My Email to Bevan Dufty Opposing the Nightclub Legislation

Just sent this to Bevan Dufty, my supervisor for District 8. This legislation will be proposed on Tuesday, so if you want to oppose it, go to the Board of Supervisor's meeting or send your supervisor an email NOW!

***************

Supervisor Dufty,

I am writing to you as a constituent, an independent club promoter, nightlife journalist, and active member of San Francisco’s nightlife culture to urge you to oppose the nightclub legislation that Sophie Maxwell will introduce during Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting. This legislation will do nothing to address the real issues of violent crime, and will instead make club owners and promoters bear the burden of enforcing absurd and onerous rules.

First, the proposal to make it illegal to loiter within ten feet of a club for more than 180 seconds is absurd on the face of the proposal itself. While the exceptions for cigarette smoking and hailing a cab recognize at least two situations where it would be ridiculous to enforce this law, one has to wonder about all the other situations in which law-abiding club-goers would be subject to harassment. Would it be illegal for me to have a conversation with someone outside a club if they were smoking a cigarette and I wasn’t? I know you have been to Drunk and Horny on Saturday night at UndergroudSF; what about the situation where, at 2AM, the club closes and guys are standing on the sidewalk before they leave? Finally, who would enforce this law? Would we expect the police to stand outside clubs with stopwatches, timing everyone? Would it be up the club security, who would then have to call the police? This legislation cannot be enforced, and in situations where it was, it would amount to little more than subjective harassment. If the issue is about non-clubgoers laying in wait outside clubs, selling drugs, or breaking into cars, then the solution is have increased police foot patrols outside clubs to watch for dangerous behavior, rather than making everyone standing outside into a potential criminal.

Second, the proposal to require anyone who does more than two events per year in city to obtain a permit would also place undue burden on independent promoters and lead once again to problems of enforcement. This city’s nightlife is built on small promoters like myself, who rarely make any profit form our events, putting forth proposals to bar and club owners who have already gone through a permitting process to have events. Do you really think it would help with issues of violent crime to force promoters like myself, Juanita More, Bus Station John, Comfort and Joy, Jeff and Gary, and Honey Sound System, to name just a few who are active in the gay community, to have permits to throw events? The real effect of enacting this legislation would be chilling on the entrepreneurial spirit, and the love of nightlife culture, that these promoters bring to our city. Again, this would do nothing to curb the problems that the Mayor seems to want to address, since he already acknowledges that it is the “fly-by-night” promoters who do random events that are the source of issues, rather than those who have established themselves in the community. Further, the end goal seems to be to make promoters responsible to the police for any action undertaken by someone at their club. I cannot control what the patrons of my club nights do; I cannot stop them from drinking too much or starting fights, aside from having them thrown out when I see them becoming a problem. How is it, then, that I can be held responsible for a “security breach or health violation,” which is plainly the responsibility of the club owner? Finally, how would this permitting process be enforced? Would we expect promoters to present their permits to club owners before they were allowed to do events? Or would the police come to events on the second night and demand to see the permits? In either case, it seems that that this legislation would require club and bar owners to enforce it, or require the dedication of police resources that could be otherwise put to better use.

I feel that this legislation is being proposed to address a non-existent problem; in all my years of activity in the San Francisco club scene, I have seen exactly one violent incident. The statistics listed in the Chronicle article are, in the face of other violent crime in the city, insignificant, and there is no evidence that this legislation would address the causes of the violent acts described. If the problem is that 15% of violent assaults occur within or around clubs, and if the majority of those crimes are committed around closing time, as a police spokesman stated in a previous Chronicle article on this topic, then the solution is simple: increase police foot patrols around clubs, especially between 1.30 and 2.30 AM. The solution should require the police to do their job, rather than setting up situations for subjective harassment of club patrons and promoters, and requiring clubs and promoters to do the job that the police should be doing in the first place.

Sincerely,

Phil Gochenour
Promoter, FSLD, Deco Lounge
Founder, SFScene blog (http://sfscene.blogspot.com)
San Francisco Correspondent, Beatportal.com

Newsome Proposes Absurd and Oppressive Nightlife Legislation

So, according to this article in the Examiner, the best method that Gavin Newsom has come up with to combat the "problem" of nightclub violence is to have cops stand outside clubs with stop watches, and to force independent promoters to obtain permits from the city to have events in clubs that have already had to go through their own permitting process to have dance nights.

First, Newsom wants to make it illegal to "loiter" outside clubs for more than three minutes. People having cigarettes and waiting for cabs will be exempt (thank god, there's no way to get a taxi in under three minutes anywhere in the city), but I want to know how they are going to enforce this. Will doormen be required to time everyone who steps outside the club? Will cops be standing by with stopwatches? "I'm sorry sir, you've been here for 181 seconds, we're going to have to take you in."

