January 2011 edition of BARtab, the LGBT Entertainment & Nightlife Magazine from the B.A.R

bartabsf.com

January 2011

12

January re! events galo

Old Bars, New Scenes ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

ingredients ★ January 2011★

Club Life Page 4 Groove Thing Page 6 Dive In Page 8 Tune In

Page 10 On the Tab: January Pages 12-27 BARchive: Happy Endups Page 28 Best of `10 Photos by

Steven Underhill Page 28 Read more stories online at www.bartabsf.com

✶ On the Cover: Tubesteak Connection rocks Aunt Charley’s Lounge. Photo: Georg Lester. See page 6.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Editor: Jim Provenzano • Art Director: Kurt Thomas Designer: Scott King • General Manager: Michael Yamashita Advertising Sales: David McBrayer, Colleen Small, Scott Wazlowski Contributors: Matt Baume, Heather Cassell, Dr. Jack Fritscher, Michael McAllister, Ronn Vigh Photography: Rick Gerharter, Jose Guzman-Colon, Georg Lester, Jim Provenzano, Rich Stadtmiller, Steven Underhill BARtab is published by Benro Enterprises, Inc. Publisher: Thomas E. Horn Benro Enterprises, Inc. 395 Ninth Street • San Francisco CA 94103 • (415) 861-5019 Member of the National Gay Newspaper Guild National Advertising Representative: Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863

January 2011 • bartabsf.com • BAR★TAB 3

CLUB LIFE d

courtesy Terry Beswick

Raising funds for the Castro Country Club

Contestants in 2010’s High Heel Drag Race hang out on the steps of the Castro Country Club.

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certain song from the ‘80s exclaims, “We don’t have to take our clothes off to have a good time!” While that’s… arguable, the Castro Country Club, a clean and sober Castro institution since 1983, is offering more and more events where you don’t have to take a drink to have a good time.

Most recognizable for the club’s sturdy set of stairs, which leads to its Victorian digs, the Castro Country Club is a clean and sober gathering place that has reached out to the queer recovery community (but is open to all) for decades. These days, at the top of the stairs, folks are greeted by a drawing of a thermometer gauging how much money has been raised in an effort “to save the stairs,” as the building currently risks being sold.

It’s no secret that club promoters, alcohol distributors and the media often portray cocktails and drinking as fun and sexy, but manager Terry Beswick says through their fundraising plan and general social events, “the Castro Country Club is ready to bring ‘fun and sexy’ back to sobriety through parties and events.”

Sobriety is a serious topic for many, but it’s 4 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

courtesy Terry Beswick

• by Ronn Vigh

Castro Country Club is ready to bring ‘fun and sexy’ back to sobriety through parties and events.”

good to see a little tongue-in-cheek humor proudly displayed on a flyer for the club’s December drag show, Laybelline’s Holiday Blackout! The show, organized by Zachary Davenport, is one of the new additions to the club’s events. The monthly show is for both club regulars and non-regulars, and also serves as a fundraiser for the campaign to save the club. The next show is January 22.

From the monthly drag show to more than 30 twelve-step groups, the space is primarily run by volunteers and boasts a full espresso bar and internet café, meeting rooms, a lounge and patio areas open to the public.

The walls that line the long Victorian space are rich with history and a sense of community. In one of the club’s common spaces, Terry shows me a wall lined with an assortment of pictures dating back to the club’s origin in 1983. While none of us needs a lesson in gay history in the ‘80s, it’s comforting to look at folks’ faces, as it is hinted many of them have passed, and to know that there was and still is a space for any members of our community to go to free of judgment.

Another wall that held my attention was in a

star-studded corridor surrounding the coffee bar.

In an increased effort to help raise money to save the historic space, patrons could choose to buy a membership to the Castro Country Club and get a star adorned with their name.

The best part about many of the upcoming events, says Beswick, is that the interest comes from the larger community. “While we’re starting to do more outreach, mostly people come to us and have ideas that they are excited about doing with us or at the Castro Country Club,” he said. As the club wrapped up 2010, they offered a community

Castro Country Club manager Terry Beswick with actor Leslie Jordan at a recent fundraiser.

courtesy Terry Beswick

Michael Kerner

Guests at the Castro Country Club’s recent Harvest Feast event.

Christmas tree decorating and an art show on site (art shows typically feature an artist in recovery).

As we usher in 2011, there are many more events to come, including more off-site events such as a Burger Bonanza at Lime on January 10 with allyou-can-eat mini burgers, fries and sodas, as well as Laughs Without Liquor, a comedy show at Most Holy Redeemer, March 5 at 8 p.m. Club Organizers already plan to bring a Castro Country Club Dance Pavilion to this year’s San Francisco Pride festival, taking another shot at showing off the fun and sexy side of sobriety. ✸

January 2011 • bartabsf.com • BAR★TAB 5

GROOVE THINGd W

photos by Georg Lester

DJ Bus Station John

Nonscene scenesters at Aunt Charlie’s

DJ Bus Station John’s Disco Fever • by Ronn Vigh hen it comes to discussing music, DJ Bus Station John approaches the subject with the passion and spirit of a Sunday morning preacher. “It’s all about the music. This music needs to be heard. It needs to be witnessed.

It needs to be celebrated,” says the bearded keeper of rare disco. Bus Station John is celebrating a decade of routinely spinning records from what he considers dance music’s halcyon period – the mid1970s through early ‘80s.

In a city where club nights come and go faster than gays’ right to marry, Bus Station John is proof that when you celebrate and share what authentically moves you, people will come. Case in point: Tubesteak Connection at Aunt Charlie’s. A narrow, dim Thursday night gathering spot for alternaqueers, this club night is nestled in a seedier section of town, which seems quite fitting for Bus Station John’s vision. “It is important to me to help keep what few non-mainstream queer corners we have left alive, as well as our connection to old-school gay culture,” he says. “At the same time, I realize that the magic of the music I love crosses all boundaries, and I’d like to share it with more people in new contexts.”

Throughout our interview, DJ Bus Station often uses the words “old school” to describe the music and the distinct era he channels, through both the records he spins and his “old-school” presentation; creating club posters and flyers using scissors, glue 6 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

sticks and Xerox machines. That commitment to channeling the analog is consistently evident in his clubs, from the vinyl on the turntables (you heard me right– turntables, remember those?) to the nocell-phone policy. “We didn’t have phone booths on the dance floor back in the day, kids,” says John. “It’s about disconnecting from your handheld devices and connecting with the music and each other.”

