I made the mistake of going shopping for Halloween gear in the Haight tonight; from now until next weekend I propose we ban the phrase "sexy (noun)," as I heard "sexy nurse," "sexy convict" and similar constructions falling from far too many lips. I managed to come away with gear for my friend Kitty, but my own costume will likely be brilliantly ad-hoc.
If you're smart, you're prepared to take off work, or work from home, or something, on Monday, cuz this is the kind of weekend that tests a (wo)man's mettle. Here's the jaded gay DJ's guide to the Halloween party gauntlet.
FRIDAY, October 31
For the gay boys
Blood Pact at SoMarts (8th and Brannan), 10PM - 5AM, $15
Okay, for starters, this is an 18+ event, and my boy Lord Kook is DJing on the main floor from 11.30 - 1.00. Then there's the Honey SoundSystem DJs v. A Club Called Rhonda (LA), Richard Oh?! tag-teaming with Sleazemore (3-5AM), Liam Shy and Digitial Paradigm kicking out some electro house, and performances by Ambrosia Salad, Chris McVick (my favorite straight disco boy), and Monistat. Oh, and there's an outdoor area too. Just go, okay?
For the crazy kids
Night of the Living Bass at Mighty (Utah x 15th), 10PM - 4AM, $15 presales at opelproductions.com
You've got DJs from Opel, Space Cowboys, Evil Breaks, and The Deep End, all of which adds up to hot breaks and deep house, costumes fresh off the playa, and lots of that special Burning Man party madness.
Saturday, Day of the Dead, November 1st
Ghost Ship on Treasure Island (10PM - 4AM), $20 presales, $20 at the door in costume, $30 without
It's a 25,000 square foot airplane hanger with three bars, art cars and installations, and more fucking DJ's than I can count. And I have it on good authority that Comfort and Joy will be hosting a queer-friendly chill room too. Biodiesel shuttle from the corner of Larkin and Grove from 10.30PM - 4.30AM, or you can ferry/bus to the party. Whatever it takes, you should motivate yourself to go.
UPDATE: As of Thursday night my sources tell me that 600 of the 1000 tickets had gone out as pre-sales, so you maybe better not count on being able to get tix at the door. Hit the link to go to the Space Cowboys website and get 'em while you can.
Sunday, Day of the Deadly Hangover, November 2nd
Country Club Pool and Pavilion Party at the Cathedral Hill Hotel (1101 Van Ness x Geary, 4th Floor), 12.30 PM - 8PM, $5 pre-sales, $8 before 2PM, $12 after
Maybe you need a little chill after all that partying; maybe you haven't even gone to bed yet. Whatever your particular physical or psychic state, imagine how much improved it will be after an afternoon pool party (with croquet, badminton, and bocce ball!) featuring a passel of blog house, electro, and techy DJs like Richie Panic, Jeffrey Paradise, Solar, Nikola, Anthony Mansfield, Sleazemore, and Richard Oh?!.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
City Enacts New Noise Control Ordinance
According to this article in the SFGate, The City has enacted a new noise control ordinance for the first time since 1973. The interesting part is down toward the bottom of the article:
The EC has been complaining for a while now that they don't have any real enforcement tools, but I wonder exactly how this is going to play out. I think this does not bode well, for example, for Club 6, and gives any neighbor a way to harass other clubs out of existence.
Noise violations would become infractions instead of misdemeanor offenses, which officials believe will make enforcement easier. The city's Entertainment Commission would for the first time have authority to regulate low-frequency bass and drum noise.
The EC has been complaining for a while now that they don't have any real enforcement tools, but I wonder exactly how this is going to play out. I think this does not bode well, for example, for Club 6, and gives any neighbor a way to harass other clubs out of existence.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Event Review: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
Okay, I know, it's a little late but, hey, this is what happens when you're busy.
For the second year in a row the boyfriend was one of the onstage recording engineers for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and on Sunday he had the good luck to be working the stage with Ben Kweller, Elvis Costello, and Gogol Bordello, among others. I hauled myself down there in time to catch the end of Kweller's set, all of Costello's, and the very beginning of Gogol Bordello, and I have to say that, after some of the wretched excess of the LoveFest, it was a veritable balm for the soul.
Now, let's be straight and say that there were just as many people getting their party on at HSB as at Lovefest, but since they were dispersed over a very large section of Golden Gate Park, you didn't have the same sensation of being in the middle of a Bosch painting. Though no alcohol is sold at the event (certainly a good thing), plenty of people had bottles and cans in hand, and the fragrant scent of the chronic hung over the crowd. I saw several small groups of what I think of as hippie geek kids hanging out together, and I have no doubt that I had looked closely, I would have seen some mighty big eyeballs. What was different from LoveFest, though, was how quaint, almost traditional, this particular party scene was; after all, songs about drinking are a huge part of the blugrass/country repetoire, and we all know what jam band concerts are like. Perhaps it was because, at LoveFest, there is such a connection between sex and partying, and partying till you can't party no more, while Hardly Strictly Bluegrass seems to be more about the great enthusiasm one has for both the state of intoxication and the hangover that follows.
That enthusiastic embrace of even the most downbeat, bluesy aspect of life was what came across for me in Ben Kweller's performance. Wearing a red and black shirt lumberjack shirt with a denim vest and rockstar-tight jeans, with long curly hair, Kweller seemed like one of the many alterancountry hippy boys in the audience, the one who learned guitar and started writing songs and was as surprised as any of them would be to find himself up on the stage. He pretty much charmed the socks off me.
