stud
Gus Presents . . . . what appears to be a rip-off of Drunk and Horny, but with Castro bar music.
10PM - 3AM
$5
The Stud, 9th x Harrison.

Monthlies and One-Offs

Viva La Basket at Club Eight
Another of those bangin' bear-centric parties, this monthly installment features DJs Metric and Matt Consola. Now with video games!
9PM - 2AM
$6
Club Eight, 1151 Folsom x 8th

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Cake at The Endup
A fourth Saturday special featuring cake and techno beats, with one of my fave techno artists, Jason Emsley, headlining. Sixteen hours of music, kids, can you take it?
10PM Saturday - 2PM Sunday
FREE before 11PM, Some price after that (I'm guessing $20)
The Endup, 6th x Harrison

Your Friday Guide for January 25, 2008

Okay kids, tonight is the night that The Jaded Gay DJ and Lord Kook lay it down at Deco with Fuck Shit, Let's Dance! There are a lot of great things going on this Friday, including Gui Barrato (*sigh*), but if you want to support the alternative gay dance scene, please come out and shake your hips with us!

Weeklies and Bar Nights

Cosmic Gypsy Happy Hour with DJ Mak at the W Hotel
Get your lounge groove on with DJ Mak in this swank hotel bar.
6PM - 8PM
NO COVER
W Hotel, 181 3rd Street x Howard

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. 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
The Cinch, 1723 Polk Street (between Clay and Washington)

Fag Fridays at Pink
With residents David Harness, Leon Neon, Rolo, and Manny Ward, plus special guests.
10PM - "late"
$10
Pink, 2526 16th Street x South Van Ness

GhettoDisco at The EndUp
With DJ Denise, Hawthorne, and Jim Hopkins.
11PM - 11AM (honey, don't forget the pills!)
FREE before midnight, $20 until 2AM, $30 after 2AM
The EndUp, 6th x Harrison

Lights Down Low at Club 222
With residents Richard OH?! (Big Stereo) and Sleazemore. Check out my previous reviews of Lights Down Low.
10PM - 2AM
$7
Club 222, 222 Hyde Street x Turk

Monthlies and One-Offs

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

FilterSF at Club Anu
Deep minimal techno in a groovy bar right off Market Street. Residents Solekandi, Saya, and Kontakt, with local boy Craig Kuna (Kontrol) in the guest spot.
10PM - 2AM
$5
Club Anu, 6th x Market

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Fuck Shit, Let's Dance!
A dance party for queers and their friends, with DJ Pup (yours truly), Lord Kook, and special guest DJ6 (Bender, Lucky Pierre) spinning electro-techno-disco-punk-funk beats at one of the best spaces in The Tenderloin. Cheap booze, phat beats, fun folks, what more do you want?
9PM - 3AM
FREE before 10, $5 after
Deco Lounge, Turk x Larkin

Gui Barrato at Fat City
Kompakt's man who brought the trance back to techno. With support from Nikola Baytala and Hours of Worship.
10PM - "After"
$12 advance, $15 at the door
Fat City, 11th x Folsom

Mighty Breaks 3rd Year Anniversary at Mighty
Lots and lots of local breaks talent from Space Cowboys, Seismic, Opel, and others.
10PM - 4AM
$10 or $5 with RSVP to info@mighty119.com
Mighty, 119 Utah Street x 15th

Event Review: Martin Luther Queen

This past weekend I was privileged to be involved in a party organized by local visual artist iii, Martin Luther Queen, that might be thought of as a gathering of the queer underground party scene with representatives from Honey Sound System, Fuck Shit Let's Dance, Comfort and Joy, and the House of Herrera in attendence (invites also went out to folks from Fag Fridays and Lucky Pierre, but, unfortunately, not everybody gets MLK day off from work). Several up-and-coming luminaries of the drag scene were there as well, including Veda De Voe and Miss Black Rock City. Two sound systems, one from Honey Sound System upstairs, and the other from Fuck Shit, Let's Dance downstairs, provided the dance beats and the chill sounds from the opening of a potluck dinner at 7PM all the way until about 4AM, when both rooms were filled with sleeping bodies and the few remaing partiers were content to cuddle and chat in small circles around the house.

