Saturday night the boyfriend and I assembled a small crew to check out The Space Cowboys putting on this month’s The Show at The Endup. We were fairly excited at the prospect of a night with a Burner vibe and some kick-ass breaks, but by the time the breaks actually got going, we’d had enough of the electrohouse mush that proceeded it, along with a vibe that was more like a frat party (albeit a very cool one), that we decided to cut out before we spent any more money on The Endup’s now astronomically expensive drinks.
In my experience, there are two sides to the Space Cowboys. On the one side you’ve got, next to Evil Breaks, one of the very best crews for putting out, and popularizing, kick-ass breaks to the general party populace. And then, on the other side, there’s this tendency to take it all down to the lowest common denominator of all-out booty. In this case, booty definitely won out. At first it was nice to arrive and hear some pretty easy-going dance music that was a bit out of the normal vibe of ubiquitous EndUp house, but after going back and forth from Latin club to a Daft Punk remix to something that made me think I was back at a mid-90s acid house party, it was becoming more and more difficult to find any consistent vibe to hang onto. There were plenty of folks shaking it on the dancefloor, and I’m sure many of the girls who showed up in their playawear got freaky with it later, but I’d come wanting to hear breaks, not the kitchen sink of electronic dance music. This was what put me in mind of a frat party; lots of people out to get fucked up and freaky, with the DJ going for the easiest party pleasers in his bag.
Since the DJ who took over at 1 finally started playing breaks, and the party itself had several more hours of life left in it, I might have been willing to stay a little longer, but the prospect of spending any more money on drinks was starting to make my wallet hurt. When I ordered my first vodka tonic, it came back as costing $7.50. Well or call seemed to make no difference, the bartender always charged me $7.50. Drop another dollar for tip, and figure on 4 or 5 drinks over the course of the night (not that crazy if you show up early, as we usually do, and then even switch over to water when the bar closes), and suddenly you’ve dropped a huge wad of money.
This has become something of a problem with almost every time I go to The EndUp. Everybody knows that the place really gets going after 2AM, and so the whole night becomes back-loaded. It seems like every time I go there, mostly for Kontrol, I spend the first couple hours waiting for them to get around to the music I came to hear, and wind up spending too much money on drinks, so that by the time things really get going, it’s getting to be later than I want to be out without the substantial chemical assistance that will keep my fellow clubbers going until 6AM and later. Of course you can come later, but then you get to pay $15 - $20 on top of what you’ll spend for booze. The EndUp is a classic spot, with much going for it from ambience to soundsystem, but if I’m going to go there and spend the kind of money that a night out there seems to require, then I want the first couple hours I’m there to be just as intense, and interesting, as the early morning ones.
Showing posts with label The EndUp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The EndUp. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Monday, March 3, 2008
Event Review: Claude vonStroke at Kontrol
And, my review of Claude vonStroke at Kontrol is up over on Beatportal as well. This was definitely the best Kontrol I've been to since they moved to The End Up, and though I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to expect from Claude vonStroke, whose tracks have struck me as moving from the gimmicky ("The Whistler") to the truly deep ("Who's Afraid of Detroit"), it was pretty exciting to see our local guy up there really putting some effort into defining a sound for himself. His label, Dirtybird, will be celebrating their 3rd Anniversary this Saturday at Mighty, so you should go check it out for yourself, it should be quite an event.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Event Review: Kontrol with Alex Smoke at The End Up
Correction: I've found out since I wrote this review that it was actually Craig Kuna, not Nikola Baytala, who was spinning earlier in the evening. Mea culpa.
As we were getting ready to head out to hear Alex Smoke at Kontrol this past Saturday I realized that it has been over six months since the last time we checked out what was once my absolute first choice for San Francisco clubbing. What I discovered on this past Saturday was that, while I am still quite happy that Kontrol has been successful in bringing minimal techno artists to San Francisco, their migration from a quasi-underground art gallery space in the Tenderloin to one of San Francisco's biggest clubs has brought with it some changes in vibe that, for me at least, outweigh some of the positive aspects of the move.
We arrived at 10.30 with our friend J to find a line at the door; apparently doors at 10 really means doors at 10.30. We got drinks and found seats on the patio by the pool table; inside the music was just too loud for us to enjoy hanging out or even dancing. Not that we felt particularly moved to dance, as the first DJ, who I think was Nikola Baytala, was largely playing deep house; every few songs he would slip in something more interesting and techno-oriented, like Ritchie Hawtin's "The Tunnel," but it seemed more like these were conciliatory gestures toward the night's fan base than explorations into a genre that was of interest to him. We would dance for a track or two, but then it would shift back over into house and we would go outside. Unfortunately, I remember this as being the case the last time we came to Kontrol as well, and at that time our friend Tari was very disappointed that a party that had made its reputation as a minimal techno night seemed to have morphed, under the influence of End Up tradition, into yet another survey of deep house.