Elvis Costello, on the other hand, was the consummate, veteran performer who knew all the moves but came across as slightly empty. On one of the hottest days in San Francisco this year Costello came onstage wearing a hat, a scarf, a vest over a shirt, and a long coat. Though one person commented to me that he looked like The Penguin, I eventually came to think of his outfit as both costume and armor, something he put on to project a persona but was, in the end, something that kept you from seeing what was underneath. He opened up with "Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes" to remind everybody who he was, went through the routine of getting people to clap and sing along with his songs, but then, as he was switching guitars halfway through, he popped off at one of the monitor engineers - it was really quick, only four words said off to the side of the stage, and had I not been standing where I was and able to see the expression on his face, I might not have even noticed it, but it was an instant when I could see past the showman who had named his kids Dexter and Frank so they could be a Vaudeville Act to a rather dyspeptic curmudgeon underneath all those layers.
I got tired of standing and walked behind the stage to sit in the meadow as the sun set. There was a completely naked and unselfconscious boy of about three running around and playing with another boy his age, dogs hunting gophers, groups of hippy kids sitting together and climbing trees, an older couple sharing a pipe sitting in front of me, all bathed in a faintly hazy, enchanting light. I sat there and just mediated on the things in front of me, one of the most relaxing, idyllic scenes I had seen in quite a while.
The boyfriend got his lunch break after Gogol Bordello came on, so we wandered off in search of food. On the way out I came across buskers playing "Dirty Old Town" by The Pogues, and a two-piece band on the Rooster Stage playing a particularly poignant version of The Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait" on guitar and mandolin. Both were unexpected delights, which pretty accurately sums up my entire experience of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
For the second year in a row the boyfriend was one of the onstage recording engineers for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and on Sunday he had the good luck to be working the stage with Ben Kweller, Elvis Costello, and Gogol Bordello, among others. I hauled myself down there in time to catch the end of Kweller's set, all of Costello's, and the very beginning of Gogol Bordello, and I have to say that, after some of the wretched excess of the LoveFest, it was a veritable balm for the soul.
Now, let's be straight and say that there were just as many people getting their party on at HSB as at Lovefest, but since they were dispersed over a very large section of Golden Gate Park, you didn't have the same sensation of being in the middle of a Bosch painting. Though no alcohol is sold at the event (certainly a good thing), plenty of people had bottles and cans in hand, and the fragrant scent of the chronic hung over the crowd. I saw several small groups of what I think of as hippie geek kids hanging out together, and I have no doubt that I had looked closely, I would have seen some mighty big eyeballs. What was different from LoveFest, though, was how quaint, almost traditional, this particular party scene was; after all, songs about drinking are a huge part of the blugrass/country repetoire, and we all know what jam band concerts are like. Perhaps it was because, at LoveFest, there is such a connection between sex and partying, and partying till you can't party no more, while Hardly Strictly Bluegrass seems to be more about the great enthusiasm one has for both the state of intoxication and the hangover that follows.
That enthusiastic embrace of even the most downbeat, bluesy aspect of life was what came across for me in Ben Kweller's performance. Wearing a red and black shirt lumberjack shirt with a denim vest and rockstar-tight jeans, with long curly hair, Kweller seemed like one of the many alterancountry hippy boys in the audience, the one who learned guitar and started writing songs and was as surprised as any of them would be to find himself up on the stage. He pretty much charmed the socks off me.
Elvis Costello, on the other hand, was the consummate, veteran performer who knew all the moves but came across as slightly empty. On one of the hottest days in San Francisco this year Costello came onstage wearing a hat, a scarf, a vest over a shirt, and a long coat. Though one person commented to me that he looked like The Penguin, I eventually came to think of his outfit as both costume and armor, something he put on to project a persona but was, in the end, something that kept you from seeing what was underneath. He opened up with "Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes" to remind everybody who he was, went through the routine of getting people to clap and sing along with his songs, but then, as he was switching guitars halfway through, he popped off at one of the monitor engineers - it was really quick, only four words said off to the side of the stage, and had I not been standing where I was and able to see the expression on his face, I might not have even noticed it, but it was an instant when I could see past the showman who had named his kids Dexter and Frank so they could be a Vaudeville Act to a rather dyspeptic curmudgeon underneath all those layers.
I got tired of standing and walked behind the stage to sit in the meadow as the sun set. There was a completely naked and unselfconscious boy of about three running around and playing with another boy his age, dogs hunting gophers, groups of hippy kids sitting together and climbing trees, an older couple sharing a pipe sitting in front of me, all bathed in a faintly hazy, enchanting light. I sat there and just mediated on the things in front of me, one of the most relaxing, idyllic scenes I had seen in quite a while.
The boyfriend got his lunch break after Gogol Bordello came on, so we wandered off in search of food. On the way out I came across buskers playing "Dirty Old Town" by The Pogues, and a two-piece band on the Rooster Stage playing a particularly poignant version of The Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait" on guitar and mandolin. Both were unexpected delights, which pretty accurately sums up my entire experience of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
Bar Review: The Knockout and El Rio
Thanks to a bit of miscommunication this past Saturday the boyfriend and I, along with a couple other friends, wound up going to both The Knockout and El Rio waaaaay down on Mission Street. The occasion was another friend’s birthday, which was originally supposed to be at The Knockout, but an $8 cover for some benefit, along with a couple really loud bands, convinced them to move things to El Rio. Unfortunately, nobody sent us a text or called us before we wound up paying cover and witnessing a truly hideous fashion show.
The Knockout could most succinctly be described as a hipster dive bar, decorated with mug shots and a patina of grime. There is a long bar as you enter, and another bar-like area with a drinks shelf and a brass foot rail where you can stand and look into the adjoining room, which features a stage. Live shows are apparently one of the big attractions here, though we caught only the end of somebody doing some decent beat-boxing before we were treated to a “fashion show.” When Richard Hell and the Voidoids “Blank Generation” started up over the PA I really had to laugh – it’s hard to think of a single song that could be so self-congratulatory and so amazingly cliché at the same time. The fashion, for the women at least, consisted of variations of black-on-blue plaid, but one of my companions put it best: “all these outfits seem designed to make the women look terrific, and the guys look like assholes.” About that time we got a text that we should rendezvous with the rest of our pack up the street, just in time to save us from any more hipster silliness, but before I got to try out the signature root beer float cocktail.