Second, now they not only want clubs to have permits to have DJs and dance music, now they want to make promoters obtain permits too? And how much will that cost? And who is going to enforce whether every person who throws a bar night has a permit, the club owners? "I'm sorry Sir, but your papers are not in order."

This is an absurd solution to a problem that has been cooked up to make the Newsom administration look like it's doing something to deal with violent crime when, in fact, violent crime associated with club nights is more the exception than the rule. These rules will do *nothing* to stop an asshole looking for a fight from starting one, or to keep some idiot carrying a weapon from using it if he thinks his girlfriend had been ogled by another guy. Those are issues that have to be addressed on a much higher level than making up ridiculous rules and penalizing people who want to create more culture for the city of San Francisco. Unfortunately, this administration is much more about the photo op and the sound bite than substantial change. If you think this is as stupid as I do, send an email to your supervisor right now.

Your Friday Guide for February 29, 2008

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. 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
FREE!

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Sick! at The Matador
A nice dive bar with techno tunes, a perfect place to start your night or to spend it. Residents D Spurlock, Jeffrey Allen, Jonathon Neil, Kuze, and Meekrob. Check out my review of Sick!
9PM - 2AM
FREE
Matador, 10 6th Street x Market

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Fag Fridays at Pink - The Last One Ever!
An era ends this Friday night when the longest-running gay dance night in San Francisco closes its doors. Come out to hear David Harness, Leon Neon, Rolo, and Manny Ward spin that special house vibe one last time.
10PM - "late"
$10
Pink, 2526 16th Street x South Van Ness

GhettoDisco at The EndUp
With DJs Cary Stringfellow, Sean Greene, and Taj.
11PM - 11AM
FREE before midnight, $20 until 2AM, $30 after 2AM
The EndUp, 6th x Harrison

Blow-Up at The Rickshaw Stop
With residents Jefrodesiac and Richie Panic (Frisco Disco) and special guest DJs from The Rapture.
10PM - 2AM
$10 for 21+, $12 for 18-21
The Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell at Van Ness

Faktion at Club Anu
Another little mushroom popping up in the techno scene - excellent! Tonight features DJ Developer and Endosine.
10PM - 2AM
$5
Club Anu, 43 Sixth x Market

Monthlies and One-Offs

Pirates v. Clowns at 1015 Folsom
With The Mutaytor, Bassbin Twins v. Uberzone, a mash-up room hosted by Bootie, a dubstep room featuring Kromestar, and the downstairs lounge hosted by The Fringe. Performance and visuals by Cirque Bezirk.
10PM - "Late"
$20, special early door discount if you dress as a pirate or clown
1015 Folsom, Folsom x 6th

The End of Fag Fridays, the Beginning of Something New

This morning I received an email from a regular reader asking me "Is Fag Friday's ending, for good?" I had heard a few rumours around this, so I checked the event schedule for Pink and discovered that Fag Fridays wasn't on the calendar after tomorrow night! I sent an email to David Peterson, who, along with his partner Jose Mineros, have been the guiding force behind San Francisco's longest-running gay dance night, and received confirmation that, indeed, tomorrow night will be the last Fag Friday ever.

This is definitely the end of an era in gay nightlife, and prompts musings on how things have changed in the gay dance scene since the first party the boys threw back in 1996. But the good news is that David tells me they will continue to do one-off parties for big gay events like Pride and Folsom Street, and that they are even working on opening a venue of their own. They are also starting a record label, Thread Recordings, with their first single, David Harness' "The Rhythm," set to drop next week on traxsource.com.

If you've ever had a dancefloor moment at Fag Fridays, you should head out tomorrow night for your last chance to feel that special house vibe, and to wish David and Jose good luck with their new endeavors.

Mix Download: Minima Machina from Lord Kook

Lord Kook of Fuck Shit, Let's Dance has a new mix out. Entitled "Minima Machina," it's a journey through minimal techno, suitable for headphone listening or afterhours grooving. Check it out over on his website.