From his past clubs, including The Rod at Deco Lounge and Double Dutch Disco at The Transfer to his longest running club Tubesteak Connection and newest club Le Perle Degli Squallor at Hot Spot, DJ Bus Station John brings a variety of “non-scenesters” to his rapidly growing “non-scene” scene. “I think I managed to maintain an underground vibe, or as close to one as can exist in the internet age,” he says.

DJ Bus Station John doesn’t maintain a website or Facebook account, as he prefers word of mouth and good old-fashioned flyering- yet another example of his old-school charm. “Back in the day, you had to go out, live life and see where the evening took you. It took a combo of serendipity, urban savvy and word of mouth. That’s how you find your scene!”

While many clubs prefer the high-gloss aesthetic, as he prepares to turn 50, John has found his niche: being exactly himself. He hopes his preference for most things old-school will help bridge the gap between generations. An assorted gaggle of folks pack the faded, often compressed confines of Aunt

Donna Personna at Tubesteak Connection

Charlie’s, where you can find skinny jeans and thrift store threads mingling with plain tees and pornstaches to match the posterized porn imagery, and often clubgoers who actually were at clubs in the 1970s, like Donna Personna, who was around during the Cockettes era, and even performed in their wacky 1972 film Elevator Girls in Bondage.

DJ Bus Station John says all are welcome. “I think the warmth of the music gives people permission to drop their facades, relax, let their hair down and commune together,” says John. “My favorite nights have been a mix of heavy cruising, sweaty dancing and on select occasions, twenty-somethings through 80-somethings finding intergenerational camaraderie under the same roof – not a common sight anywhere, and a vibe I’m very proud to have created.”

There is a very real, honest quality to DJ Bus Station John, a quality that seeps into his clubs.

He pays homage to the history of queer places and culture. He is not afraid to state his opinions, yet remains very humble, even after receiving a 2010 Bay Guardian Goldie Award and being named “Most Original DJ” by SF Weekly. He transforms spaces that were never intended to be dance clubs into vibrant miniature discos. All this from a man who didn’t even start DJing until around age 40, which he says is proof that “Life can surprise you at any stage!” ✸ DJ Bus Station John’s current clubs are TubeSteak Connection, every Thursday at Aunt Charlies, 133 Turk and Taylor; and Le Perle Degli Squallor, first Saturdays at Hot Spot, 1414 Market and Polk. For booking and info, contact djbusstationjohn@gmail.com

DIVE INd Old Bars, New Scenes • Story and Photos by Matt Baume

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hat makes a dive bar divey? Is it the decor, the clientele, the prices, the paucity of decorative soaps in the gentlemen’s room?

Or maybe it’s just a way of life. On a recent survey of bars reputed to be “dives,” we found that their one common trait is an inclusive atmosphere that invites all comers and asks nothing in return.

You can trace that friendly tradition back to 1938 and the construction of a bar that would one day be known as Deco Lounge. These days, Deco Lounge glitters with weekly Sunday amateur stripping contests, featuring a hundred-dollar grand prize.

But really, when there’s stripping involved, doesn’t everyone win?

Monday nights at Deco Lounge, there’s comedy; Karaoke’s on Tuesday; and Ginger Snap hosts a drag show on Friday nights. You might come for the dance floor, but you’ll stay for the drink specials: $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, $4 shots, and $7 “special frozen drinks at bartender’s discretion.”

Bearracuda and Go Bang occasionally return for their monthly events. And architects, note the woodwork: Deco has the largest mahogany bar on the west coast.

And that’s not the Tenderloin’s only dive bar with a respectable past. Head over to The Gangway if you really want to rub shoulders with history. It’s the oldest continually-running gay bar in the city, dating back to the waning days of the prohibition-era Pansy Craze.

“Back in the ‘30s, that’s when it became The Gangway,” said owner Darryl Wright. “They called it a ‘singles bar’ then.”

It’s still a fun place for singles, and couples, and 8 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

Warm ambiance at the historic Gangway.

crowds. Friendly bartenders and go-go dancers keep the mood pleasant, and the $8 pitchers don’t hurt.

Saturday sees parties like Manquake and Chrome, and if you need a diversion, spend some time fishing for porn in the claw machine.

The history continues up the street at R Bar, where locals have been boozing it up since the 1940s. While not gay-specific, the neighborhood bar is gay-friendly.

But is it a dive? “I think people call it a dive bar because it doesn’t have neon lights,” said owner Will Presley. “We don’t do table service.”

Instead, they boast an impressive variety of drinks.

It’s the Fernet that crowds clamor for: a challenging, take-no-prisoners Italian spirit that’s maintained a grip on San Francisco for a hundred years, R Bar is ground zero for shots backed by ginger. Or if you don’t want a drink that’ll make your bow-tie spin, opt for a $2 Bud Light, or a charming Bloody Mary.

Speaking of Marys, they don’t make drag shows anymore like the ones at Aunt Charlie’s. These are performers with some serious stories, having lived in the limelight for decades. There’s not a lady alive who can own a room like Vickie Marlane, Gina LaDivina, and Collette LeGrande.

Even when the girls have the night off, there’s still no shortage of down-and-dirty fun. Tubesteak Thursdays draw such a huge crowd that you might want to call ahead to make sure it’s not too packed.

Just don’t pull out your phone once you get inside, since cell phones are strictly forbidden. Now, enjoy some complementary popcorn.

Popcorn flows freely at Lucky 13, a gay-friendly but not gay bar popular with tattooed rock and roll

Friendly Trax bartenders Lee and Dan.

folks. There’s no shortage of other bells and whistles like pinball machines and a photo booth. The great selection of drinks is matched by a great selection of tunes on a jukebox that’s far superior to any Internet-enabled hodgepodge. This is a dog-friendly establishment, so you might run into a few furry friends; and it’s street-food-friendly, so you might run into the Tamale Lady. The only thing that’s not welcome at Lucky 13 is credit cards.

So are these dive bars or not? Who knows. “Any bar’s a dive bar,” said Gangway’s Darryl Wright. “It depends on the time of the year and the day and the week and who’s there.”

But the bartenders at Trax on Haight take a less ambiguous approach. “Absolutely we’re a dive bar,” said Lee Turner. “We’re proud of it.”