El Rio had a pretty high hipster quotient as well, but was definitely higher up on the bar evolutionary ladder. It also has a stage area, but additionally boasts one of the nicest patios I’ve seen in San Francisco, and when a band did take the stage, you could still hang out in the bar and have a conversation. I liked the warm lighting and the overall vibe of the bar, but was disappointed that they didn’t seem to have any cocktail specials of the sort found at The Knockout.
Since El Rio is only a few blocks from Kitty’s place I think it may become a destination for when I’m down at that end of the Mission; any place where I can sit outside and have a drink and a smoke is a winner in my book.
The Knockout could most succinctly be described as a hipster dive bar, decorated with mug shots and a patina of grime. There is a long bar as you enter, and another bar-like area with a drinks shelf and a brass foot rail where you can stand and look into the adjoining room, which features a stage. Live shows are apparently one of the big attractions here, though we caught only the end of somebody doing some decent beat-boxing before we were treated to a “fashion show.” When Richard Hell and the Voidoids “Blank Generation” started up over the PA I really had to laugh – it’s hard to think of a single song that could be so self-congratulatory and so amazingly cliché at the same time. The fashion, for the women at least, consisted of variations of black-on-blue plaid, but one of my companions put it best: “all these outfits seem designed to make the women look terrific, and the guys look like assholes.” About that time we got a text that we should rendezvous with the rest of our pack up the street, just in time to save us from any more hipster silliness, but before I got to try out the signature root beer float cocktail.
El Rio had a pretty high hipster quotient as well, but was definitely higher up on the bar evolutionary ladder. It also has a stage area, but additionally boasts one of the nicest patios I’ve seen in San Francisco, and when a band did take the stage, you could still hang out in the bar and have a conversation. I liked the warm lighting and the overall vibe of the bar, but was disappointed that they didn’t seem to have any cocktail specials of the sort found at The Knockout.
Since El Rio is only a few blocks from Kitty’s place I think it may become a destination for when I’m down at that end of the Mission; any place where I can sit outside and have a drink and a smoke is a winner in my book.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Last Minute Going-Away Party for Lemonade Tonight, Friday October 17
It's on the new SFScene calendar too, but here are the details of a going-away party for Tigerbeat recording artists Lemonade tonight:
Lemonade Going-Away Party
103 Harriet Street (1015 Folsom)
FREE
10PM to "late"
with music and DJ sets from Lemonade, Lazer Sword, CLAWS, Ghosts on Tape, Safety Scissors , Saputotime and mor.
Lemonade Going-Away Party
103 Harriet Street (1015 Folsom)
FREE
10PM to "late"
with music and DJ sets from Lemonade, Lazer Sword, CLAWS, Ghosts on Tape, Safety Scissors , Saputotime and mor.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Introducing the SFScene Events Calendar!
Okay kids, as you may have noticed, I've recently been having trouble keeping up with the Friday and Saturday Night Guide posts. Thing is, life's busy, and soemtimes it's been difficult for me to find the time to get those out in timely manner. Plus, I've not been as good at keeping up with the one-offs and such because I lost my great Outlook calendar system when I got my new job (Zimbra, btw, is teh suxxors as far as I'm concerned for ease-of-use).
The solution: the new SFScene Events Calendar on Google! It will live in it's own little bloggy post and get regular updates when I add to it in Google, and if you want to check out a full-size version you just need to click on the link over there in the little calendar box. This way I can also start putting up info about some of the mid-week and Sunday events that have otherwise escaped promotion while also saving myself some weekly effort. As always, I'll be sticking to listing events that I personally would recommend (for the most part, at least). Links to reviews, when I've written them, will be in the event descriptions, as will links to the event websites themselves. I'll be adding more events to the calendar over the next few days, and by the end of the next week you should be able to check it out for all kinds of fun things happening between now and the end of November. Enjoy!
The solution: the new SFScene Events Calendar on Google! It will live in it's own little bloggy post and get regular updates when I add to it in Google, and if you want to check out a full-size version you just need to click on the link over there in the little calendar box. This way I can also start putting up info about some of the mid-week and Sunday events that have otherwise escaped promotion while also saving myself some weekly effort. As always, I'll be sticking to listing events that I personally would recommend (for the most part, at least). Links to reviews, when I've written them, will be in the event descriptions, as will links to the event websites themselves. I'll be adding more events to the calendar over the next few days, and by the end of the next week you should be able to check it out for all kinds of fun things happening between now and the end of November. Enjoy!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Upcoming Event: Bloodpact at SoMarts, Halloween Friday October 31
Just got this from Lord Kook for all you homos looking for something to do on Halloween . . . a superfun looking all-ages (18+) gay party at SoMarts!
super excited about this one, folks! it's gonna be pretty rad... the HSS kids are holding it down with their sister club from LA, along with some (the kind where the walls start to breathe after a while) with some crazy electro / tech-house / kitchen-sink-shit from me, Liam Shy, Digital Paradigm, and Richard Oh?!. this is a homo-friendly party (duh), it's 18+ (bring yer little brother!), there's a full bar for those of us old enough to swerve legally, and the whole thing goes till 5am! it's almost enough to make me forget about what a mess the city made of halloween!
no, wait, it totally is.
more info as it comes...
Monday, October 6, 2008
Event Review: LoveFest 2008
“Messy;” that’s the one-word answer I’ve been giving to the question “How was LoveFest?” Sure, it was a beautiful day, I had fun and even danced to some good techno, but my overall impression of the event was that it almost exceeded FurCon in terms of kids going well beyond what they could, or should, handle.