We had been expecting Alex Smoke to come on at 2.00, and, as a result, missed the first part of his set when he took to the controls at 1.15. What we did get to hear, however, made up for the dullness we experienced earlier in the evening. He was playing "live," and though there were some disconnects between individual songs, and I could have done without the 92.7 voice-overs announcing "Alex Smoke Playing Live at Kontrol," it was among the most interesting, and dance-inspiring, music I have heard in a long time. His tracks have an abstract spacious quality, with dark textures, that remind me of minimal trance, and the grooves are deep and solid. We heard one track off Paradolia, but all the rest was new to us.
Following Alex Smoke was Samim, who gets the prize for most intense DJ face. I almost enjoyed his set more than Alex Smoke's, as it had a slinky, sexy aspect that minimal techno often lacks. By the time 3AM was rolling around so was the majority of crowd, and when the trio of Marina girls in black cocktail dresses began to huddle and massage each other on the dance floor in front of us, and the lines for the bathroom were reaching back to the front entrance, we decided it was time to head out.
It was great to go out an hear, and dance to, good techno that was professionally put together on one of the best sound systems in the city. But the whole time we were there, the vibe seemed off to us. First there was the long digression into house music early in the evening, then, after 2AM, there was the arrival of clubbers in cha-cha heels and button-up shirts who seeemed to be there only because it's one of the few places in town open at that time. As the boyfriend put it, it was like being magically transported into the middle of 1015. The first time I went to a Kontrol party was to hear ModeSelektor at Rx Gallery, an event that remains among the highlights of my San Francisco nightlife experiences. After that we were monthly attendees, and I still have the memory of standing on the Eddy Street sidewalk, looking across the street to a gay strip club, and thinking how much it all reminded me of Berlin squat clubs after the wall came down. It was a slightly sketchy space in a way sketchy part of town, and that was what made it seem like something special and outlaw. Of course, the sound system sucked, they were likely to blow a fuse if they turned on the video projector, and it got so hot that you could see water coming down the walls, so I was thrilled when I heard that Kontrol was moving to The End Up. The benefits of that move - a better sound system, more space - now have to be weighed against the changes that the night has undergone as a result of becoming more mainstream. It is, in many ways, a much "safer" night out than it used to be, in terms of the space and location, but also in terms of the music, at least during the first part of the evening. This increased safety has widened Kontrol's appeal beyond the heads who helped it take off from the RX, and I'm happy for their success, but I rather miss that sweaty, underground vibe it had in the old days; for me techno always sounds better when it takes a little more effort, both physically and intellectually, to go out and hear it.
As we were getting ready to head out to hear Alex Smoke at Kontrol this past Saturday I realized that it has been over six months since the last time we checked out what was once my absolute first choice for San Francisco clubbing. What I discovered on this past Saturday was that, while I am still quite happy that Kontrol has been successful in bringing minimal techno artists to San Francisco, their migration from a quasi-underground art gallery space in the Tenderloin to one of San Francisco's biggest clubs has brought with it some changes in vibe that, for me at least, outweigh some of the positive aspects of the move.
We arrived at 10.30 with our friend J to find a line at the door; apparently doors at 10 really means doors at 10.30. We got drinks and found seats on the patio by the pool table; inside the music was just too loud for us to enjoy hanging out or even dancing. Not that we felt particularly moved to dance, as the first DJ, who I think was Nikola Baytala, was largely playing deep house; every few songs he would slip in something more interesting and techno-oriented, like Ritchie Hawtin's "The Tunnel," but it seemed more like these were conciliatory gestures toward the night's fan base than explorations into a genre that was of interest to him. We would dance for a track or two, but then it would shift back over into house and we would go outside. Unfortunately, I remember this as being the case the last time we came to Kontrol as well, and at that time our friend Tari was very disappointed that a party that had made its reputation as a minimal techno night seemed to have morphed, under the influence of End Up tradition, into yet another survey of deep house.
We had been expecting Alex Smoke to come on at 2.00, and, as a result, missed the first part of his set when he took to the controls at 1.15. What we did get to hear, however, made up for the dullness we experienced earlier in the evening. He was playing "live," and though there were some disconnects between individual songs, and I could have done without the 92.7 voice-overs announcing "Alex Smoke Playing Live at Kontrol," it was among the most interesting, and dance-inspiring, music I have heard in a long time. His tracks have an abstract spacious quality, with dark textures, that remind me of minimal trance, and the grooves are deep and solid. We heard one track off Paradolia, but all the rest was new to us.