And so are the patrons, who range from college students to tourists to Cole Valley moms and

dads. Trax is so laid-back and welcoming, you might not even notice it’s one of the Haight’s rare gay bars. There’s no better break from the Castro scene, especially as a prelude to wandering down to Cockfight at SF Underground.

Progressive Saturdays at Trax feature the neighborhood’s best drink specials: early in the evening, well drinks are $1, and climb to just $3 by closing time. The “Bitchin’ Bloody Marys” certainly are, without a doubt, bitchin’. Just don’t let them break your concentration at the pool table.

If you’re feeling euphemistic, you might call these bars “economically inclusive.” But no matter the term, they’ve got more character in a single olive than any high-gloss Marina bar could ever offer. From the gritty history to the one-of-a-kind ambiance to the knowing nod that you get when you walk through the door, there’s nothing like a dive. ✸

January 2011 • bartabsf.com • BAR★TAB 9

TUNE INd T • by Jim Provenzano

here’s no mistaking that many of the themes in local transgender singer Shawna Virago’s CD Objectified are autobiographical. The lead lyric in three of the CD’s songs, “Objectified,” “Transsexual Dominatrix” and “Butterfly” is the word “I.” Taking that into consideration, anyone who hasn’t heard Virago live should understand the personal perspective portrayed in her music. Think the limited vocal range of Nico with a more subtle level of intensity. Pointed sociopolitical perspectives are countered by simple song structure and listenable folk-rock stylings with strummed acoustic guitar, light percussion and occasional harmonica accompaniment.

Virago’s barely veiled contempt for rightwing politics, as in “Dead War Hero,” are countered with a fun rockabilly tempo. Virago’s personal strife and abhorrence for religion are laid plain in “Someone Down There Likes Me,” with references to atheist Easter egg hunts and some disparaging maternal remarks. Somehow, these negative themes are given an uplifting tone, as in “Million Dollar Day.” But when personal identity politics take precedent over artistic development, the resultant art can be limited to fans who identify with its creator. Virago reveals her cards in the lyrics, “I have this deep obsession/I gotta pimp my oppression.” Her being transgender is the sole point, not a springboard for further musical development.

Having heard Virago live, it’s nice to have these songs collected on a CD, but it lacks the empathetic energy of her supportive audiences. www.shawnavirago.com.

10 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

Kent James

HEAVY LIQUID You might think that the trans-styling of Shawna Virago and the macho rock ballast of Heavy Liquid have nothing in common, aside from being local performers, but think again.

“I can’t imagine what I’m now supposed to be/ I’ve been so many faces, some you’ll never see,” sings Kent James in “Master Plan,” a song performed with his new band, Heavy Liquid.

You might have heard Heavy Liquid at last year’s Folsom Street Fair, or recall James’ recent solo works, and his previous incarnation as the hottest gay punk rocker of all time, Nick Name.

But I’m biased. Growing up in the rock versus disco 1970s, it always seemed that being gay implied one should prefer “gay” music of the time, i.e, disco.

At the same time, I was air-guitaring to Aerosmith and air-keyboarding to Kansas.

James, who long ago abandoned the punk mohawk, as well as a previous Country-Western persona, seems comfortable in simple garage mechanic duds as the front man for a thudding, loud and deliciously authentic rock and roll band that plays music without politics.

Is it gay-identified? Hardly, unless you subtextualize the band’s lyrics, which is completely beside the point. Like Virago, Heavy Liquid’s independently produced CD is available, but only at their shows, where their music is best heard live.

So, gay rock fans, if knowing the hot front man happens to be gay, but isn’t going to croon about gay topics (or shed his shirt, darnit), then have a beer or beverage of your choice, brave the journey to foreign lands (i.e, North Beach or Oakland), and catch Heavy Liquid playing at a local divey pub. www.myspace.com/heavyliquidsf. www.kentjames.com ✸ January 2011 • bartabsf.com • BAR★TAB 11

Bf eON THE TA ~

Eagle Beerbust, Sun. 2

~January ★

Le Perle Degli Squallor @ Hot Spot DJ Bus Station John’s intimate monthly (1st Saturdays) retro disco night re-decorates the cozy dive bar into a cool dance hangout and upstairs cruise space; popular with bear cubs and friendly hipsters. 2 for 1 drinks 9pm-11pm. Open til 2am. $5. 1414 Market St. at Van Ness.

Twisted @ Lot 46 New Year’s recovery party all day at one of SF’s newest clubs, with two floors of fun, guest DJ Kio Kio, plus Hawthorne, Paul Goodyear, Frank Wild and James Torres. $15-$20. 6am3pm. 46 Geary St. at Kearny. www.lot46sf.com

Sun 2➠ DJ Kio Kio at Twisted, Sat. 1

Sat 1➠ Bangkok @ The Stud

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The most popular daytime gay bar event in Northern California, with benefits for local LGBT and AIDS charities and organizations. $10 (for beer bust). 3pm-6pm. 12th St. at Harrison. www.sfeagle.com

DJs Shawn P and Lamb Chop spin tunes; Stoli gogo guys tempt you at the monthly dance night (1st Saturdays). Free before 11pm. $8. 21+. 10pm-2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Beer Bust @ Lone Star Saloon

Cockfight @ Underground SF

Suppositori Spelling’s weekly wild drag show at the cute gay bar. 10pm-ish-2am. 1900 15th St. 252-0306. www.trucksf.com

Culture Whores’ big slutty dance party in a little club, with Pansy the Drunken Panda and saucy gogo guys. Now 1st and 3rd Saturdays. $7. 9pm-2am. 424 Haight St. www.cockfightsf.com

Get Down @ Maya Free monthly party for women, queers and pals. 1st Saturdays, with DJs Olga T and Astro. Taco menu, cheap beer buckets, private room reservations. 9pm-2am. 303 2nd St at Harrison. www.mayasf.com

Kim Nalley @ The Rrazz Room Stellar singer performs jazz and blues classics, Also Jan. 2, 7pm. $35. 8pm. 2-drink minimum. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis. (800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com

Benefit for various local charities each week. 4pm-8pm. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsaloon.com

Cocktailgate @ Truck

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room Donna Sachet and Harry Denton host the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.harrydenton.com