The first sign of messiness came as I was standing behind the Tantra float with Kitty shortly after arriving. We were chatting with Saturnia when a man came over and asked us if he knew where to find a medical team, as he had just found a group of really "messed up" kids in need of some assistance; a few minutes later I noticed a kid stumble headlong into a trashcan and then just stand there, leaning forward against it, his eyes rolling up into his head. We moved on before I could see the outcome of this particular bad trip, but shortly afterwards, standing against a barricade and watching the crowd in front of the Kontrol/Auralism Records float, I had a more personal encounter with wretched excess. A very suburban-looking blonde girl, wearing the faerie wings and tiara that seemed to be the LoveFest fashion statement for girls this year, stumbled over and began rubbing herself up against me. More amused than shocked I said “Hey, having fun?” “Yeah,” she slurred, and proceeded to ask about my favorite color before her friend pulled her, loose-limbed and barely standing, back into the crowd. Shortly thereafter, on my way to get a drink, I saw an otherwise very attractive blond boy puking right in the middle of Larkin street, and then, coming back from getting that drink, a girl who was being led through the crowd by two friends went rag-doll limp and collapsed right in front of me.
Kitty later commented that, when he first got down there around 2PM, he was surprised by just how fucked-up everybody already seemed to be. Now, far be it for me to cast aspersions on people for losing their faces in whatever manner they chose in public, but c’mon kids, you need to learn how to maintain. When I was dancing to Alland Byallo’s set at the Kontrol float later, I took a moment to really look at the crowd around me. In front of me were five gay guys dancing shirtless and passing around a bottle of jungle juice; to my right was a group of younger kids, probably in their early twenties, including a very pretty thin, smooth, boy with shaggy blonde and red-streaked hair wearing aviators and with one cuff of a pair of fur-lined handcuffs locked around his right wrist; while to my left was a gentleman wearing a straw homburg, a button-up shirt with a vest, and aviators looking quite dandy and handsome, and all around a crowd of generally attractive, young people sucking on lollipops. It was obvious to me, being well-versed in such things, that everybody was pretty high, but there were no signs of the simply gross behavior I had seen earlier. This, I thought, is part of what makes the techno scene attractive to me, that it’s a scene where people like to party, but are a little more mature in the way they go about it. Walking around later it seemed to me that there was a direct correlation between the level of sophistication in the music and the overall vibe of the crowd, where the dumber the music got, the sloppier the crowd.
Kitty and I left LoveFest around 5.00; with the size of the crowd increasing, along with the lines for the portapotties and beverages, we didn’t really see much promise of the party getting any less sloppy, and, beyond Kontrol, there wasn’t much musically that caught my interest (I do have to give the HomoChic kids a shout-out for their “Death of Shade” float, which I thought best captured the renegade spirit that should be a major part of the LoveFest experience, but they suffered from poor placement between Tantra and Tweekin’ Records, whose sound systems simply overpowered HomoChic’s to such a degree that I couldn’t even hear them when I moved back a few feet from the speakers). I’m glad that San Francisco does LoveFest, and I’m even kind of glad that these kids, sloppy as they may be, have a chance to experience it, but, as another veteran partier of my acquaintance recently put it, I don’t really want to hang out around them while they go through their learning experiences.
The first sign of messiness came as I was standing behind the Tantra float with Kitty shortly after arriving. We were chatting with Saturnia when a man came over and asked us if he knew where to find a medical team, as he had just found a group of really "messed up" kids in need of some assistance; a few minutes later I noticed a kid stumble headlong into a trashcan and then just stand there, leaning forward against it, his eyes rolling up into his head. We moved on before I could see the outcome of this particular bad trip, but shortly afterwards, standing against a barricade and watching the crowd in front of the Kontrol/Auralism Records float, I had a more personal encounter with wretched excess. A very suburban-looking blonde girl, wearing the faerie wings and tiara that seemed to be the LoveFest fashion statement for girls this year, stumbled over and began rubbing herself up against me. More amused than shocked I said “Hey, having fun?” “Yeah,” she slurred, and proceeded to ask about my favorite color before her friend pulled her, loose-limbed and barely standing, back into the crowd. Shortly thereafter, on my way to get a drink, I saw an otherwise very attractive blond boy puking right in the middle of Larkin street, and then, coming back from getting that drink, a girl who was being led through the crowd by two friends went rag-doll limp and collapsed right in front of me.
Kitty later commented that, when he first got down there around 2PM, he was surprised by just how fucked-up everybody already seemed to be. Now, far be it for me to cast aspersions on people for losing their faces in whatever manner they chose in public, but c’mon kids, you need to learn how to maintain. When I was dancing to Alland Byallo’s set at the Kontrol float later, I took a moment to really look at the crowd around me. In front of me were five gay guys dancing shirtless and passing around a bottle of jungle juice; to my right was a group of younger kids, probably in their early twenties, including a very pretty thin, smooth, boy with shaggy blonde and red-streaked hair wearing aviators and with one cuff of a pair of fur-lined handcuffs locked around his right wrist; while to my left was a gentleman wearing a straw homburg, a button-up shirt with a vest, and aviators looking quite dandy and handsome, and all around a crowd of generally attractive, young people sucking on lollipops. It was obvious to me, being well-versed in such things, that everybody was pretty high, but there were no signs of the simply gross behavior I had seen earlier. This, I thought, is part of what makes the techno scene attractive to me, that it’s a scene where people like to party, but are a little more mature in the way they go about it. Walking around later it seemed to me that there was a direct correlation between the level of sophistication in the music and the overall vibe of the crowd, where the dumber the music got, the sloppier the crowd.