The total attendance for the party ran around 85 people, and it was the perfect size for the party pad that was offered to us, a classic bit of Northern California party architecture on 80 undeveloped acres with a spectacular view of the Pacific Palisades. The building was six-sided with a a kitchen in the center of a large public space on the first floor, a small loft area upstairs, and a maze-like series of bedrooms, common room, and bathrooms on the basement level, with a deck leading out to a swimming pool and hot tub. I think that under normal conditions, when this space is rented out for the fabulous sum of $5000 a week for vacationers, it must be capable of sleeping at least twenty people in decent comfort, so it wasn't that much of a challenge to bed down (so to speak) twice that many people who came equipped with their own sleeping gear.

When DJ Neco D and I arrived on Saturday (at exactly 4.20), I had my usual thought when attending these remote, private parties - "this isn't going to turn into a Manson family thing, is it?" I guess it's a product of my 70s upbringing, when I saw numerous TV shows that depicted events just like this one, but usually with somebody freaking out on acid or accidentally leaving a baby to drown in a bathtub as examples of what can happen when you abandon societal norms to become involved with the underground scene. And while I certainly did observe some freaky behavior, in general everyone was very well behaved and more than capable of managing whatever it was they were up to (I even had a lovely time around 7AM watching the march of the Ents coming down a rolling hill to do battle with the goblins).

That's the thing about events like these; to the audience watching Dragnet in 1972, they are terrifying because the people involved with them are intent on creating and engaging with a world where what's important is radically different from what they are used to. For one thing, rather than being consumers of products, as is the case in normal nightlife events, here we were the creators, with people contributing everything from sound systems to food to the space to performances and just plain old good company. Second, rather than being constrained in our actions by the force of law or societal norms, our constraints are based on mutual trust and respect; you aren't invited to an event like this unless people generally regard you as a decent person who can be counted to act in a generally responsible way. Sure, people might get messy, in a variety of ways, but anybody who proves themselves to behave in problematic ways doesn't get invited back again. And here's the final thing that I think is important about events like this; they are great examples of anarchism in action, of the temporary autonomous zone, where you are free to act in any way that you want as long as you don't bring negative consequences upon yourself or others. The idea that people can comport themselves in a responsible way without fear of some authority figure acting against them, without laws or threat of incarceration, is so foreign to Americans raised to believe in a stern, punishing God who is then mirrored back in societies institutions, that it's no wonder these same people want to see dire consequences meted out to anyone who dares to challenge those ideas by attempting to live a free life.

As usual with events like these I find the re-entry difficult, and not just because of my hangover. As Neco D and I were coming back in to the city yesterday we drove up Divisidero, past all those multi-million dollar homes that sit along that street in Pac Heights. I thought about how great it would be to have one of those places, how it would be great to be able to host a party as awesome as the one I had just left. But then I realized that what it takes to come into possession of one of those homes is completely antithetical to the values of the community that I would wan to invite, and how anything that takes place in the world of Pac Heights comes under intense scrutiny. Events like Martin Luther Queen can only take place in the lonely, isolated places, the places that exist both mentally and temporarily outside the realm of the every day. Coming back to work today I felt, as I often do, like Clark Kent, mild-mannered corporate functionary who, at nights and on weekends, puts on a different uniform to become a shadowy figure in the underground. I often lament the disconnect between what I do in order to earn money and have a livlihood, the various corporate hoops I must jump through (I'm feeling particularly oppressed at the moment by year-end performance reviews) on a regular basis, and the great difference in how I am regarded by those I work with and those I party with. But I don't know that I would be as into the underground scene as I am if I didn't feel so out of place in the mundane world; the underground is, after all, the place where we all go to re-invent ourselves, to exercise our entrepeurial tendencies, to re-arrange our mental frameworks so that when we do return to corporatized American life we have a sense that the choices it offers us are not the only, or even most important, ones.

