bartabsf.com ✶ July 2010 ✶ Vol.1
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✶ Top Dogs: Up Your Alley Hunks and Leather Events
✶ Girl Grooves: Women’s Events Evolve
Dog Days ➠Bars
Sacto to Santa Cruz online at
bartabsf.com
Pet-friendly bars
ingredients
ENTER
TO WIN!
★ July 2010 ★
Fired Up
Page 3 Dog Days
Page 4
Midweek Merriment
Page 6
Great Outdoors
Page 8
Who’s yer Bud?
Page 10
Puff Luck
Page 12 Girl Grooves
Page 14
June, Spooned
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Top Dogs
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A-Dore-able
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On the Tab: July
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BARchive: Perversatility
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Read more stories online, and check out our complete bar listings at www.bartabsf.com ✶ Cover photo: Queen Couger at the Powerhouse with her dog Roscoe. photo: Rick Gerharter.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ WANT TO WIN A PAIR OF FULL WEEKEND PASSES TO LEATHERSIR? Register for free on BARtab at www.BARtabsf.com. Two pairs of packages will be randomly selected among those who sign up between July 1 through July 17. Participants must be 21 or older. Winners will be notified by July 18.
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Editor: Jim Provenzano Art Director: Kurt Thomas Production Manager: Tom Dvorak General Manager: Michael Yamashita Advertising Sales: David McBrayer, Colleen Small, Scott Wazlowski Contributors: Matt Baume, Scott Brogan, Heather Cassell, Jack Fritscher, Seth Hemmelgarn, Photography: Crawford Barton, Rich Stadtmiller, Rick Gerharter, 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
FIRED UP< •
Jim Provenzano
t’s post-Pride. We’re exhausted. Now that gay Christmas is over, we can relax, right? Well, no. But whatever we do, we have to remain steadfast and support gay artists. And who better to support than the rainbowlicious Scissor Sisters? Their new album, Night Work, is said by singer-composer Jake Shears to have evolved into a musical statement on what our world would be like if AIDS never happened. Shocking? Perhaps. But Shears’ vision is more in the line of envisioning a sideways reality a la Lost or Fringe, where catastrophic events have been brushed aside by a new hopeful world vision. Whether it’s an anthemic love song, or a deliberately silly boogie-style dance tune, Scissor Sisters have always been about pleasure. The album art featuring a Robert Mapplethorpe photo of the tights-clad butt of ballet
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dancer Peter Reed (both died of AIDS) pretty much states that, but with historical subtext. “Invisible Light” recreates the disco drama of the early 1980s. An eerie voiceover by Sir Ian McKellen (a la Vincent Price in “Thriller”) mentions “sexual gladiators” who draw us into “the light.” It’s a strange song, yet destined to be a dance floor hit. For a few minutes, can you listen to a song by an out gay artist, and see a vision of peace and pleasure unmarred by cruel reality? Can you enjoy a day free of rightwing hatred and puerile vitriol? Well, yes. Fight “Fire With Fire,” as their song states. Perhaps, as in their music video, you can shout your message on a flatbed truck in the middle of the night, like some displaced ghost of a Pride march float. It may not accomplish much, but it’ll feel good. ✷
July 2010 . bartabsf.com . BAR★TAB
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DOG DAYS Bars Differ on Pet Policies
photos by Rick Gerharter
Chris Franz with Duece (right) and his partner Terry Gauchat with Buddy at a sidewalk table in Cafe Flore.
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by Seth Hemmelgarn
eople with dogs often like to take them indoors with them, which can be a little tricky. However, in many bars and restaurants around San Francisco, dogs are accepted. Terry Gauchat, 43, and his partner, Chris Franz, 48, live in Noe Valley and have two beagles, Buddy, 14, and Deuce, 10. “We want to give them exercise, especially if it’s good weather,” said Gauchat. Plus, he said, “It’s nice to have them out and about.” Walks around their neighborhood or the Castro often coincide with lunch, and rather than taking the dogs back to the car, where there may not be shade, the couple will take them to eat. Café Flore at 2298 Market Street is one convenient spot. Gauchat said there’s seating on the sidewalk, outside the walled area. He doesn’t know what the rules are inside that area, “but we can usually find a table outside,” he said. Gauchat said he’s seen several dogs at the café, and he’s never had problems taking the dogs there. They go about twice a month. One needs to be careful about leaving food around Buddy, though. Once, “We ordered a salad with grilled chicken on top, and Buddy grabbed the chicken before we noticed,” said Gauchat.
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He said Franz asked, “‘Didn’t we order chicken?’ and we saw Buddy licking his chops.” There are some rules that apply to dogs. At the Pilsner Inn at 225 Church Street, staffer Jeff Morten said in an e-mail that they don’t allow dogs unless they’re registered service animals. “We used to be more lax on allowing dogs in, but too many owners were letting them run free and not keeping an eye on them,” wrote Morten. “After several incidents the owners [Pat Conlon and George Loudis] decided it was best to not allow it anymore. Definitely a case of some ruining it for all.” Conlon said that allowing dogs is against the health department’s rules, unless it’s a seeing-eye dog or other service dog. Bars may not always want dogs around, but they can be helpful to pets and their owners. John L. Lipp is president and CEO of Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS), which provides companion animal services to hundreds of low-income San Franciscans. In an e-mail, Lipp wrote that beer busts and other bar events tend to bring in from $6,000 to $10,000 a year. That help is “very important to us,” Lipp said, and the events also provide opportunities for increased awareness of PAWS and volunteer recruitment. Lipp said in his e-mail that his group has an ongoing relationship with the Powerhouse, at 1347 Folsom Street, and “[p]retty much every bar in the
city has, at one point or another, done some kind of a beer bust or fundraiser for PAWS.” At Marlena’s, at 488 Hayes Street, owner Garry “Marlena” McLain said people have been bringing their dogs for “probably five or six years.” “They’re totally responsible for them,” said McLain, who added, “If it’s real, real crowded, you shouldn’t have your dog in here, for the safety of the dog ... otherwise, you can have them sit right beside you.” Lipp also expressed concern for dogs’ safety when they’re in bars. He wrote, “A lot of bars can be dangerous for dogs – spilled alcohol, the chance of broken glass, loud noises and, of course, the risk of being stepped on when it’s crowded. … Just like people, every dog is different and it’s important to understand what makes them happy and what causes them stress.”