Following Alex Smoke was Samim, who gets the prize for most intense DJ face. I almost enjoyed his set more than Alex Smoke's, as it had a slinky, sexy aspect that minimal techno often lacks. By the time 3AM was rolling around so was the majority of crowd, and when the trio of Marina girls in black cocktail dresses began to huddle and massage each other on the dance floor in front of us, and the lines for the bathroom were reaching back to the front entrance, we decided it was time to head out.
It was great to go out an hear, and dance to, good techno that was professionally put together on one of the best sound systems in the city. But the whole time we were there, the vibe seemed off to us. First there was the long digression into house music early in the evening, then, after 2AM, there was the arrival of clubbers in cha-cha heels and button-up shirts who seeemed to be there only because it's one of the few places in town open at that time. As the boyfriend put it, it was like being magically transported into the middle of 1015. The first time I went to a Kontrol party was to hear ModeSelektor at Rx Gallery, an event that remains among the highlights of my San Francisco nightlife experiences. After that we were monthly attendees, and I still have the memory of standing on the Eddy Street sidewalk, looking across the street to a gay strip club, and thinking how much it all reminded me of Berlin squat clubs after the wall came down. It was a slightly sketchy space in a way sketchy part of town, and that was what made it seem like something special and outlaw. Of course, the sound system sucked, they were likely to blow a fuse if they turned on the video projector, and it got so hot that you could see water coming down the walls, so I was thrilled when I heard that Kontrol was moving to The End Up. The benefits of that move - a better sound system, more space - now have to be weighed against the changes that the night has undergone as a result of becoming more mainstream. It is, in many ways, a much "safer" night out than it used to be, in terms of the space and location, but also in terms of the music, at least during the first part of the evening. This increased safety has widened Kontrol's appeal beyond the heads who helped it take off from the RX, and I'm happy for their success, but I rather miss that sweaty, underground vibe it had in the old days; for me techno always sounds better when it takes a little more effort, both physically and intellectually, to go out and hear it.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Paul Addis at Substance at The End Up this Saturday
Word comes to me that Paul Addis will be "holding court" at Substance at The End Up this Saturday. Maybe this will encourage you to go, maybe it will encourage you to go elsewhere, maybe it will inspire the prankster in you - all I'm doing is relaying the information, it's up to you to do with it what you will.
Monday, August 27, 2007
The End of Fag Fridays at The End Up
On Saturday I got the scoop from a reliable inside source that the venerable institution of Fag Fridays, which has been running for something like 14 years, will be having their last party in mid-October, with Fridays now being given over to major DJ parties.
Though my own description of Fag Fridays has long been "gay, reliable, but not that exciting," the passing of this event will mark a milestone in the history of the San Francisco gay scene. Perhaps most significantly, there will no longer be a weekly gay dance event that focuses on house music, and this is what I see as the real significance of this milestone; the deep house sound that once served as the bedrock for the gay dance scene has now fallen so signficantly out of fashion that parties based around this music no longer have the ability to pull in the numbers like they used to.
In some ways, this is not so surprising; go out to any club in the Castro and you'll hear more hip-hop and contemporary dance (in the vein of 92.7) than you will house music, and tribal diva house now rules the big dance scene. The progressive sound, like what you hear at Honey Sound System parties, is more based in techno than house, and the other successful nights focus either on rock and electro, or retro disco/Italodisco. House just doesn't have the cultural currency that it once did, nor has it been the soundtrack for so many coming out and clubbing adventures that it once was. People are generally loyal to the music that was a part of their sexual awakening, and for younger gay guys that music usually has more do with MTV and 92.7 than it does with deep house.
Though it's been a long time since I went there (I think the last time was probably two years ago), I will be kinda sad to see Fag Fridays go away. It was a fun time in a cool space, and always made me feel a connection to a history of the San Francisco scene that was special. If you enjoyed Fag Fridays, go out and have one more twirl on the dancefloor before it's gone for good.
Though my own description of Fag Fridays has long been "gay, reliable, but not that exciting," the passing of this event will mark a milestone in the history of the San Francisco gay scene. Perhaps most significantly, there will no longer be a weekly gay dance event that focuses on house music, and this is what I see as the real significance of this milestone; the deep house sound that once served as the bedrock for the gay dance scene has now fallen so signficantly out of fashion that parties based around this music no longer have the ability to pull in the numbers like they used to.
In some ways, this is not so surprising; go out to any club in the Castro and you'll hear more hip-hop and contemporary dance (in the vein of 92.7) than you will house music, and tribal diva house now rules the big dance scene. The progressive sound, like what you hear at Honey Sound System parties, is more based in techno than house, and the other successful nights focus either on rock and electro, or retro disco/Italodisco. House just doesn't have the cultural currency that it once did, nor has it been the soundtrack for so many coming out and clubbing adventures that it once was. People are generally loyal to the music that was a part of their sexual awakening, and for younger gay guys that music usually has more do with MTV and 92.7 than it does with deep house.