Blind Item: Stirrings of Rebellion Against the City's Stifling of Nightlife

I've heard a rumor - mind you, it's only a rumor, with no attributable sources or independent verification - that certain prominent people in the club scene, people whose names would likely be familiar to readers of this blog, are planning on making a very strong statement about the city's stifling of nightlife. Keep in mind that some months ago, the Democratic Central Committee for San Francisco passed a resolution that urged the City to support nightlife, so if it ever came to, oh, I dunno, legal or political action, there is a pretty strong foundation of supporters who would go along with it. Rumors folks, rumors only, but when I can break the story for real, or when it breaks in the mainstream press, remember you saw it here first.

Your Saturday Guide for January 19, 2008

I'm headed out of town for a little queer underground rendezvous up North, but here are a few things to occupy your time over what I hope is a three day weekend for everybody.

Weeklies and Bar Nights

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, but beware that it gets claustrophobically crowded. Check out my reviews of Drunk and Horny.
$5
9PMish - 2.00AM (with maybe an afterparty)
Underground SF, 424 Haight Street x Webster

Frisco Disco at The Transfer
Every Saturday night they're lined up on the street for this party; haven't made it past the sweating crowds myself yet, but this looks like one of the hottest things going right now. A couple readers weren't so crazy about a recent party there, but you should check it out yourself and let me know what you think.
No cover listed
9.00PM - 2.00AM
The Transfer, Church at Market

Hot Mess at The Stud
A Gus Presents production with DJ Kidd Sysko spinning a little disco punk, a little hip-hop, and a lot of club. Check out the link for his Top 20 and decide for yourself.
10PM - 3AM
$5
The Stud, 9th x Harrison.

Monthlies and One-Offs

Chrome at The Gangway
A queer rock monthly from the same guys who bring you Trans Am. Show up later unless you really like hanging out with Tenderloin bar flys.
9PM - 3AM
$3
Larkin x Geary

The Show at The EndUp
With George Cochrane and Shawn Allan, Sleazemore (Lights Down Low), Eric Sharp, Paul Guido, and DJ Rooz.
10PM to 12 Noon Sunday (yes, 14 hours)
FREE before 11, no cover listed
The EndUp, 6th x Harrison

Joy Stick at The Cinch
80s Music and Video Games in a fun Tenderloin bar.
9PM - 3AM
No cover
The Cinch, Polk x Clay

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Kontrol Underground with Mike Huckby
Got the word about this from Nikola Baytala yesterday (who I have an unfortunate tendency to confuse with other people). No info other than it's at 58 Tehama Street, featuring Detroit Techno supastar Mike Huckaby.

Mark Morford Speaks Up for MDMA!

Wow, will wonders never cease; Mark Morford has an interesting little "compare and contrast" piece in today's SFGate in which he looks at the evils of the pharmaceutical industry by comparing a legal drug, Lyrica, recently approved to "treat" (for some measure of treatment) fibromylagia (even though no one understands its etiology), against the resistance to using MDMA to treat conditions like PTSD because, well, MDMA is fun and nobody owns a patent on it, and therefore can't make any real money off it (I'm not sure this is entirely true, as Sandoz originally formulated MDMA back in the early 20th Century, but had not idea what it was good for - we owe a huge debt to Alexander Shulgin for figuring that one out).

The thing that makes this so remarkable is that, after the great anti-Ecstasy and rave hysteria of the early 2Ks, almost nobody was willing to come out and say that they thought Ecstasy was a good thing, and, in fact, I sorta blame the anti-Ecstasy forces for helping the growth of meth and cocaine use among clubbers. But you know, as sloppy and messy as it gets sometimes when you're around a bunch of rolling Marina chicks, I'll take those old days at 550 Barneveld, with everybody rolling their asses off, over the coked-out little scenes that are going on every Friday and Saturday night these days. Bring back the E, maybe it will help shift the attitude of this city in a direction that has less to do with money and fame, and bring back a little of that empathetic positivity.