Track List:

01. Nathan Fake - Peary Land (intro)\
02. Lusine - Make It Easy (John Tejada Remix)\
03. Jan Driver - Kardamoon\
04. Pier Bucci - Hay Consuelo (Samim Remix)\
05. Kritical Audio - Krupp (Minilogue Remix)\
06. Petter - Some Polyphony\
07. Gurtz - Nagoya\
08. Solomun & Stimming - Feuervogel (Original Mix)\
09. Stephan Hinz - Ending Up Flipping Burgers / Diescinerum\
10. Troy Pierce - 25 Bitches (Gaiser's Too Many Bitches Makeover)\
11. Claude Von Stroke - Who's Afraid Of Detroit (Tanner Ross Remix)\
12. John Gaiser - Egress\
13. Square One - Vesuvius (Justin Martin's 'I Hope It Doesn't Blow' Mix)\
14. Chelonis R. Jones - Deer In The Headlights (DJ Hell Remix)\
15. Nathan Fake - Peary Land (outro)\

Mix Download: 022608 from DJ Pup

So here's my first new mix in a very long while; and, even more special, this is my first entirely on CDs using my new Pioneer CDJ-800s. Almost all this music was acquired in the past two weeks, and though I really need to listen to it and live with it more, I am pretty pleased with how it all came together. The only thing I would change is mixing in Lawler's "Courses for Horses" against Deadmau5's "Secondary Complications;" this was the first time I tried it, and now listening back to it I think it's too busy, but that's why we do these things, right? Koehncke's "Weiche Zaune" is also a somewhat different genre than the rest of these tracks, but it's such a beautiful expression of disco utopia I really wanted to use it to make a statement. Similarly, the remix of "Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups is a bit different, but I think it leaves the listener with a lasting impression and some lyrics that echo through your head long after the track has ended.

As usual, feedback and comments are welcome.

Mix 022608 from DJ Pup

Track List

Weiche Zaune (The Modernist Remix) - Justus Koehncke
Supernova - Gabriel Ananda and Dominik Eulberg
Time to Jak - A Guy Called Gerald
Secondary Complications - Deadmau5
Courses for Horses - Steve Lawler
Mantrakoma (non-vocal version) - Dusty Kid
Hunted - Martin Buttrich
Tomographie (Spektre Remix) - Andre Crom
Hold My Hand (Dubfire Remix) - UNKLE
Lazy Eye (Jason Bentley Remix) - Silversun Pickups

The Communal Function of Dancing

For Christmas my friend Scooter (who has stamped red stars on the wrists of FSLD attendees) gave me Barbara Ehrenreich's "Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy." I just started reading it this week, and, aside from some slightly dubious speculation on the evoluntionary function of dancing in early societies, it has provided some interesting food for thought. Last night I came across the following passage, which nicely sums up why I have always been interested in throwing parties and, eventually, hopefully, getting people to dance together:

[British anthropologist Robin] Dunbar is not the only one to see group dancing - especially in lines and circles - as the great leveler and binder of human communities, uniting all who participate in the kind of communitas that [Victor] Turner found in twentieth-century native rituals. Interestingly, the Greek word nomos, meaning "law," also had the musical meaning of "melody." To submit, bodily, to the music through dance is to be incorporated into the community in a way far deeper that shared myth or custom can achieve. In synchronous movement to music or chanting voices, the petty rivalries and factional differences that might divide a group could be transmuted into harmless competition over one's prowess as a dancer, or forgotten. "Dance," as a neuroscientist put it, is "the biotechnology of group formation." (24)

Event Review: Fuck Shit Let's Dance at Deco

Our second installment of FSLD matched the first in terms of numbers, though the energy was a bit different and the presence of gay boys somewhat diminished. The compensating factor was a crossover of "straights," which, along with a conversation with Baron von Luxxury on the history of disco, helped me refine my idea of what I'm trying to accomplish with this night. We also learned that we can function with great agility in the face of the, um, challenges that club promoting presents. We still have a few things to figure out about this particular space and event, but I think that's what makes throwing a monthly party an interesting experiment in party logistics and mass psychology.

First, the numbers: the clicker showed 126 when we closed out, which is nine short of the last time. There were some people I was expecting to see who didn't make it out, which would have filled in a good chunk of that. In the further game of "who are these people," we had one group of five young Asian couples show up, and during Lord Kook's set he had the rapt attention of four young women who let out with a periodic "wa-hoo!" while grooving to his set - though a rather unusual situation for him, he did seem to enjoy their enthusiasm. There were several male/female couples, including the very hip DJ Candy (Bender, Heat) and her husband Twig (artist-in-residence at Heat), and another couple that I swear were tripping tits, since I couldn't understand a damn thing they were saying to me all night (I later had reason to believe that she was the ex-propriertress of Jezebel's Joint, the club that had previously been in the Deco building, though I couldn't find anyone to confirm that). The gay guys who did show up were of a pleasingly diverse variety, though I was especially happy that the neo-tribal and punkish alternaboys were well represented. Among our scenester stars were Johnny Cocksville, who wandered the club with a crop, looking for a suitable object upon which to apply it, Dan Karasic and DJ Donimo of Lucky Pierre, and DJ6 of Lucky Pierre and Bender. I would be remiss if I didn't also mention the giant pink and green rabbit, and Superboy.