Kitty and I left LoveFest around 5.00; with the size of the crowd increasing, along with the lines for the portapotties and beverages, we didn’t really see much promise of the party getting any less sloppy, and, beyond Kontrol, there wasn’t much musically that caught my interest (I do have to give the HomoChic kids a shout-out for their “Death of Shade” float, which I thought best captured the renegade spirit that should be a major part of the LoveFest experience, but they suffered from poor placement between Tantra and Tweekin’ Records, whose sound systems simply overpowered HomoChic’s to such a degree that I couldn’t even hear them when I moved back a few feet from the speakers). I’m glad that San Francisco does LoveFest, and I’m even kind of glad that these kids, sloppy as they may be, have a chance to experience it, but, as another veteran partier of my acquaintance recently put it, I don’t really want to hang out around them while they go through their learning experiences.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Adventures in DJing: Drop the Pressure at UndergroundSF
Last night I learned a very important lesson about DJing with burned CDs: don't burn your precious tracks to cheap CDs, because some CD players won't read them.
I was leading off for the premiere of Drop the Pressure at UndergroundSF last night, and I had it all figured out ahead of time; a little Heiko Voss to start off, then into some fun, loopy techno from the likes of DiFi and Thomas Brinkmann. The Voss track, "I Think About You," was on vinyl, so as the needle moved across the record I slotted my next track in to the CD player - and nothing came up on the display. I hit eject, blew on the recorded surface, and slotted it back in. This time it came up, but showed the track as being 1.59m long. I hit play, and there was nothing in the headphones. Uttering a long chain of expletives I tried another CD, same problem. Now the needle was fast approaching the dead zone just before it would start scraping against the label. I reached into my record bag, pulled out another vinyl, not even caring what it was at this point, got it cued and started it up just as the other track was ending but not, unfortunately, before everything went to dead air.
Now that's a way to start the first set of the first night of your weekly. I put the same CDs into the other CD player, and all was well. Suspecting that the first CD player, an older, probably first generation CDJ-800, didn't like MP3 CDs, I ran a test with another MP3 CD supplied by DJ Candy. All was fine. Conclusion: the CD player was being finicky about the cheap, generic brand CDs I was trying to feed it.
I made it through an hour since I had, fortunately, brought records with me, but I had planned on using those just here and there instead of as the backbone of my set. I went for the stuff that was pretty mellow and with long, easy intros, like Luciano and Melchior's "Father" and a Pig and Dan remix of Underworld's "Play Pig" (I love that spoken word opening), and in between I was able to use the one CDJ that would accept my CDs to play some of the stuff I had originally intended, but overall it was a pretty disconnected mess, made more so by my own anxiety-induced slop mixes.
Fortunately the rest of the night went really, really well, and everyone else turned in great sets - we even had a dancefloor going at the end of the night, something I wouldn't have believed possible on a Thursday night in the Lower Haight. And now, before next week, I guess I'll have to spend some time re-burning all those CDs.
Here's the Drop the Pressure myspace if you'd like to come by and be our friend, or have a drink with us one Thursday night.
I was leading off for the premiere of Drop the Pressure at UndergroundSF last night, and I had it all figured out ahead of time; a little Heiko Voss to start off, then into some fun, loopy techno from the likes of DiFi and Thomas Brinkmann. The Voss track, "I Think About You," was on vinyl, so as the needle moved across the record I slotted my next track in to the CD player - and nothing came up on the display. I hit eject, blew on the recorded surface, and slotted it back in. This time it came up, but showed the track as being 1.59m long. I hit play, and there was nothing in the headphones. Uttering a long chain of expletives I tried another CD, same problem. Now the needle was fast approaching the dead zone just before it would start scraping against the label. I reached into my record bag, pulled out another vinyl, not even caring what it was at this point, got it cued and started it up just as the other track was ending but not, unfortunately, before everything went to dead air.
Now that's a way to start the first set of the first night of your weekly. I put the same CDs into the other CD player, and all was well. Suspecting that the first CD player, an older, probably first generation CDJ-800, didn't like MP3 CDs, I ran a test with another MP3 CD supplied by DJ Candy. All was fine. Conclusion: the CD player was being finicky about the cheap, generic brand CDs I was trying to feed it.
I made it through an hour since I had, fortunately, brought records with me, but I had planned on using those just here and there instead of as the backbone of my set. I went for the stuff that was pretty mellow and with long, easy intros, like Luciano and Melchior's "Father" and a Pig and Dan remix of Underworld's "Play Pig" (I love that spoken word opening), and in between I was able to use the one CDJ that would accept my CDs to play some of the stuff I had originally intended, but overall it was a pretty disconnected mess, made more so by my own anxiety-induced slop mixes.
Fortunately the rest of the night went really, really well, and everyone else turned in great sets - we even had a dancefloor going at the end of the night, something I wouldn't have believed possible on a Thursday night in the Lower Haight. And now, before next week, I guess I'll have to spend some time re-burning all those CDs.
Here's the Drop the Pressure myspace if you'd like to come by and be our friend, or have a drink with us one Thursday night.
Your LoveFest Saturday Guide for October 4, 2008
Well, if the past couple weeks have seen some pretty sucky Saturdays, this one should make up for it. Techno! Disco! Breaks! We got yer dance musics right here, baby! Plus I'm sure that there will be some underground party flyers to be had at the actual event, lots and lots to do!
Weeklies and Bar Nights
Bistrotheque with Ken Vulsion at Cafe Flore
I've been remiss in not previously mentioning Ken Vulsion of Honey Sound System's Bistrotheque at Cafe Flore on Satuday evenings. A great place to go have a bite, warm up with a couple drinks, and groove along with Ken.
8PM - 2AM
NO COVER
Cafe Flore, 2298 Market Street x Noe
Bearracuda at Deco Lounge
For bears and those who love them. With DJ Rotten Robbie. This week: "underbear" party.