Upcoming Event: Fuck Shit, Let's Dance! Friday, January 25 2008

Last night the boyfriend and I plastered the Castro with flyers for the debut of our club night at Deco Lounge, Fuck Shit, Let's Dance! Though we've gone back and forth over the flyer design, I'm particularly pleased with the way our logo stands out among the other flyers posted around; we still seem to be the only promoters in the gay scene who don't feel it's necessary to put an image of a guy on our promo materials, but we do have horses rampant, as they say in heraldic circles, so I'm sure that counts for something.

As for the details:

Fuck Shit, Let's Dance!
Friday, January 25
Deco Lounge, Turk @Larkin
9PM - 3AM (and maybe a tad later if it's really bumpin')
FREE before 10, $5 afterwards

DJs: Pup (yours truly) at the opening, Lord Kook (the boyfriend) as resident, and DJ6 (Lucky Pierre, Bender), laying down electro techno minimal disco-punk grooves for your boogie pleasure. We may not have a show, wet jockstrap contest, or go-go boys, but we will do our best to make sure that you dance your ass off.

BTW, if you're on myspace, hit the link in the first paragraph to see our profile and become our friend.

Fuck Shit, Let's Dance!

The Return of the How Weird Street Faire, May 4th?

Ah, the always attentive eye of SFScene spotted a scoop this morning: as I was walking into work I noticed a sign on a lamp post for a proposed "traffic variation;" on closer inspection it was notice of a hearing for the closure of Howard Street between 1st and New Montgomery, and 2nd Street between Howard and Folsom, for the How Weird Street Faire on May 4th! So, assuming there's no protest (and I can't see why there would be, as this is all commercial property through here and it becomes a ghost town on the weekends), we'll see the glorious return of the How Weird Street Faire on May 4th! Yayayayayayayay! And best yet, since my office is right in the middle of it all, I'll have an easy way to escape the crowds and use the potty! Double yayayayayay!

Remember you heard it here first, kids; count on SFScene to sniff out all the deets on what's going on way before those "other" nightlife sites that make their money from, and give all their attention to, the mainstream club scene.

Your Friday Guide for January 18, 2008

Weeklies and Bar Nights

Cosmic Gypsy Happy Hour with DJ Mak at the W Hotel
Get your lounge groove on with DJ Mak in this swank hotel bar.
6PM - 8PM
NO COVER
W Hotel, 181 3rd Street x Howard

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. 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
The Cinch, 1723 Polk Street (between Clay and Washington)

Fag Fridays at Pink
With residents David Harness, Leon Neon, Rolo, and Manny Ward, plus special guests.
10PM - "late"
$10
Pink, 2526 16th Street x South Van Ness

GhettoDisco at The EndUp
With Chris Cox, Byron Bonsall, and Cuervo.
11PM - 11AM (honey, don't forget the pills!)
FREE before midnight, $20 until 2AM, $30 after 2AM
The EndUp, 6th x Harrison

Monthlies and One-Offs

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Heat at The Stud
This month's installment celebrates my all-time favorite city, Berlin! Check out my previous review of Heat.
10PM - 3AM
$5
The Stud, 9th x Harrison

Blow-Up at The Rickshaw Stop
With guest DJ Skeet Skeet and resident Jefrodesiac of Frisco Disco fame.
10PM - 2AM
$10 for 21+, $12 for 18-21
The Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell x Van Ness

Electric Boogie at Club 222
Derek Love and Nicky B,, two of the DJs behind the recent Paradise All-Night Disco Party at Mezzanine, mixes old-skool boogie/electrofunk/freestyle with the best of the nu-skool to a diverse, mixed crowd in this very cool Tenderloin bar.
10PM - 2AM
FREE!
Club 222, 222 Hyde Street x Turk

And So It Begins: Burning Man Tickets Go On Sale Today

If you didn't already know that Burning Man tickets went on sale today at 10AM PST via the Burning Man website, then I'm afraid you're probably already out of luck. Like many people across the nation I was anxiously hitting the reload button on my Web browser between 9:59 and 10:00 AM this morning, and when I finally saw the load progress bar hesitate I knew I was getting into the system, only to find that there were already 1083 people in front of me when it finally loaded. Then it was a matter of watching the 60 second countdown and the slow decrease of numbers until finally, at 10:44, it was down to three people in front of me. Finally I got in, paid $210 for two tickets, plus a $10.50 convenience fee, and another $12.50 for secure delivery (yes, tickets do get stolen in the mail), for a grand total of $442.50.