As for the challenges, they ranged from personnel problems to blown speakers. Kitty, our coat check girl, called me at 5.30 and told me he'd had to go in for a root canal during the morning and was in no shape for a long late night. I was able to find a substitute, but then when we arrived at the club it was pointed out to us that one of the main suspended floor speakers, a JBL 15, had a completely shredded cone. We all scratched our heads over how this had happened (Kiko, the security guy, said it was like that when he showed up for work on Wednesday, and the club was closed on Monday and Tuesday), since those things are pretty indestructible, but there was only one thing to do: I got in the rental car, came home, loaded up one of my own JBLs, and got back to set it up fifteen minutes before we we were supposed to open. This still left us with the tasks of setting up the downstairs and cleaning up the coat check area, but all was ready on the dot of 9.

Though we were ready to go at the appointed time, it still took a while for things to take off. At 10.30 I was wondering where the hell everybody was, but by 11.30 we had a solid dancefloor. Neonbunny played a great set of harder electro to an unfortunately mostly empty room, and when Baron von Luxxury and Johnatron came on after Lord Kook they too had moments when the dancefloor seemed to thin out. This seemed to be another big difference from the first FSLD, when the dance floor was packed the entire time, though we also had a lot more in and out traffic this time as well. I was scheduled to go on at 2.00 when the Baron and Johnatron came off, but the dance floor energy was fragile enough that I decided it needed a more confident and able guide, and turned things over to Lord Kook again.

During a smoke break outside the Baron and I had a long conversation about disco music (broadly defined), and though our tastes run in somewhat different directions, we do share an interest in the social/cultural implications of the disco experience. This, along with a conversation I had with a gentleman at the end of night at the coat check, really made me put some thought into what I would like to accomplish with this night. He seemed to be a Deco regular who decided to come check out the party; in kidding tones he said he was suprised at the way the upstairs was set up "without glory holes." He then asked me when the next Starfucker was going to be, and I told him that it was done as a regular night, but would be back for Pride (taking over our fourth Friday, in fact).

What these conversations did was make me realize that, though we don't have a lot of the features you would associate with a gay night, like go-go boys, baby oil wrestling, wet jockstrap contests, or glory holes, I am more interested in the possibility of creating a night that, by virtue of the music that was played and the energy that was put forth, had a crossover appeal that could bring all kinds of people together. Sure it's important to me that our emphasis is on "a dance party for queers and their friends," but I want the friends as much as the queers. Something I realized later was that, despite having a sign on the door that advertised the night as exactly that, there were many non-queers who came through the door and hung out anyway. To me, that epitomizes the disco spirit; something that's associated with queers, but is also about openness and respect for everybody. I know we could get more gay guys to show up if we had go-gos or some kind of performance to appeal to prurient interests, but the moment we begin to do those sorts of things, I think we'll also begin to lose that crossover crowd. It's important to me that we don't do that because I do have this idea that, if club nights are about creating culture, I want to create something that enables people to transcend the barriers that exist between us, rather than something that closes us off in an insular world.

FSLD is pretty clearly going to be a work in progress for a while; aside from the abstract philosophical issues that need to be considered, there are very practical matters as well, like how to get more people through the door before 10PM (I'm open to any suggestions you all might have in that regard), working out the timing of the DJs for the different phases of the night, and what we can do to bump everything up a notch. I think there's a lot of room for us to grow, but as long as we can keep a steady crowd coming for the next few months, I also think there's the potential to do something we can really be proud of.

NYTimes on Anti-Gay Violence in Jamaica

I've written here before about the controversy surrounding dancehall artists like Bujo Banton and Beanie Man and anti-gay lyrics in their music. For anyone who has any doubts about the serious nature of anti-gay violence in Jamaica, the New York Times today has a really disturbing article about just how bad it really is.

Your Saturday Guide for February 23, 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. 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 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 to see his Top 20 and decide for yourself. I also hear there's baby oil wrestling.
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 £50 Note and Boyshapedbox. Now with video games!
9PM - 2AM
$6
Club Eight, 1151 Folsom x 8th

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Tonal One Year Anniversary Underground
If I've recovered from FSLD and it's not pouring rain this is the party I want to check out. Techno, techno, techno from DJ Fame, Justin Martin, Alland Byallo, Leonard, Andrew Phelan & Origami, Eric Sharp, Jimmy B, Rouzbeh, Bo, DK Watts & Lance Leber, Native Intelligence, Frankie Jr., and Kuze.
10PM - "Late"
$10 before 11, $15 before 1, $20, special discount if you text "prismatic" to 67463
Underground location, call 412-0406 for info.

Your Friday Guide for February 22, 2008

Go out and have some fun before the Monsoon hits again!