Mon 3➠ Do or Die @ The Mix New weekly fun night, with talent contests, raffles, and drag shows. 6pm-10pm. 4086 18th St. www.mixsf.com

Tue 4➠

Recovery Brunch @ The Lookout

The Castro’s Got Talent @ Midnight Sun

Enjoy a hair of the dog (we recommend the Bloody Marys), a tasty buffet hosted by Gladys Bumps, and relaxing New Year’s Day grooves with DJ Steve Sherwood. No cover. 12pm4pm. 3600 16th St. at Market & Noe. 431-0306. www.lookoutsf.com

Open mic night with host Dee Spencer. Weekly at 9pm. 4067 18th St. at Castro 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Blue Room Comedy @ Club 93

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12 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

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David Hawkins hosts, and Morgan headlines at the night of big laughs at the tiny bar. Free. 10pm. 93 9th St.

f eON THE TAB ~ ~from page 14

★

Franc D’Ambrosio @ the Rrazz Room Renowned singer (former star of Phantom of the Opera) performs “I’ll be Seeing Youz,” a World War II musical show and live CD recording. $40. 8pm. 2-drink minimum.

Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis. (800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com

Franc D’Ambrosio

Men’s Club @ SoMa Bars Got your dogtags? No? Get ‘em! Enjoy drink specials and other fun stuff at themed nights at Chaps, The Eagle, The Powerhouse, Truck and Hole in the Wall. 21+. www.lonestarsaloon.com

Thu 6➠ The Crib @ City Nights Pop music club night with scantily-clad gogo studs. $10. 18+.

9:30pm-3am. 715 Harrison St. at 3rd. www.thecribsf.com

Glam @ Lime Betty’s List’s weekly women’s night has moved to the Castro bar and restuarant. 6pm-10pm. 2247 Market St. www.bettyslist.com www.lime-sf.com

Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gay-friendly comedy night. One drink or menu item minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

Weekly parties with different themes at the new museum of life sciences. Enjoy the exhibits while drinking and schmoozing. $12. 21+. 6pm-10pm. Golden Gate Park. www.calacademy.org/nightlife

Great Than One Meet & Greet @ Blackbird

The Three Degress @ The Rrazz Room

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s

Informal information and meet and greet for previous and potentially interested participants in the SF AIDS Foundation’s triathlon fundraiser event, the AVIA Wildflower Triathlon (April 30-May 1, 2011). 5pm-7pm. 2124 Market St. www.greaterthanone.org

Classic soul and R&B band (“TSOP” aka the Soul Train theme song, “When Will I See You Again?”) perform their hits.

2-drink minimum. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis. (800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com SOMA Men’s Club, Wed. 5

Meow Mix @ the Stud

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Retro tunes and retro cruisy crowd, each Thursday in the Tenderloin. DJ Bus Station John plays records. $4. 10pm2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Weekly drag and variety show.

9pm-2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Ladies Night @ Q Bar Women’s night, with DJ Ms. Jackson, half-off drinks. 9pm2am. 456 Castro St. www.qbarsf.com

Fri 7➠ Chicken Strip @ The Cinch

Wed 5➠ Rich Stadtmiller

Different kinks get their own nights once a month at the intimate leather bar. Draft beer as low as $2. 9pm-2am. 1225 Folsom St. at 8th. 255-2427. www.chapsbarsanfrancisco.com

Mads Tolling @ The Rrazz Room

Dope @ The Lookout

Jazz fusion band performs a tribute to Jean-Luc Ponty. $25.

8pm. 2-drink minimum. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis.

(800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com

Monthly music and pop culture party, with DJs Papa Tony and Crashfaster. 9pm-2am. 1600 Market St. at Noe. www.lookoutsf.com

Messy Wednesdays @ Lime

Ghetto Disco @ The Endup

New weekly night with sexy DJ Tristan Jaxx and caliente gogo dudes, Mexican food served up hot, plus Tequila, Tecates, Margarita specials. 6pm-10pm. 2247 Market St. www.lime-sf.com

DJs Hawthorne and guests spin dance grooves til dawn. $15-$20. Free before 12am. 11pm-6am. 401 6th St. at Harrison. 646-0999. www.theendup.com

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Juanita Fajita brings her frisky and unpredictable male strip contest to The Cinch every Friday night. Juanita’s Taco Truck starts at 8:30pm for your late night cravings. Strip contest starts at 10:30pm. Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place ($25-$75). The Cinch 1723 Polk St. at Clay.

Fetish Nights @ Chaps II

f eON THE TAB ~ ~from page 14

★

Cockblock @ Rickshaw Stop Lesbo-rific queer homo dance night each 2nd & 4th Saturday. $5-$7. 21+. 10pm-2am. 155 Fell St. www.rickshawstop.com

Frolic @ The Stud Hard @ Q Bar Electro pop dance night at the intimate Castro bar-club, with DJ Haute Toddy.

9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Hot Box @ Bench and Bar, Oakland

Latin Explosion @ Club 21, Oakland Renovated gay Latin dance club (eight bars, more dance floors, lounge) shows off their hottests gogo studs.

Happy hour 4pm-8:30pm.

Dancing 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

The Phenomenauts @ Rickshaw Stop

Monthly costume dance party for Furries and friends. Dress up and dance, you animal. $7 w/o $3 with costume. 9pm2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.neonbunny.com/frolic www.studsf.com

The Phenomenauts, Fri. 7

Space-surf android rockers perform. Also, Tornado Rider and Manzanita. $12. 8pm. All ages. 155 Fell St. www.rickshawstop.com

Some Thing @ The Stud Wild weekly drag show hosted by Glamamore. 10pm-2am.