9PM - 3AM
$6
Deco Lounge, 510 Larkin x Turk
Monthlies and One Offs
Kontrol at the End Up
With special guests Josh Wink(!), Speedy J, and Drumcell, plus the Kontrol residents. 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.
Gemini Disco at UndergroundSF
As Cip, the owner of UndergroundSF said to me last night, "at last, a real disco music night!" DJs Derrick Love and Nicky B, visuals by That Mold Science,
10PM - 2AM
$3 (the best bargain of the night!)
UndergroundSF, 424 Haight x Webster
Seismic Presents After the Love at Mighty
The best in San Francisco breaks with DJs from Seismic, Space Cowboys, and more.
9PM - 5AM
$20 before midnight
MIghty, 119 Utah Street x 15th
Weeklies and Bar Nights
Bistrotheque with Ken Vulsion at Cafe Flore
I've been remiss in not previously mentioning Ken Vulsion of Honey Sound System's Bistrotheque at Cafe Flore on Satuday evenings. A great place to go have a bite, warm up with a couple drinks, and groove along with Ken.
8PM - 2AM
NO COVER
Cafe Flore, 2298 Market Street x Noe
Bearracuda at Deco Lounge
For bears and those who love them. With DJ Rotten Robbie. This week: "underbear" party.
9PM - 3AM
$6
Deco Lounge, 510 Larkin x Turk
Monthlies and One Offs
Kontrol at the End Up
With special guests Josh Wink(!), Speedy J, and Drumcell, plus the Kontrol residents. 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.
Gemini Disco at UndergroundSF
As Cip, the owner of UndergroundSF said to me last night, "at last, a real disco music night!" DJs Derrick Love and Nicky B, visuals by That Mold Science,
10PM - 2AM
$3 (the best bargain of the night!)
UndergroundSF, 424 Haight x Webster
Seismic Presents After the Love at Mighty
The best in San Francisco breaks with DJs from Seismic, Space Cowboys, and more.
9PM - 5AM
$20 before midnight
MIghty, 119 Utah Street x 15th
Kontrol and Auralism Need Our Help!
Looks like the tough times are hitting everybody, and the kids who have been truly responsible for bringing techno to San Francisco need some help to keep on doing it, or, at least, to bring it to the LoveFest. I've chipped in because I think it's important to support the people who are really doing something to bring interesting, diverse, and fun music to the San Francisco cultural scene. If you can only help out with ten or twenty bucks, think of it as the cover not just for a night, but to keep a whole scene going.
********************
Dear friends and supporters of techno in the SF Bay and around the world,
We've been incredibly busy in the last few weeks, and trust us, we know you're busy too. But if you would please just take one minute out of your day to read this, it would really mean the world to us.
Times are tough, and many of us working in the trenches of the music industry are scrapping by week to week, just like many of you are. It is for this reason that today we are humbly calling on you, and requesting your assistance so that we can collectively create an incredible experience that everyone can enjoy and remember forever. That experience is being able to put on a float representing the music we love in this year's LoveFest.
As most of you are surely aware, pulling this kind of thing off isn't cheap. Just registering to be included in the parade alone costs $1500. Then there are expenses like renting a semi truck and driver for two days, renting a high-end Meyer soundsystem (which we spent TWICE as much on this year) plus people to run it, equipment rentals, decorations, drinks, and a ton of other expenses. All together, creating this float will cost us in excess of $4000. It's a lot of money and a lot of work, but we do this, as they say, "for the love". We want to make Saturday another unforgettable day, and share that day with our friends, our supporters, and with the world.
But the unfortunate truth of the matter is, we can't do it alone.
Last year we were lucky enough to be able to throw an underground after party where nearly all the artists donated their time and talents, and were ultimately able to recoup most of the float expenses. This year, LoveFest lands on the same night as Kontrol. Thus, no opportunity to recoup anything, as any profits gained from this years afterhours are going to, well, The Endup. Thus far, we've thrown two fundraising parties, and with the help from friends and supporters were able to raise around $700. So, you do the math. Float costs = $4000. Funds raised so far = $700.
Unfortunately, none of us in Kontrol or Auralism are rich. No trust-fund babies here, although that would certainly make things simpler. So, bottom line, if we can't raise another $3300, the remainder is shouldered entirely by us. What that means is, in addition to putting in all the work and effort to bring this great music and amazing time to the people, we all end up shelling out literally hundreds of dollars each (that we really can't afford) out of pocket.
So, we humbly call upon you to help us make this happen. If you've enjoyed having great techno events to go to over the last few years, if you know you're going to have another blast at this incredible FREE event, if you want to see this kind of music continue to grow and prosper in Bay, my friends, it's time to pony up.
_______________________________________
To add a bit of incentive, we're giving away a handful of prizes to the most generous donors, and here they are:
The TOP 5 donors will get a GUARANTEED SPOT ON THE FLOAT DURING THE PARADE .
Space on the float is this year is really, really limited. Sadly, even most of our friends will not be able to fit on. If you're amongst the top 5 donors though, we'd love for you to join us on the float as our way of saying thanks. You don't have to "know anyone", don't have to do anything. Just take some pics, dance your ass off, and have the time of your life!
And the big daddy:
The #1 TOP DONOR will receive FREE ADMISSION to ALL [KONTROL] and AURALISM EVENTS for ONE YEAR!!!
At $15/month that's worth almost $200 for the [KONTROL] Endup parties alone. But it's also all the one-offs, all the undergrounds, EVERYTHING. And of course, all the Auralism parties too.