Weeklies and Bar Nights

Killswitch Happy Hour at Underground SF
With residents Javaight and dcoy and special guest Andre Lucero.
6PM - 10PM

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
FREE!
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
FREE!

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Sick! at The Matador
A nice dive bar with techno tunes, a perfect place to start your night or to spend it. Residents D Spurlock, Jeffrey Allen, Jonathon Neil, Kuze, and Meekrob. Check out my review of Sick!
9PM - 2AM
FREE
Matador, 10 6th Street x Market

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

GhettoDisco at The EndUp
With DJs Pete Avila, Jamie J Sanchez , Cuervo and Adrian.
11PM - 11AM
FREE before midnight, $20 until 2AM, $30 after 2AM
The EndUp, 6th x Harrison

Monthlies and One-Offs

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Fuck Shit, Let's Dance!
A dance party for queers and their friends, with Neonbunny, Lord Kook, and special guests Baron von Luxxury and Johnatron (Discoworkout.com) 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

Evil Breaks and False Profits Present Dirty at DNA Lounge
For all your breakbeat needs. With Diverted, AMB, Carbon Community, Aaron Jae, Bam, and M.O.D. in the main room, and Dr. Toast, Alxndr, Obi-J, and DJ JD in the lounge.
10PM - 4AM
$10 advance, $10 before 11, $15 after
DNA Lounge, 375 11th x Harrison

Upcoming Event: Fuck Shit, Let's Dance This Friday at Deco Lounge!

Yes kids, it's been a month since the premiere of Fuck Shit, Let's Dance! Last month we had torrential rains, cold, and yet still managed to have a crazy crowd of over 130 dancing away to electro bangers from DJ6 and Lord Kook, so this Friday we hope it will be even bigger and crazier. Here's our line-up:

Neonbunny - our good friend from Bunny Jam, Faerie Freedom Village, and Further Confusion (I think he might be the only person associated with that event who will still speak with me) will be opening with a set of the crazy electro he's known for.

Resident Lord Kook will come on around 10.30, and this month has not only created our visuals, but also has a special remix of a Ben Mono track that he will premiere.

And then there's our headliners, Baron von Luxxury and Johnatron on a tag-team disco workout. Both have been producing and remixing tracks left and right, so we're hoping for a night of music you won't hear anywhere else!

And, if things are still going strong at 2.00AM, I might even hop on the decks for a little dark electrotech to finish off the night.

Here's the deets:

Fuck Shit, Let's Dance!
Deco Lounge, Larkin x Turk
9PM - 3AM
FREE before 10, $5 afterwards
Jaeger Shots, Vodka Tonics, and Bud Lite Specials!

http://myspace.com/clubfsld

Hope to see you all there!

Event Review: Stompy/Sunset Productions Party at Cafe Cocomo

On Sunday I ventured out with friend Kitty to check out the Stompy/Sunset Party at Café Cocomo. It was a fun excursion into a very old-skool style house music party, but, due to some mis-timing on my part, I found it difficult to get engaged with the party just as it was gaining legs.

I had heard about the party from a campmate in Comfort and Joy, and had the mistaken impression that he was meeting up with some other campmates there early in the afternoon (the party started at 3PM). I though it would be fun to have a Sunday afternoon party for a change, with the potential for a decent bed-time, so Kitty and I arrived there around 4. At that point the dancefloor was mostly empty, but we enjoyed a pleasant time on Café Cocomo’s patio having drinks and listening to an easy-going set of funky house from DJ Galen. Three drinks in, Kitty decided he wanted to head off home, and I was left on my own, waiting to see if anyone else I knew was going to show up. I enjoyed the set that DJ Solar laid down, especially the last forty minutes or so, which was some of the best minimal psy-house I have heard in a club in ages, but I found it harder to get into the sets of the next two DJs, which, while slick and smooth, were more in the vein of standard progressive and deep house.

My campmate finally showed up around 7.30, by which time the crowd had grown to three or four hundred people, and the energy was really starting to build. I hung out for about another hour, but it was obvious that I had spent my party energy too early in the day and I just wasn’t feeling the music. I spotted an empty cab sitting out in front and grabbed it, heading back home to hang out with the boyfriend before he had to crash for the night (not everyone got Monday off from work, unfortunately).

I would definitely check out a Stompy/Sunset party again; they are part of the classic San Francisco house scene, and from the looks of their crowd and the energy they raised they have kept the connection to their original raver roots. However, it was obviously a crowd that’s pretty different from the sort I normally hang out with, so I would definitely take my own crew with me next time, and I would try to time things better so that I was more in synch with the energy of the party itself.