399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Teatro Zinzanni @ Pier 29 Theatre-tent-dinner extravaganza with comic Frank Ferrante, twin acrobats Ming and Rui, Vertical Tango rope dance, plus magic, comedy, a five-course dinner, and a lot of fun. $117-$145. Saturday 11:30am “Breve” show $63--$78. Wed-Sat 6pm (Sun 5pm). Pier 29 at Embarcadero Ave. 438-2668. www.teatrozinzanni.com

Truck Wash @ Truck Live shower show with hot guys getting wet. 10pm-ish2am. 1900 15th St. 252-0306. www.trucksf.com

Sat 8➠ Bearracuda @ Club Eight Orsine Underwear night with DJs Craig Gaibler and Brian Maier. $6 before 10pm, $8 afterward. 9pm-3am. 1151 Folsom St. www.bearracuda.com www.eightsf.com

New weekly women’s night produced by Movement Productions, with DJs Astro, Olga T, Rapture and Val G. specialty drinks, cafe seating, special events each week, with frequent live acts, including prizes, giveaways, and holiday-themed special events. Text 368638 for discounts on admission. $8-$15. 9pm to 3am. www.hotboxinthebay.com

Sun 9➠ Honey Soundsystem @ Holy Cow The coolest Sunday music mix crew has moved yet again, but not too far, and to the original home of The Stud. Look for the suspended cow. 10pm-2am. 1535 Folsom St. at 11th. www.honeysoundsystem.com

Bearracuda, Sat. 8

Judy Butterfield @ The Rrazz Room Young cabaret singer performs classics by the Gershwins, Cole Porter, and Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. $35 (special 18-andunder $17.50) 3pm. Also Jan. 10, 8pm. 2-drink minimum. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis.

(800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 Sundance Saloon presents country-western dancing for the LGBT community and its friends two night a week, every Sunday and Thursday. The club is always packed with friendly urban cowboys and cowgirls two-stepping and line dancing the night away. $5. 21+.

Sundays 5pm-10:30pm, lessons 5:30–7:15pm. Thursdays 6:30–10:30pm, lessons 7pm-8pm. 550 Barneveld Ave., near Bayshore and Industrial. www.sundancesaloon.org

Sheena Rose debuts her dance single “Opening Act,” with additional acts by Anna Conda, Mutha Chucka, Joie DeVivre, Nikki Star, Bliss and MarcyPlayground. DJs Dank and Dingbat spin. No cover. 11pm-2am. 1723 Polk St.

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Candyland @ The Cinch

f eON THE TAB ~ ~from page 18

★

Mon 10➠

Men’s Club @ SoMa Bars Got your dogtags? No? Get ‘em! Enjoy drink specials and other fun stuff at themed nights at Chaps, The Eagle, The Powerhouse, Truck and Hole in the Wall. 21+. www.lonestarsaloon.com

Mexican Radio @ Lone Star Saloon

Karaoke Mondays @ Bar On Church Drink specials as the meagerly talented get an opportunity to sing. 198 Church St. at Market. www.thebarsf.com

Tue 11➠

Twice monthly (2nd and last Wed) fun night with gogo guys, cheap drink specials ($2 Bud, Bud Light and Rolling Rock draft), DJ Carsonova, and beartastic ambiance. 7pm-11pm. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsaloon.com

Numina Press Night @ Rickshaw Stop

Blue Room Comedy @ Club 93 David Hawkins hosts the night of big laughs at the tiny bar. Free.

10pm. 93 9th St.

Ladies Night @ Q Bar Women’s night, with DJ Ms. Jackson, half-off drinks.

9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www. qbarsf.com

Martha Reeves @ The Rrazz Room Motown great performs R&B, jazz and blues classics. $40$45. 8pm thru Jan. 15. Also Jan 16, 7pm. 2-drink minimum.

Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis. (800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com

Meow Mix @ the Stud Weekly drag and variety show.

9pm-2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Thu 13➠ Booty Call, Wed. 12

The Crib @ City Nights Pop music club night with scantily-clad gogo studs. $10.

18+. 9:30pm-3am.

715 Harrison St. at 3rd. www.thecribsf.com

Glam @ Lime

Wed 12 ➠

Betty’s List’s weekly women’s night has moved to the Castro bar and restuarant. 6pm10pm. 2247 Market St. www.bettyslist.com www.lime-sf.com

A-List Martini Nights @ Bar TBA Ongoing popular weekly social and networking event for gay men and their friends. Sign up to get invites to a different bar each week. 9pm-12am. www. sfalist.com

Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences

Juanita More! and her More Boys get groovy in the intimate Castro bar. $3-$5.

9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www. juanitamore.com www.bootycallwednesdays.com

Dream Queens Review @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Drag show each 2nd and 4th Wednesday at the classic Tenderloin bar, hosted by Collette LeGrande-Ashton. No cover. 10pm. 133 Turk St. 441-2922. www.dreamqueensrevue.com

20 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

Weekly parties with different themes at the new museum of life sciences. Enjoy the exhibits while drinking and schmoozing; Life: A Cosmic Story, narrated by Jodie Foster in the Planetarium. $12. (Reg, admission $20-$30). 21+.

6pm-10pm. Golden Gate Park. www.calacademy.org/nightlife

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Retro tunes and retro cruisy crowd, each Thursday in the Tenderloin. DJ Bus Station John plays records. $4. 10pm-2am.

133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

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Robert Guzman

Booty Call @ Q Bar

Gay and straight authors read from their works as part of a new literary press collective, including Kemble Scott (The Sower, SoMa), Joe Quirk (It’s Not You, It’s Biology: The Science of Love, Sex and Relationships) Tamim Ansary (West Martha Reeves, Tues. 11 of Kabul, East of New York), James warner, Ransom Stephens and Jed Diamond. All ages. Tickets at the door. 155 Fell St. www.rickshawstop.com

f eON THE TAB ~ ~from page 20

★

Cockfight @ Underground SF Culture Whores’ big slutty dance party in a little club, with Pansy the Drunken Panda and saucy gogo guys. Now 1st and 3rd Saturdays. $7. 9pm-2am. 424 Haight St. www.cockfightsf.com

Fauxgirls @ Kimo’s

Fri 14➠ Bad Girl Cocktail Hour @ The Lexington Club Every Friday night, bad girls can get $1 dollar margaritas between 9pm and 10pm. All drinks being served up by the fabulous bartending duo of Tanya and Amy. 3464 19th St. between Mission and Valencia. 863-2052. www.lexingtonclub.com

Classic drag show with Victoria Secret, Alexandria, Chanel, Davida Ashton, Tiger Lily, Maria Garza and more; each 3rd Saturday. No cover. 10pm. 1351 Polk St. 885-4535. www.fauxgirls.com Hot Box, Sat. 15

Hot Box @ Bench and Bar, Oakland New weekly women’s night produced by Movement Productions, with DJs Astro, Olga T, Rapture and Val G. specialty drinks, cafe seating, special events each week, with frequent live acts, $8-$15. 9pm to 3am. www.hotboxinthebay.com

Boy Bar @ The Cafe Full Frontal Fridays at the renovated popular club.