I wouldn't have been so anxious to get tickets when they first went on sale if I didn't know that, by tomorrow, all the "cheap" tickets will be gone. The thing about Burning Man tickets is, even if you're not completely sure that you'll be going eight months from now, you might as well buy them so you can get them for the cheapest possible price, and if you don't go, it's not like you'll have any difficulty selling them when the actual date rolls around. Thus, the mad, server-crashing frenzy that ensues the instant they go on sale.

So, will the boyfriend and I be going? The answer to that question depends somewhat on whether or not he can get time off from the porn studio sweatshop where he works. But, as we didn't get to go last year, I think we're pretty primed for going this year, and now that the tickets have gone on sale and Burning season has begun, it's hard to not get swept up in the excitement and anticipation. I guess soon it will be time to start thinking about gear, and, more importantly, outfits.

Speaking of Retro: The Goa Gil Petition

As further evidence of the general nostalgic air breezing through the San Francisco scene, I give you this petition for the illustrous godfather of Goa Trance, Goa Gil, to put together a "retropsychedlic DJ set from the 1990's consisting of classic, head-ripping, heart-exploding, soul-empowering DAT material."

For those of you scratching your heads about the medium of choice here, there's been a long email thread on the local psytrance list about "back in the day" when many artists put out otherwise unreleased material on DAT. Goa Gil was/is famous for having a huge collection of these DAT recordings, and I remember watching him play a set on DAT several years ago at the How Weird Street Faire (the thing about DAT, though, is that you don't really mix tracks so much as you line them up and press Play, which has also led to some comments about "DJing" with DAT).

Reading the comments of the 67 (now 68) people who have signed this, as well as the general comments on the 604list, it's pretty evident that the SoMarts "Return to Goa" sparked something up in the scene, especially among the older scenesters. As with the gay scene, maybe it's necessary for all the dance scenes to periodically touch base with their roots, just to remind us all why we got into the scene in the first place.

Event Review: The Rod at Deco

There aren't many parties that lead to the boyfriend and I having a passionate debate about the meaning of parties and the scene, but that's exactly what happened Friday night at The Rod at Deco: while everybody else was in the front room cheering on the wet jockstrap contest, there we were in the back room by the pool table, throwing around words like Gesamtkunstwerk and pondering the necessity of gay men connecting with their own history in a way that, while troublesome in its nostalgic aspects, also gives them a sense of their possibility in the present. On the boyfriend's side he thought I needed to lighten up a bit, since the evidence was all around us that people were there having a good time and connecting with something, and I had to concede that, at times, my contrarian nature, suspicious as it is of all things popular and fun in the tradition of Theodor Adorno, clouds my critical perspective. On the other hand, my position remains that the party scene is about creating culture, and if we are going to take a critical perspective upon it, it can't be from the perspective of whether or not people are simply having a good time - after all, people have great times at circuit parties, which are the target of numerous dismissive comments within the "alternative" gay community - but it must be from the perspective of the kind of culture that is being created and the meaning of that for those participating in it. And from that perspective I continue to have issues with the culture being created by The Rod, because, to me, it feels like a step backwards in the evolution of San Francisco's gay culture.

The Short Version of the Review - Is It Fun?