Event Review: Joakim with Glass Candy (or was it the other way around?) at Fat City

Friday night the boyfriend and I went out to Fat City to check out Tigersushi label head and notorious electro disco remixer Joakim, and to also see blog house darlings Glass Candy. It was a strange night out where many of our expectations were disappointed.

First, we had been looking forward to seeing Pee Play’s video installation/deconstruction of the homo classic Cruising, but when we got there Ken Vulsion told us that Pee Play had come down with a bad case of flu, so Jason Kendig was substituting. Jason played a very smooth set with a vintage disco feel that got the crowd from standing around with drinks in their hands to fairly widespread dancing – I even saw Josh Cheon and Robot Hustle in the crowd with their hands in the air. I think Jason was having a good time as well, but his facial expression was virtually inscrutable – he and Samim would run a close contest for most stern DJ face I’ve seen this year.

Glass Candy came on around 11.30 and immediately endeared themselves to the crowd when chanteuse and interpretive dancer Ida No said “hey, let’s thank DJ whats-his-name” before launching into a track that began with the lyrics “Look at me.” That seemed to be the whole point of their performance; if you watched the stage it seemed that the entire focus of the show was Ida’s various stage gyrations, and if you turned your back and didn’t watch it sounded like overwrought sturm-und-drang signifying very little. Afterwards I thought it appropriate that two of the videos on their myspace were of their tracks being played for runway shows at fashion week.

When Joakim finally came on at 12.30 it felt less like the performance of a headliner and more like the clean-up brigade. We had hoped to hear some original tracks or remixes, but instead he just played records. We only stayed for about another half hour, so he might have taken off in other directions after that, but when he put on a remix of Khia’s “My Neck, My Back” (a song I have truly grown to loathe) I decided I really wasn’t interested in hearing where things went from there.

When I looked back at the event listing on the Blasthaus website, I realized that it said “Joakim, with a live set by Glass Candy,” which should have been the tip-off that we were going to get a DJ set rather than an actual performance. Nonetheless, when you’re charging $15 at the door for a party, and you have a “headliner” of that stature playing, I would think that you would give him the more appropriate headliner time-slot and have him do something besides spin records. As it was I felt like I paid $15 to go a Glass Candy show, which was about $10 too much.

Your Saturday Guide for February 16, 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, 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. I hear there's also baby oil wrestling.
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. The night tends to get started on the later side.
9PM - 3AM
$3
Larkin x Geary

The Show at The EndUp
Some burnerrific breaks in this installation, hit the link for the full line-up.
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

San Francisco Disco Revival Up on Beatportal

Hey kids, I just posted a new entry on Beatportal about "the San Francisco Disco Revival," and I'm super-pleased with it. I've been working on it for almost two weeks (doing the links today took an hour alone), it's the first thing where I've been able to "interview" people (though via email), and it's my best attempt so far, in my opinion, to develop a more polished voice (and attitude) while still trying to answer the question of what it all means (and the potential implications of that). If you check it out and have any comments, please make them there, as it will help keep the entry alive for a little while longer and might spark some discussions with the larger global community that reads Beatportal.

Your Friday Guide for February 15, 2008

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
FREE!
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
FREE!

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Sick! at The Matador
A nice dive bar with techno tunes, a perfect place to start your night or to spend it. Residents D Spurlock, Jeffrey Allen, Jonathon Neil, Kuze, and Meekrob. Check out my review of Sick!
9PM - 2AM
FREE
Matador, 10 6th Street x Market

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

GhettoDisco at The EndUp
It's the "Official International Bear Rendezvous Pre-Sweat Party," with DJs Ted Eiel, Blain Soileau, Hawthorne, Sean Greene, and John Millier.
9PM - 11AM (honey, don't forget the pills!)
FREE before 10PM, $20 until 2AM, $30 after 2AM
The EndUp, 6th x Harrison

Monthlies and One Offs

Blow-Up at The Rickshaw Stop
With guest Vin Sol 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, mix 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

Joakim with Glass Candy at Fat City
And support from local boy wonders Honey Sound System (with Pee Play premiering a new video installation) and Sleazemore (Lights Down Low).
9PM - 3AM
$12 advance tix (hit the link), $15 at the door
Fat City, 314 11th Street x Folsom

Anon Salon Presents Queen of Arts at Whisper
Expect the usual over-the-top Anon Salon Burner-rifici party with art, "play spaces," and music from a big line-up of San Francisco's breakiest DJs (except maybe the person playing the Chinese harp).
9PM - 4AM
$10 before $10, $15 after if dressed in red, $20 otherwise.
Whisper Lounge, 535 Florida x 17th

And now a word from our sponsor . . . .