Though it's been a long time since I went there (I think the last time was probably two years ago), I will be kinda sad to see Fag Fridays go away. It was a fun time in a cool space, and always made me feel a connection to a history of the San Francisco scene that was special. If you enjoyed Fag Fridays, go out and have one more twirl on the dancefloor before it's gone for good.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Your Friday Guide
For some reason, Fridays have become my favorite night to go out. I'm not sure why this is, but it seems that most of the events of interest to me happen on Fridays. Well, that's just fine, more time to recover. So, for this Friday the jaded gay DJ recommends:
FUK werk Fridays Happy Hour at 111 Minna
A new minimal techno happy hour in downtown, yee-haa!
Fag Fridays at The EndUp
Reliable, if not all that exciting, but it goes all night, expect to pay around $20 to get in and to dance to pretty typical San Francisco deep house (the DJs should update their bios, since they refer to clubs that don't exist any more)
The Rod at Deco
FREE before 10, $5 after, where the guys tend to be a bit frisky, though the music is all disco-retro
Charlie Horse at The Cinch
Free entry, easy-going, cheap strong drinks, crazy drag escapades, a good place to put down a couple on a Friday night when you're looking for a low-key but entertaining evening
Lights Down Low at 222 Club
I've not had a chance to check out this night yet but it seems interesting (despite the cliche "sexy girls" video they have on their myspace page), with good reviews for the bar itself on Yelp. If anybody goes and can give a report, please do so for the benefit of myself and everyone else looking for a good time. This Friday is DJ Sleazemore's birthday, so expect some celebrating.
Not sure where I'll end up at this point; I've heard that there's a tattoo studio in Oakland that will do a "13" for you on Friday the 13th for 13 dollars, so the boyfriend and I may be getting inked with a friend of his, and lord knows what we'll get up to after that. I'll be sure to let you know, though.
FUK werk Fridays Happy Hour at 111 Minna
A new minimal techno happy hour in downtown, yee-haa!
Fag Fridays at The EndUp
Reliable, if not all that exciting, but it goes all night, expect to pay around $20 to get in and to dance to pretty typical San Francisco deep house (the DJs should update their bios, since they refer to clubs that don't exist any more)
The Rod at Deco
FREE before 10, $5 after, where the guys tend to be a bit frisky, though the music is all disco-retro
Charlie Horse at The Cinch
Free entry, easy-going, cheap strong drinks, crazy drag escapades, a good place to put down a couple on a Friday night when you're looking for a low-key but entertaining evening
Lights Down Low at 222 Club
I've not had a chance to check out this night yet but it seems interesting (despite the cliche "sexy girls" video they have on their myspace page), with good reviews for the bar itself on Yelp. If anybody goes and can give a report, please do so for the benefit of myself and everyone else looking for a good time. This Friday is DJ Sleazemore's birthday, so expect some celebrating.
Not sure where I'll end up at this point; I've heard that there's a tattoo studio in Oakland that will do a "13" for you on Friday the 13th for 13 dollars, so the boyfriend and I may be getting inked with a friend of his, and lord knows what we'll get up to after that. I'll be sure to let you know, though.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Upcoming: Kontrol at the End Up
This Saturday, April 7, Kontrol returns to the End-Up with the following line-up:
DAPAYK - LIVE PA ( mo's ferry productions . trapez . resopal )
DAPAYK - LIVE PA ( mo's ferry productions . trapez . resopal )
JUSTIN MAXWELL - LIVE PA ( palette recordings . trapez . pretension )
plus special guest:
ANDRE LUCERO ( wastered)
ALLAND BYALLO ( liebe detail . floppy funk . mo's ferry )
NIKOLA BAYTALA ( robsoul . junior boys own . s.w.a.t. )
SAMMY D ( classic . dirtybird . utensil )
CRAIG KUNA ( concept sf . esdjco )
The ENDUP
401 6th St @ Harrison, SF
10pm - 6am / 21+ / $15
http://www.theendup.com
FREE until 11pm!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Upcoming: Deep End Benefit at the End-Up 3/31
This Saturday, March 31st, the End Up will host a fundraiser for The Deep End dance camp at Burning Man. The best place to dance, roll, and get a sunburn on the playa:
Deep End Fundraiser at the End-Up
Deep End Fundraiser at the End-Up
Monday, February 26, 2007
Upcoming: Kontrol at the End Up with Sammy Dee and Alex Under
Kontrol returns for their monthly at the End-Up this Saturday, March 3rd, with special guests Sammy Dee and Alex Under, the latter performing a "live" set. Sammy Dee is one half of Pantytec, and Alex Under has not only put out some great minimal tracks under his own name, but has also remixed the likes of Mylo. Once again this promises to be one of the hippest nights of new music in The City.
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