_______________________________________
We love throwing these events and wish to thank each and every one of you who have supported over the last 3 years and helped us to bring the music we live for to the city we so dearly love. We have no intention of slowing down, and promise to continue to give 100% to making sure that the SF scene can hang up there with the big boys. We would deeply appreciate any financial support you can spare. Even a few bucks helps.
Donations can be sent via PayPal (www.paypal.com) to sf.techno.float.08@gmail.com
You don't even need a PayPal account, a simple debit card will do.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANY AND ALL SUPPORT.
We LOVE all of you, and we LOVE SF!
Before we sign off, check out this awesome video that Auralism resident Clint Stewart put together of last year's float.
If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.
http://www.youtube.com/v/GzJJjNwVRYQ
Or, download the whole thing in full size here: (85MB)
www.auralismrecords.com/CLINT/LF_Fundraiser_Vid.mp4
This year's theme is BLACK & WHITE
plus the "special" color... RED!
Thanks again, and we hope to see you out Saturday!
~ Greg Bird (on behalf of the [KONTROL] and Auralism crews)
********************
Dear friends and supporters of techno in the SF Bay and around the world,
We've been incredibly busy in the last few weeks, and trust us, we know you're busy too. But if you would please just take one minute out of your day to read this, it would really mean the world to us.
Times are tough, and many of us working in the trenches of the music industry are scrapping by week to week, just like many of you are. It is for this reason that today we are humbly calling on you, and requesting your assistance so that we can collectively create an incredible experience that everyone can enjoy and remember forever. That experience is being able to put on a float representing the music we love in this year's LoveFest.
As most of you are surely aware, pulling this kind of thing off isn't cheap. Just registering to be included in the parade alone costs $1500. Then there are expenses like renting a semi truck and driver for two days, renting a high-end Meyer soundsystem (which we spent TWICE as much on this year) plus people to run it, equipment rentals, decorations, drinks, and a ton of other expenses. All together, creating this float will cost us in excess of $4000. It's a lot of money and a lot of work, but we do this, as they say, "for the love". We want to make Saturday another unforgettable day, and share that day with our friends, our supporters, and with the world.
But the unfortunate truth of the matter is, we can't do it alone.
Last year we were lucky enough to be able to throw an underground after party where nearly all the artists donated their time and talents, and were ultimately able to recoup most of the float expenses. This year, LoveFest lands on the same night as Kontrol. Thus, no opportunity to recoup anything, as any profits gained from this years afterhours are going to, well, The Endup. Thus far, we've thrown two fundraising parties, and with the help from friends and supporters were able to raise around $700. So, you do the math. Float costs = $4000. Funds raised so far = $700.
Unfortunately, none of us in Kontrol or Auralism are rich. No trust-fund babies here, although that would certainly make things simpler. So, bottom line, if we can't raise another $3300, the remainder is shouldered entirely by us. What that means is, in addition to putting in all the work and effort to bring this great music and amazing time to the people, we all end up shelling out literally hundreds of dollars each (that we really can't afford) out of pocket.
So, we humbly call upon you to help us make this happen. If you've enjoyed having great techno events to go to over the last few years, if you know you're going to have another blast at this incredible FREE event, if you want to see this kind of music continue to grow and prosper in Bay, my friends, it's time to pony up.
_______________________________________
To add a bit of incentive, we're giving away a handful of prizes to the most generous donors, and here they are:
The TOP 5 donors will get a GUARANTEED SPOT ON THE FLOAT DURING THE PARADE .
Space on the float is this year is really, really limited. Sadly, even most of our friends will not be able to fit on. If you're amongst the top 5 donors though, we'd love for you to join us on the float as our way of saying thanks. You don't have to "know anyone", don't have to do anything. Just take some pics, dance your ass off, and have the time of your life!
And the big daddy:
The #1 TOP DONOR will receive FREE ADMISSION to ALL [KONTROL] and AURALISM EVENTS for ONE YEAR!!!
At $15/month that's worth almost $200 for the [KONTROL] Endup parties alone. But it's also all the one-offs, all the undergrounds, EVERYTHING. And of course, all the Auralism parties too.
_______________________________________
We love throwing these events and wish to thank each and every one of you who have supported over the last 3 years and helped us to bring the music we live for to the city we so dearly love. We have no intention of slowing down, and promise to continue to give 100% to making sure that the SF scene can hang up there with the big boys. We would deeply appreciate any financial support you can spare. Even a few bucks helps.
Donations can be sent via PayPal (www.paypal.com) to sf.techno.float.08@gmail.com
You don't even need a PayPal account, a simple debit card will do.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANY AND ALL SUPPORT.
We LOVE all of you, and we LOVE SF!
Before we sign off, check out this awesome video that Auralism resident Clint Stewart put together of last year's float.
If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.
http://www.youtube.com/v/GzJJjNwVRYQ
Or, download the whole thing in full size here: (85MB)
www.auralismrecords.com/CLINT/LF_Fundraiser_Vid.mp4
This year's theme is BLACK & WHITE
plus the "special" color... RED!
Thanks again, and we hope to see you out Saturday!
~ Greg Bird (on behalf of the [KONTROL] and Auralism crews)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Support HomoChic for LoveFest!
HomoChic, the brainchild of those queer hipster boys DeeJay PeePlay and the brothers Herrera, is bringing the love that dare not speak its name to LoveFest in all its flaming glory. The crew is putting together a float, and they need some support to both get it ready and then to get down at the actual parade. Here's what they've sent out via email, if you wanna support the alternative queer scene you should give 'em a hand or at least go and throw your hands in the air with them.
The party flyer is here.
And here's how they need some help:
FRIDAY, OCT 3
Calling all butch queens!!! We need girls with tools and skills to come help us get this thing rolling.
Here's a tenative schedule:
10 am – pick up our truck
11 am – arrive at GRAY AREA (1515 Folsom)
cover truck bed, install shade structure & sound system
1 pm – move truck to AT&T PARK parking lot for further décor
If you would like to help, please call one of us. Rides can be arranged and we'll be sure to make it a fun day.