Matt DJs, twinky boiz gogo dance. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. at Castro. www.cafesf.com

Maniax @ Public Works

Club Dragon @ Club Eight Weekly Asian gay dance club with frequent themed nights.

1151 Folsom St. at 7th. 431-1151. www.clubdragonsf.com

New hybrid dance and electronic music event, with DJs Jay Santos, Jamie J Sanchez, Air Kyle and Liam Shy. $15-$20. 10pm-2am. 161 Erie St. www.publicsf.com www.sfmaniax.com

Latin Explosion @ Club 21, Oakland

Meat Sluts @ Thee Parkside

Renovated gay Latin dance club (eight bars, more dance floors, lounge) shows off their hottests gogo studs. Happy hour 4pm-8:30pm. Dancing 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

Female punk band performs, along with Reducers, Complaints and the Paper Bags. $7. 9pm. 1600 17th St. www.theeparkside.com

Non-Stop Bhangra @ Rickshaw Stop

Radar @ Trigger Enjoy dancing at the trendy Castro nightclub til 2am.

2344 Market St. www.clubtrigger.com

Indian hiphop, drum-driven DJed music, dance lessons, and performances by the Dholrhythms Dance Troupe. $10-$20. 21+.

9:30pm-2am. 155 Fell St. www.rickshawstop.com

Salsa Club @ Cafe Cocomo Same-sex dancing and lessons with a live band.

21+. 8:30pm-12am.

650 Indiana St. www.QueerBallroom.com

Sun 16➠ Afternoon Delight @ Deco Lounge Weekly Sunday T-dance with DJ Pirate spinning 70s, 80s and new stuff. 21+. 4pm-8pm. 510 Larkin St. www.decorsf.com

Some Thing @ The Stud

Sat 15➠

All-Male Amateur Strip Show @ Deco Lounge Bill Weaver

Wild weekly drag show hosted by Glamamore.

10pm-2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Big @ The Stud Monthly dance party for big men and their friends (3rd Sundays). $5. 6pm-11am. 399 9th St. www.phattestevents.com www.studsf.com

22 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

Ginger Snap hosts the wild and sexy night of newbies gettin’ nude. $100 cash prize!

DJ Lambchop spins tunes.

510 Larkin St. at Turk. 346-2025. www.decosf.com Sundance, Sun. 16

C

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The most popular daytime gay bar event in Northern California, with benefits for local LGBT and AIDS charities and organizations. $10 (for beer bust). 3pm-6pm. 12th St. at Harrison. www.sfeagle.com

Mon 17➠ Monday Night Smackdown @ Bloodhound Football and food trucks blend each week in a beer and cocktail night at the stylishly rustic mixed/gay-friendly bar.

1145 Folsom St at 7th. www.bloodhoundsf.com

Beer Bust @ Lone Star Saloon Benefit for various local charities each week. 4pm-8pm.

1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsaloon.com

Tue 18➠ Buffy the Musical @ Lone Star Saloon Sing along to the hilarious musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Comic book and toy prizes from Whatever Comics. 7pm10pm. 1354 Harrison St. 863-9999. www.lonestarsaloon.com

Cocktailgate @ Truck Suppositori Spelling’s weekly wild drag show at the cute gay bar. 10pm-ish-2am. 1900 15th St. 252-0306. www.trucksf.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550

Butch Queen @ Delirium Joshua J. and Robert Jeffery’s new weekly night for homos and friends. No cover. 10pm-2am.

3139 16th St. at Guererro. www.joshuajpresents.com

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gay-friendly comedy night.

One-drink or menu item minimum.

9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th.

431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

Butch Queen, Tue. 18

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room Donna Sachet and Harry Denton host the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.harrydenton.com

Swing-out Sundays @ Rock-it Room Slim Jenkins and other bands play weekly for your same- and opposite-sex swing dancing pleasure. $5 includes a lesson.

8pm-11pm. 406 Clement St. www.SwingChampionships.com

Paula West @ The Rrazz Room Popular local singer performs with The George Mesterhazy quartet on various nights for eight weeks thru Mar. 13. $35-$45. Mostly at 8pm. Check online schedule. 2-drink minimum. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis.

(800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com

Tank @ Trigger Muscle guy happy hour with DJs Hawthorne and James Torres. 7pm-10pm. 2344 Market St. 551-CLUB. www.clubTrigger.com

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Sundance Saloon presents country-western dancing for the LGBT community and its friends two night a week, every Sunday and Thursday. The club is always packed with friendly urban cowboys and cowgirls two-stepping and line dancing the night away. $5. 21+.

Sundays 5pm-10:30pm, lessons 5:30–7:15pm. Thursdays 6:30–10:30pm, lessons 7pm8pm. 550 Barneveld Ave., near Bayshore and Industrial. www.sundancesaloon.org

January 2011 • bartabsf.com • BAR★TAB 23

f eON THE TAB ~ ~from page 23

★

Fri 21➠ Latin Explosion @ Club 21, Oakland

Planet Booty, Fri. 21

Renovated gay Latin dance club (eight bars, more dance floors, lounge) shows off their hottests gogo studs. Happy hour 4pm-8:30pm. Dancing 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

Planet Booty @ Café DuNord Shake your booty with the Oakland-based whimsical white funk groove band. Super Adventure Club opens. $12. 21+.

9:30pm. 2170 Market St. 861-5016. www.cafedunord.com

Radcliffe Photos

Shag Fridays @ Cafe Flore Loungey fun in the center of gayville. $4 martinis; no cover.

10pm-2am. 2298 Market St. at Noe. 621-8579. www.cafeflore.com

Shirts Off @ Truck Take off your shirt and get $1.50 for draft beer. 8pm-10pm.

1900 Folsom St. at 15th. 252-0306. www.trucksf.com

Wed 19➠

Some Thing @ The Stud

A-List Martini Nights @ Bar TBA

Wild weekly drag show hosted by Glamamore. 10pm-2am.