Hey kids, sorry I've not been providing more daily desktop reading material, but the jaded gay DJ has been feeling a bit more jaded than usual over the past couple weeks, and this past weekend I decided to go for some quiet time with home, hearth, friends and cat to try and revive my enthusiasm for the music and club scene. So far, I'm still feeling pretty "mopey," to use the generous term for my melancholic humour, but I hope that a nice Valentine's Day dinner with the boyfriend, a four-day weekend, and the Joakim/Glass Candy show at Fat City will restore me to a more sanguine temperment and the posts will begin to flow freely again. Meanwhile, I'm working on a post about the San Francisco Disco Revival for Beatportal (which might come as a suprise to long-term readers, given some of my past comments), and I hope that you might head over and check out my postings there if you really feel the need for some jaded gay club reportage.

Mix Download: Vintage Disco from the Trocadero Transfer

The guys at Remember the Party, which regularly celebrates the glory days of disco at the legendary Trocadero Transfer, have put together two MP3s of a reel-to-reel set that was originally put together by TT founder Dick Collier. So, if you're hungry for some vintage late 70s/early 80s disco, go check it out!

Your Saturday Guide for February 9, 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
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

Bibi Love at Club Eight
San Francisco's Premier Middle-Eastern LGBT Party, with DJs Emacipation, Bahman, and Cheon throwing down the disco sounds of the Middle East, and the Comedy/Burlesque "Asses of Evil" show presented by Dirty Phoenix.
9PM - 2AM
$15
Club Eight, 1151 Folsom @ 8th

Roundmusic Underground with Kontrol DJs and Live Music
Yep, an underground with Kontrol DJs Nikola Baytala, Alland Byallo, Craig Kuna, Greg Bird, and Sammy D; live music from Maldroid, The Cons, Tokyo Decadence, and DJ Rebecca Watkins; and a "mixed music" room featuring Mazi, the Supacreep, Davey Shubeck, and Izzy C.
9.30PM - "Late"
$10 before 11PM, $15 after
Underground Location, call 415-303-0002 for info

Your Friday Guide for February 8, 2008

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 Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Sick! at The Matador
A nice dive bar with techno tunes, a perfect place to start your night or to spend it. Residents D Spurlock, Jeffrey Allen, Jonathon Neil, Kuze, and Meekrob. Check out my review of Sick!
9PM - 2AM
FREE
Matador, 10 6th Street x Market

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

GhettoDisco at The EndUp
With guests DJ Escape and Jimmy Chen, and resident Jim Hopkins.
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

Lights Down Low at Club 222
With resident DJs Sleazemore and Rchrd OH!? and special guests. Check out my previous reviews of Lights Down Low.
10PM - 2AM
$7
Club 222, 222 Hyde Street x Turk

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: Bender at The Transfer
Always a lively crowd. With resident DJs Candy and DJ6 (Lucky Pierre), and this week special guest Lord Kook (Fuck Shit, Let's Dance!)
9PM - 2AM
NO COVER!
The Transfer, Church and Market

The Rod at Deco Lounge
I've warmed more to Bus Station John's retro disco since my initial review, but whether you'll be into it really depends on how you feel about pre-AIDS nostalgia. Check out my review of The Rod.
10PM - 4AM
FREE before 10PM, $5 After
Deco Lounge, 510 Larkin at Turk

Mix Download: Richie Panic of Frisco Disco

Mr. Panic of the Frisco Disco has a new mix available that seems to include a couple original edits:

Ready For The Floor-Hot Chip (Panics Tidy Re-edit)

Organ Grinder-Trevor Lovey & Sinden

Why not?-Alter Ego

Wet 'N Wild-K.I.M. (Riot In Belgium Remix)

The Sound-The Rapture (Ben Rymers Back to 95 Remix)

My People-The Presets (Panics Cut and Run DIM Re-edit)

Gimme What You Got-Black Daniel (Alex Metric Remix)

Move, Shake, Drop-DJ Laz and Pitbull

Valerie-Mark Ronson (Count Of Monte Cristo & Sinden Remix)

Dooms Night-Azzido Da Bass (Laidback Luke Bootleg)

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger-Daft Punk (Deadmau5 Edit)

More More-Junkie XL (Kraak & Smaak Get Stupid Remix)

Fool For Love-Das Pop (Yuksek Remix)

Road To Recovery-Midnight Juggernauts (Curses! Remix)

Bonus Track

Event Review: Sick at The Matador

Sometimes, after a long hard week, it's difficult to muster the energy and enthusiasm for a big night out. Sometimes you just want to find a dark, unpretentious bar where they'll pour you a strong drink, where you can hear some groovy music that sets your mind to wandering away from all that you've been dealing with, a space away from home where you can talk with your friends and unwind enough that when you leave, you feel refreshed and ready to take on something new. Thank God I found that space last Friday at The Matador on 6th Street during Sick, a minimal techno night that started up last November.