I am perfectly willing to accept that this point about the place of The Rod in San Francisco's gay culture probably doesn't really matter to anybody else but me, so here I'll give you the the standard nightlife magazine review of The Rod and you can continue on with the rest of your online reading without further ado. The Rod, on the 2nd Friday of the month at Deco Lounge, is among San Francisco's longest-running gay nights, having celebrated its 3rd Anniversary this past Friday. DJ Bus Station John, who has advanced leagues as a DJ since I first heard him spin a couple years ago at Aunt Charlie's place, where he continues with his very popular Tubesteak Connection, has one of the best collections of rare-groove disco, Hi-NRG, and original New York electro ever assembled. If you closed your eyes during one of his sets you could easily imagine yourself back in a San Francisco disco or bathhouse circa 1979, and if you opened your eyes the photocopies and projections of vintage porn, featuring pre-steroid swollen guys with feathered hair (many of whom look exactly like the guys who gave me boners when I was in high school) might convince you that you are really there. The Rod is an almost perfect emulation of a particular moment in gay history, and if the attendees were sporting more polyester and facial hair you might think that the door to Deco was really a time portal.

That The Rod has been going on for three years should be enough testament to its popularity, and on any given Friday night you can rest assured of a sizable crowd of guys and a few girls as well. Since it's a Tenderloin bar the crowd is definitely scruffier and more alternative than you would find at any given Castro bar, and I suspect that many of the guys competing for the $100 prize in the wet jockstrap contest might otherwise be trying to get that sum by walking the beat of Polk Street. To my eye the crowd skews a bit older, since the music attracts many guys who probably heard it when the grooves were fresh off the cutting press, but I also saw a few twenty-somethings of my acquaintance. Though I've usually seen a few guys boogieing in front of the DJ stand, The Rod doesn't really come across as a big dance party, but more of a mingling scene, and the music provides a great background for the naughtiness that people get up to later. We noticed that, after the patio closed and the wet jockstrap contest began the crowd seemed thinner, or perhaps just more concentrated in two rooms, one where they were watching the contest, and another where they were carrying through on the instincts it aroused. All in all, if you are looking for a laid-back, sexy (for a late-70s value of sexy) night out with a crowd that isn't too precious or grotesquely buffed, and your main goal is some sleazy fun, then The Rod is a great choice.

I Come Not to Bury Bus Station John, But to Praise Him

And what, you might ask, is wrong with a party simply being a good time? In the present moment of the event itself, nothing - people come and have a good time, connect with each other, and maybe leave with a feeling of satisfaction in whatever form they were seeking. But the success of The Rod is also, in my mind, what opens it up to a higher level of examination. I admire Bus Station John for having created a total aesthetic, for the way he combines sound and visuals to bring forth a vibe that others connect with. Despite the boyfriend's protestations that this is a pretentious way to put it, I think Bus Station John has created a work of art that is distinctive in the San Francisco gay scene, and that The Rod is an example of someone really creating culture. And this is where I believe that the critical perspective comes into play, where its legitimate to ask, what kind of culture is being created, what ideas are being put forth in this creation? As I pointed out before, many of my friends and acquaintances have no problems with negative criticism of the culture being created by other promoters, such as Gus Presents, when that culture is not part of their own aesthetic, when the ideas they see being put forth are in contrast to their own. Things get trickier when the object of critical perspective is within one's own cultural milieu. I will admit that in my previous review of The Rod, I was bitchier than I needed to be, since I thought that tone was necessary to make my voice be heard. But since then I have softened my stance a little bit - I have heard disco played under circumstances when it felt right and was enjoyable, and I have absolutely nothing against the man himself; though I don't know him personally, many other folks of my acquaintance do, and by all accounts he is a really great guy who's heart in the right place. In fact, I am quite sympathetic to the intention that I think is behind Bus Station John's nights, I just disagree with the way he is materializing that intention. I hope that a greater degree of respect for that intention is evident in this review; if I did not feel some respect for the ideas that someone was putting forth, believe me, I would not be spending my Saturday afternoon in front of this laptop, hoping that my perspective might, in some way, help further those ideas.