SATURDAY, OCT 4
8 am – meet at AT&T PARK for final prep
10:30 am – float in place (#5) in line at 2nd & Mission
11:30 am – MUSIC!! MIMOSAS!! MAYHEM!!
12 noon – parade begins moving up MARKET ST.
(please feel free to meet us and join in the procession at any point.)
1 pm (???) – arrive and park at CIVIC CENTER
8 pm – LoveFest ends, head to TRUCK for afterparty
We need LOTS of help this day including: general float finishing, brunch set-up, mimosa mixing,
4 SAFETY MONITORS (required by LoveFest), a crew willing to help us break down
and stow the equipment back at 1515 Folsom – very close to both Civic Center and
Truck (one of our sponsors!!) where we will continue the festivities.
It's most crucial that we get some added support during and after the parade.
SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT!! as is cleaning up after ourselves.
Screwing either of these things up could put an end to this event.
Numbers to call:
Texxx - Float Coordinator
texxx73@gmail.com
Allan Herrera - Float Décor
allanherrera@msn.com
Leo Herrera - Float Promotions + Shemale Princess (duh)
leonardoherrera@msn.com
Jacob Sperber - Crazy Jew
jacob.sperber@gmail.com
The party flyer is here.
And here's how they need some help:
FRIDAY, OCT 3
Calling all butch queens!!! We need girls with tools and skills to come help us get this thing rolling.
Here's a tenative schedule:
10 am – pick up our truck
11 am – arrive at GRAY AREA (1515 Folsom)
cover truck bed, install shade structure & sound system
1 pm – move truck to AT&T PARK parking lot for further décor
If you would like to help, please call one of us. Rides can be arranged and we'll be sure to make it a fun day.
SATURDAY, OCT 4
8 am – meet at AT&T PARK for final prep
10:30 am – float in place (#5) in line at 2nd & Mission
11:30 am – MUSIC!! MIMOSAS!! MAYHEM!!
12 noon – parade begins moving up MARKET ST.
(please feel free to meet us and join in the procession at any point.)
1 pm (???) – arrive and park at CIVIC CENTER
8 pm – LoveFest ends, head to TRUCK for afterparty
We need LOTS of help this day including: general float finishing, brunch set-up, mimosa mixing,
4 SAFETY MONITORS (required by LoveFest), a crew willing to help us break down
and stow the equipment back at 1515 Folsom – very close to both Civic Center and
Truck (one of our sponsors!!) where we will continue the festivities.
It's most crucial that we get some added support during and after the parade.
SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT!! as is cleaning up after ourselves.
Screwing either of these things up could put an end to this event.
Numbers to call:
Texxx - Float Coordinator
texxx73@gmail.
Allan Herrera - Float Décor
allanherrera@
Leo Herrera - Float Promotions + Shemale Princess (duh)
leonardoherrera@
Jacob Sperber - Crazy Jew
jacob.sperber@
Your Friday Guide for LoveFest Weekend, October 3 2008
It's that time of year again and everybody, yes everybody is gearing up for a big LoveFest party. Here's what I recommend for getting your pre-party groove on.
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
KillSwitch Happy Hour at UndergroundSF
Techno happy hour, this week : Killswitch Cluster Fuck, 20 DJs playing two tracks each! Check out my review of Killswitch!
6PM - 10PM
NO COVER
UndergroundSF, 424 Haight x Webster
Charlie Horse at the Cinch
Best place to go out and have a cheap drink while being entertained by drag queen antics. This week is a special "No on 8!" fundraiser. Check out my latest review of Charlie Horse at The Cinch.
9PM - close
FREE!
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
Club Loaded at The Rickshaw Stop
With live music from Music for Animals, plus DJs Casionova, Omar, and Audrock.
10PM - 2AM
$10
The Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell at Van Ness
Monthlies and One-Offs
Dirty Bird Records LoveFest Pre-Party at Mezzanine
With the whole Dirty Bird crew. Worthy played a super terrific set on Friday morning at The Deep End this year, and I hope to catch him again tonight.
10PM - 3AM
$10 pre-sales, $20 at the door
Mezzanine, 444 Jessie Street x Mint
Lee Burridge Presents Get Weird at Mighty
Crazy lookin' line-up for sure, but are "more speakers than usual" really necessary?
10PM - "late"
$20 pre-sales, more at the door
Mighty, 119 Utah Street x 15
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
KillSwitch Happy Hour at UndergroundSF
Techno happy hour, this week : Killswitch Cluster Fuck, 20 DJs playing two tracks each! Check out my review of Killswitch!
6PM - 10PM
NO COVER
UndergroundSF, 424 Haight x Webster
Charlie Horse at the Cinch
Best place to go out and have a cheap drink while being entertained by drag queen antics. This week is a special "No on 8!" fundraiser. Check out my latest review of Charlie Horse at The Cinch.
9PM - close
FREE!
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
Club Loaded at The Rickshaw Stop
With live music from Music for Animals, plus DJs Casionova, Omar, and Audrock.
10PM - 2AM
$10
The Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell at Van Ness
Monthlies and One-Offs
Dirty Bird Records LoveFest Pre-Party at Mezzanine
With the whole Dirty Bird crew. Worthy played a super terrific set on Friday morning at The Deep End this year, and I hope to catch him again tonight.
10PM - 3AM
$10 pre-sales, $20 at the door
Mezzanine, 444 Jessie Street x Mint
Lee Burridge Presents Get Weird at Mighty
Crazy lookin' line-up for sure, but are "more speakers than usual" really necessary?
10PM - "late"
$20 pre-sales, more at the door
Mighty, 119 Utah Street x 15
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