Last week was a rough one for yours truly, since I was not only dealing with the usual mental and physical exhaustion after two long and active weekends on the party circuit, but, in writing my review of Further Confusion 2008, I wound up sticking my hand down into a hole full of angry badgers. Links to that review wound up being posted on a Livejournal community, and all around on various boards and forums, so that by Friday I had the highest number of daily hits (351) that I've ever gotten on this site, and I found myself embroiled in defensive manuevers on several different boards at the same time; while some were supportive of what I had to say, there were those who also felt that the best response was to say what a terrible, stupid, vapid, nasty person I must be to have not had a good time at that event. Worse, I found that I had unintentionally offended a good friend of mine, resulting in a tense phone conversation on Thursday night. I wrote and wrote and wrote, trying to clarify and refine the things I had said in my earlier post in the hope of opening up a more constructive dialogue, but by Friday evening I felt like I was getting into an extended tennis match with several different machines shooting balls into my side of the court, and I quickly realized that I was just one person, while there hundreds of potential opponents. So, after dinner on Friday night I turned off the comments for my FC posts, cancelled the reply notification for the topics I was following on other boards, and decided that it was best to let those who agreed or disagreed with me battle it out on their own. After all that what I really wanted on Friday evening was to be out someplace where I didn't feel this nervous itch to log in and check my email. We already had plans to stop in and say hi to the folks at Lucky Pierre, but since The Matador was kinda on the way, I thought it might be nice to stop off and have a drink there; as it was, we wound up staying for three.

The Matador was known as The Arrow Bar in a former incarnation; I never went there, but I've heard stories about it being a dark, dirty, cavernous hole that was well-loved by the attendees of Frisco Disco when it was in that location. I'm pleased to say that the deep, dark hole aspect is still present, though the cave decor, if it was ever more than just a metaphor, is gone. The Matador seems to be one of those ancient San Francisco bars that has somehow just kept going through the decades; it's narrow but deep, with a bar running down most of its length to a small DJ/dance area in the back. The wooden and mirrored bar with the gold Deco accents put me in mind of a working man's saloon where you'd stop in for a belt on the way home, and the Spanish matador kitsch decor was just enough to bring some humor to the surroundings without being ovewhelming. The young Asian guy behind the bar poured us a couple stiff drinks, including a very reasonably priced ($7) Red Bull and Blueberry Stoli concoction, and eventually we wound up having a conversation about Freud.

I'm unsure how I first heard about Sick, though it's been going on since early November, another little mushroom popping up in the San Francisco techno garden. When we first arrived the music was on the knarzier side of the minimal spectrum, but the boyfriend and I both remarked on how wonderfully tight the mixes were. We had a drink and thought it would be cool to hang out for another, just to see where things went. The second DJ came on and, after a bit of a problem with getting the levels set, embarked on a nice journey into slightly more abstract but still groovy territory. The only track we recognized was Supermayer's "Two of Us," but that should give you some idea of the overall flavor of the set. We were thrilled that, not only were the drinks good and the music fine, but that the volume of music was low enough that we could have a real conversation while sitting at the bar. So, we ordered up a third round.

If we hadn't already been planning on going to Lucky Pierre I would have been quite content to hang out at The Matador all night, getting smashed and listening to techno. We arrived between 9.30 and 10.00, and left between 11.00 and 11.30, and during that whole time a few people came and went, but it was far from being crowded; it would be interesting to hang out later and see how that scene develops as the night goes on. Regardless of the crowd size, it's a great place to get a Friday evening techno fix (Sick happens every Friday between 9PM and 2AM, and there's no cover), whether you're out and about early and just want a pre-party drink, or you're looking for a nice atmopheric joint where you can settle in for the night.

Your Saturday Guide for February 2, 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 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 this looks like one of the hottest things going right now. Check it out yourselves 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

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends:Kontrol at the End Up
With guest Donnacha Costello. Check out my recent review of Kontrol.
10PM - 6AM
FREE before 11, $20 after
The End Up, 6th x Harrison

Trans Am at Club Eight
Rock/punk/indie music from resident Dirty Knees, usually with a band performing as well. Check out my review of Trans Am.
10PM - 2AM
$5
Club Eight, 1151 Folsom x Eighth.

The Jaded Gay DJ Recommends: 0101 at Mezzanine
A new night of electronic music and DJs in another of my favorite spaces - easy to get to, easy-going security, and a reasonable cover. 0101 goest techno for their launch with Christian Martin, Dead Seal, Kevin Knapp and Eric Sebastian in the main room, and Hookerz & Blow and Layerz in the Dubstep/Glitch lounge.
$5 before 11
9PM - 2AM
Mezzanine, 444 Jessie x Mint