Disco of the Past, Disco of the Present

My main issue with The Rod is its nostalgic foundations. In an interview with the Bay Guardian, in which he was asked about his take on the current gay club scene, Bus Station John said " . . . I've retreated to the past, where I dwell happily with my pre-AIDS, pre-crack, pre-MTV, pre-PNP vinyl collection. Greetings from 1981! Visitors are welcome." Given the rather bland state of the gay club scene over the past few years, with its endless rotation of the same DJs playing the same music to the same crowd of guys over and over gain, I can't blame Bus Station John for wanting to recreate the vibe of an earlier time, when the scene was more about joy and sex and fun than meth and money (though it seems contradictory to be anti-PNP and have a giant cut-out of a bottle of poppers in the front window of the club). And I can even understand wanting to return to music that has, at its core, genuine warmth and emotion after listening to the hours of anthem tribal dreck that is spun at most circuit events. But, even with the best of intentions behind it, this approach is essentially reactionary and regressive, and says that the best solution to the "ennervating" (to use Bus Station John's term) state of current gay club culture is to retreat to the past.

I can't deny that there is a legitimate place for disco in current gay club culture, and I've found myself increasingly drawn to music from contemporary producers like Justus Koehnecke, Prinz Thomas, and Lindstrom that updates the disco sound with modern production. There is a looseness in its composition and upbeat hipness in its sonic palette that can't help but bring a twitch to my hips and a smile to my face. And, thanks to the recent Mineshaft party from Honey Sound System, as well as Bus Station John's set at the recent Paradise All-Night Disco Extravaganza, I've found a way to connect with it in the club experience. I think that, periodically, the gay club scene needs to re-connect with its roots as a means of rediscovering its values, and in this regard I have no problem with the occasional disco party (as long as nobody plays Donna Summer or Gloria Gaynor, that is). My problem is when the disco party is seen as the height of gay club culture, carrying with it the statement that there is nothing of value at all to be found in contemporary culture, when this plainly isn't so. I also worry that, in the context of creating culture, disco nostalgia keeps us from participating in the creation of a new cultural identity for ourselves. This is what I like most about parties like Lucky Pierre and those coming from the Honey Sound System; they are in touch with the past and recognize its importance, but are also actively engaged in using contemporary msuic and culture to create a new sense of gay identity. In fact, from things I see going on right now, I think 2008 might very well be a banner year for the San Francisco gay scene, one in which many groups come together to once again create a sense of excitment and joy about being a San Francisco queer. Looking back to the past will never really get us to that point, because once you step beyond the door of the time portal, your're right back where you started from.

Say No to Nostalgia, Say Yes Creating the New World

Nostalgia is a powerful impulse, and after the eight years of shit we've all lived through, it's no wonder that so many people, gay and straight, are looking back to the past, when things seemed easier, more fun, and certainly less dire (just think about all the 80s, disco, and "return to . . ." parties that have gone down over the past year). But, ultimately, what we have to deal with is the here and now, and nothing from the past will really solve our present problems. Looking back to the past may give us ideas about how to deal with the present, but it's up to us to put those ideas in a contemporary context. 1970s era disco might help us connect with a set of values, but that doesn't mean we need to precisely emulate that era, it means we need to create the disco of the 2000s. The Rod is a great place to go on every second Friday to have fun and reflect on the original disco era, but the moment you start thinking "yeah, it was all so really great back then, I wish we could go back" is the moment that you enter into bad faith with the present. Rather, you should be thinking "yeah, how do we bring this into the now, how do we create this feeling with contemporary music, images, fashion, and people?" Formulating the answers to that question should be the main task of the San Francisco gay scene over the next year, because when the elections happen in November, we need to be ready to make our contribution to the change that will ensue.

Your Saturday Guide for January 12, 2007

Another "quiet" Saturday evening in San Francisco; I'm starting to think that Saturday is house party night.

Weeklies and Bar Nights

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, but beware that it can get claustrophobically crowded. Check out my reviews of Drunk and Horny.
$5
9PMish - 2.00AM (with maybe an afterparty)
Underground SF, 424 Haight Street x Webster

Frisco Disco at The Transfer
Every Saturday night they're lined up on the street for this party; haven't made it past the sweating crowds myself yet, but thi