399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Ongoing popular weekly social and networking event for gay men and their friends. Sign up to get invites to a different bar each week. 9pm-12am. www.sfalist.com

Fetish Nights @ Chaps II Different kinks get their own nights once a month at the intimate leather bar. Draft beer as low as $2. 9pm-2am. 1225 Folsom St. at 8th. 255-2427. www.chapsbarsanfrancisco.com

Snap-a-Licious @ Deco Lounge Ginger Snap’s fun drag show features Holotta Tymes, Mahlae Balenciaga, Synergy, Kylie Minono and more. 10pm-2am. 510 Larkin St. at Turk. www.decosf.com

Sat 22➠ Hayes Valley Follies @ Marlena’s

Mary-Go-Round @ The Lookout

Weekly old-school drag show, hosted by Miss Galilea. 10pm.

No cover. 488 Hayes St. 8646672. www.marlenasbarsf.com

Cookie Dough, Suppositori Spelling and Pollo Del Mar host a weekly drag show. $5.

10:30pm show. 3600 16th St. at Market. www.lookoutsf.com

Hot Box @ Bench and Bar, Oakland

Thu 20➠ Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi Musical comedy revue, now in its 35th year, with an everchanging lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. $25-$80. Wed, Thu 8pm.

Fri, Sat 6:30, 9:30pm. Sun 2pm, 5pm. (Beer/wine served; cash only). 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd. 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Juicy @ The White Horse, Oakland Hip Hop, R&B and soul. 9pm. (karaoke, drag king shows other nights, too). 6551 Telegraph Ave. (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com

24 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

Snapalicious, Fri. 21

New weekly women’s night produced by Movement Productions, with DJs Astro, Olga T, Rapture and Val G. specialty drinks, cafe seating, special events each week, with frequent live acts, including prizes, giveaways, and holidaythemed special events. Text 368638 for discounts on admission. $8-$15. 9pm to 3am. www.hotboxinthebay.com

Go Bang @ Deco Lounge Atomic disco dancefloor action returns to its first home, with DJs Steve Fabus, Tres Lingerie and Sergio, plus guest DJs Eddy Bauer and Freshstep. Special performance by Duplicity Dilemma. $5. 9pm-3am-ish. 510 Larkin St. www.gobangsf.com www.decosf.com

1

Pornstar @ Club Eight Andre Shannon presents a boxing-themed sexy night, with porn studs Ricky Sinz and Race Cooper; DJ Derek Monteiro, gogo boxing boys and hostess Bebe Sweetbriar.

Special invite-only upstairs lounge with Sinz DJing. $10.

9pm-3am. 1151 Folsom St. www.aspornstar.com

Tue 25➠ Blue Room Comedy @ Club 93 Weekly adults-only jokes with host David Hawkins giving it a queer bent at the divey small bar. 10pm. 93 9th St. at Mission.

Butch Queen @ Delirium

Brian Greenberg, Sun. 23

Sun 23➠

Joshua J. and Robert Jeffery’s new weekly night for homos and friends. No cover.

10pm-2am. 3139 16th St. at Guererro. www.joshuajpresents.com

Brian Greenberg @ Café duNord Hunky actor shares his folk-rock music skills with songs from his CD Walk Away. $14. 8pm.

All ages. 2170 Market St. 8615016. www.cafedunord.com

Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger @ Café duNord Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl perform original music. Laura Gibson opens. $17. 8pm. All ages. 2170 Market St. 861-5016. www.cafedunord.com

Jock @ The Lookout Afternoon schmooze and booze, with door and donations benefiting gay sports teams. $2. 3pm-8pm.

3600 16th St. at Market. 4310306. www.lookoutsf.com

Leche @ Trigger

Veronica Klaus @ The Rrazz Room

New Sunday Latin T-dance, with Margaritas, tequila shots, gogo studs and drag show by Sasha. 4pm-10pm. 2344 Market St. 675-9763. www.clubpapi.com

Local cabaret singer performs a new show, “Lady Luck” with The Tammy Hall Trio. $25.

8pm. 2-drink minimum. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis.

(800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com

Salsa Sunday @ El Rio

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s

Dance lessons and hot music at the neighbhorhood bar where everyone (over 21) is welcome. Free BBQ 3pm. Show 4pm. $8. 3158 Mission St. at Cesar Chavez. www.elriosf.com

Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gay-friendly comedy night. One-drink or menu item minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni’s Sing-along night with talented locals, and charming accompanist Joe Wicht (aka Trauma Flintstone). 9pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market. www.dragatmartunis.com

Wed 26➠ Dream Queens Review @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Drag show each 2nd and 4th Wednesday at the classic Tenderloin bar, hosted by Collette LeGrande-Ashton. No cover.

10pm. 133 Turk St. 441-2922. www.dreamqueensrevue.com

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Mon 24➠

January 2011 • bartabsf.com • BAR★TAB 25

f eON THE TAB ~ ~from page 25

★

Whatcha Doin’ Wednesdays @ Castro Bars Monthly promotional events at Castro bars, with performances in Jane Warner Plaza. 7pm-11pm.

Latin Explosion @ Club 21, Oakland Renovated gay Latin dance club (eight bars, more dance floors, lounge) shows off their hottests gogo studs. Happy hour 4pm-8:30pm. Dancing 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

Some Thing @ The Stud Wild weekly drag show hosted by Glamamore. 10pm-2am.

399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Thu 27➠

Truck Wash @ Truck

This Charming Band, Dead Souls @ Rickshaw Stop

This Charming Band, Thu. 27

Smiths and Joy Division cover bands get your retro on. $5$7. 21+. 10pm-2am. 155 Fell St. www.rickshawstop.com

Sat 29➠ Bistroteque @ Cafe Flore

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge

DJ Ken Vulsion of Honey Soundsystem spins tunes. 8pm2am, $3 Cosmos & Lemon Drops; no cover. 10pm-2am. 2298 Market St. at Noe. 621-8579. www.cafeflore.com

Retro tunes and retro cruisy crowd, each Thursday at the intimate historic bar. DJ Bus Station John plays records. $4. 10pm-2am.

133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Hayes Valley Follies @ Marlena’s Weekly old-school drag show, hosted by Miss Galilea; Patrice, Chika, Boy Name Sue, Tia Dora, Ana Mae Cox, Nicki Starr. 10pm. No cover. 488 Hayes St. 864-6672. www.marlenasbarsf.com

Fri 28➠ Ghetto Disco @ The Endup DJs Hawthorne and guests spin dance grooves til dawn. $15-$20. Free before 12am.

11pm-6am. 401 6th St. at Harrison. 646-0999. www.theendup.com

Squrrrl @ the Stud New monthly night from the ZooSF guys. 9pm-2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Hot Box @ Bench and Bar, Oakland

Hard @ Q Bar Electro pop dance night at the intimate Castro bar-club, with DJ Haute Toddy. 9pm-2am.

456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

New weekly women’s night produced by Movement Productions, with DJs Astro, Olga T, Rapture and Val G. specialty drinks, cafe seating, special events each week, with frequent live acts, including prizes, giveaways, and holidaythemed special events. Text 368638 for discounts on admission. $8-$15. 9pm to 3am. www.hotboxinthebay.com

Hedda Lettuce @ The Rrazz Room Witty New York drag comic and Queen of Green “Gives Great Hedda” in a gay night of jokes and songs. $25. 10:30pm. Also Jan. 29, 10:30pm. 2-drink minimum.

Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis. (800) 380-3095. www.therrazzroom.com

Live shower show with hot guys getting wet. 10pm-ish-2am. 1900 15th St. 252-0306. www.trucksf.com

Hedda Lettuce, Fri. 28

26 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

Sun 30➠ Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The most popular daytime gay bar event in Northern California, with benefits for local LGBT and AIDS charities and organizations. $10 (for beer bust).

3pm-6pm. 12th St. at Harrison. www.sfeagle.com

Some Thing, Sat. 29

Beer Bust @ Lone Star Saloon Benefit for various local charities each week. 4pm-8pm.

1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsaloon.com

Cocktailgate @ Truck Suppositori Spelling’s weekly wild drag show at the cute gay bar. 10pm-ish-2am. 1900 15th St. 252-0306. www.trucksf.com

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room Donna Sachet and Harry Denton host the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.harrydenton.com

Mon 31➠ Monday Night Smackdown @ Bloodhound Football and food trucks blend each week in a beer and cocktail night at the stylishly rustic mixed/gay-friendly bar.

1145 Folsom St at 7th. www.bloodhoundsf.com

Sacred Cocktails @ The Lookout Religious discussion group for LGBT Christians and others.

Free. 8pm-9pm. 3600 16th St. 2nd floor.

For updated events, bar listings, and more go to www.BARtabSF.com.

Like us on Facebook! (BARtabSF) Send your February events to bartabsf@ebar.com Deadline is January 17.

www.bartabsf.com

eBARchivef

Randy Johnson interviews an Endup jock strap contestant in the film J. Brian’s Flashbacks.

(Above) Michael Blue and Jerome Caja at Club Uranus in 1990. (Right) A festive gogo guy at the Endup’s Club Uranus in 1990.

HAPPY ENDUPSd T

Jim Provenzano

courtesy Jack Fritscher

★

by Jim Provenzano

he Endup, one of San Francisco’s oldest into their first porn films.

Full sex scenes were shot elsewhere, not in the club, nightclubs, has managed to endure 38 years of tumultuous history while maintaining its and the film had to be retitled J. Brian’s Flashbacks. popularity. “The Endup is to San Francisco what According to Drummer Editor and gay historian San Francisco is to America,” wrote Jack Fritscher, whose erotic fiction columnist Camper English of the was the story source for the film, “Al South of Market club known for its Parker threw a hissy fit because he was all-night weekend parties. producing his own film, Flashbacks.”

Opened in 1973 by Al Hankin, the 1980 saw the start of a morning Endup’s translucent dance floor and dance party called The Church. gay patrons made it a quick success, Veteran DJ Steve Fabus, who currently as did its popular Sunday afternoon co-DJs the monthly Go Bang, recalled wet jock strap gogo dance contests. the festive era when attendees of the The contests and the club were made nearby Trockadero Transfer and the famous in Armistead Maupin’s 1976 local bath houses wanted to extend novel Tales of the City, when Michael their revels past dawn; thus the rise of all-night dance club events.

“Mouse” Tolliver enters the contest The onset of the devastation of (the later PBS film version, however, the AIDS epidemic saw the club’s used the Kilowatt club on 16th Street expansion to include straight nights, for locations).

A 1974 Bay Area Reporter ad and some mixed nights proved at the The jock strap contest was also for the Endup time confusing to patrons. After the included in the gay porn film partially AIDS death of owner Hankin, his shot in 1981 at the club by J. Brian, who, in between occasionally judging the contest, cocaine-abusing (and selling) brother Helmut took coaxed contestants like Leo Ford and Ron Pearson over, until his suspicious gun accident death in 1993.

12

28 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011

precariously-placed carrot stick.

The subsequent Klub Dekadance furthered the queer and drag ambiance. Into the 2000s, DJs specializing in house, techno and other styles broadened the club’s popularity.

That popularity led overzealous policeman Dennis Martel to close the club (and 1015 Folsom) for more than a month in 1999 over violations.

After complaints, Martel was later transferred. The upshot of that led to the Entertainment Commission, which works toward reasonable nightclub permit regulations.

With its ample patio, late hours and a diverse focus led by its six new owners in 2005, The Endup has since won several local “Best of ” media awards. Current nights like Sunday Mass, Phonic and the weekly Friday night Ghetto Disco focus on music that transcends sexual orientation. ✸ Jim Provenzano

Surviving manager Doug Whitmore spun the club’s bankruptcy into a 1993 swindle that eventually led to his robbing the club’s bank account of $160,000 and fleeing the city, only to return three years later, where he kidnapped and murdered Carl, the last Hankin brother.

Despite these tragedies, the club endured into the 1990s, where a new generation of selfproclaimed queers and freaks defined the club kid era. They made Club Uranus (1989-1992) a popular gay event, in between varied mixed and straight nights. Promoter Michael Blue, DJ Lewis Walden, and artist Jerome Caja hosted the wild nights, which included performances by Trauma Flintstone, Diet Popstitute, Pussy Tourette and Leigh Crowe as Elvis Herselvis.

But it was the Miss Uranus pageant that gave the night an infamous reputation for outrageous shows, in particular an act by drag performer “Betty” (later co-author of a popular San Francisco gay traveler’s guide) that involved a Habitrail, a hampster, and a

Sources: Wikipedia entry; “Thirty Years of the Endup,” by Camper English, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Nov. 11, 2003

eBEST OF '10f ill~ ~Photos by Steven Underh

★

If a local event was full of fun and fab celebs, ace photographer Steven Underhill was probably there.

Here’s a small selection of a few of our favorite snaps from 2010.

30 BAR★TAB • bartabsf.com • January 2011