Bars don’t seem to cause any stress for Theo, the 8-year-old pug who belongs to Ross Kalmin. “He hasn’t snapped at anyone. He doesn’t bark at anyone. He just sits,” said Kalmin, 42. If it gets Ross Kalmin with his dog, too crowded, Kalmin Theo in the holds him. patio at the Eagle Tavern. “Sunday at the Eagle [at 398 12th Street] I found him a seat up high, and he just sat and socialized,” he said. “Everyone came over to pet him.” Kalmin has a companion tag for Theo, which allows him to bring the dog everywhere. He’s almost never been asked, though. Added Kalmin, if he doesn’t bring his dog, people ask, “Where’s Theo?” ✷ Pets are Wonderful Support will be part of the San Francisco AIDS Walk on July 18 in Golden Gate Park. PAWS’ Doggone Fun Run is an officially registered team. To learn more about the walk, go to www.doggonefunrun.org.
July 2010 . bartabsf.com . BAR★TAB
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MIDWEEK MERRIMENT< A The Castro’s Watcha Doin’ Wednesdays •
Steven Underhill
t least once a month Hump Day is officially being celebrated in the Castro. To drum up business on an otherwise slow night, merchants in the gayborhood have teamed up to host special themed events the third Wednesday of the month. Dubbed Watcha Doin’ Wednesdays, eight bars and restaurants launched the first of these neighborhood-wide promotions in April. It’s a gay twist on other city’s art walks or First Friday events aimed at luring customers to venture out rather than stay home. “We wanted to do something fun to get people here in the Castro instead of other parts of the city,” said Lookout owner Chris Hastings. “We wanted to make it a little bit special on a slow night. A lot of other cities and business districts in San Francisco do this with a lot of success.” It’s the latest project to come out of the Castro After Dark initiative started in 2009 by various Castro bar owners. All have been hurt by the downturn in the economy and have been looking at ways to boost their bottom lines. “As everyone knows, there is less traffic in the Castro these days. Business is not good due to the economy,” said Greg Bronstein, who owns bar Trigger and Lime restaurant. It’s also a marked turnaround from the days when Castro bar owners were more adversaries than collaborators. In the past it was more likely to find them fighting in court than teaming up to boost one
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by Matthew S. Bajko
another’s business. “We are taking baby steps,” said Bronstein. “We have been pleased with the progress we have made in the last year in forming some cohesion.” The Wednesday events have attracted sponsors such as Bud Light and Red Bull that pitch in toward a $1,500 budget that pays for decorations, street performers and marketing costs. The offerings each month are centered around a common theme. Last month the June 16 event served as an unofficial kickoff to Pride, while the theme for July 21 is a play on a starfilled summer night. Participating bars will be offering $2 Bud Lights and $4 Stoli Cosmos. “I’ve had live performers such as a magician and a Joan Crawford look-a-like,” said The Mix owner Larry Metzger. “We even had a person who made balloon aniGlamorous mals.” gogo at Trigger. The special nights are planned through September, and business owners hope to extend the program throughout the rest of the year. While the themed-nights have yet to bring a dramatic up-tick in customers, participating merchants said each successive event has built on the last one’s success. “It’s been great. We’ve all pitched in and had stilt walkers and circus performers come out,” said J.D. Petras, owner of Café Flore. “It has not had a real big impact, but we have had much bigger crowds there on those nights compared to other Wednesdays. That is what we need, people to come in and shop in the neighborhood.”✷
Fred Hoffknecht
Rich Stadtmiller
Beer bust at The Eagle.
The Lone Star Saloon’s patio.
GREAT OUTDOORS< A SF’s Best Patio Bars •
by Mike Baume
t long last, summer’s here, and that means it’s time to peel off the hoodies and hats and lounge in the sun. It’s patio season at last. Looking for a fruity cocktail that comes with a healthy dose of fresh air? Look no further than the heart of the Castro, where your options for outdoor drinking are plentiful. It’s hard to say no to Lucky 13’s free popcorn, photo booth, and rock-n-roll attitude. Or for something more space-agey, head up Market Street to Lime, the inside of which looks like a set from the movie Barbarella. Lime’s bottomless mimosas have earned it a reputation as the Castro’s favorite place to kick off the weekend with a hearty brunch. The Lookout’s just a stumble away from Lime, where the balcony makes for prime people-watching. And when the sun sets, you can look forward to trivia nights on Monday, all you can eat pizza on Tuesday, Wednesday’s “Mary Go Round” drag show, and half-off wine on Thursday. To call Q Bar “crowded” on busy nights is an understatement. Even if you can squeeze into a spot on the patio, get ready to rub shoulders, along with a number of other body parts. But that’s okay. Q Bar attracts a handsome bunch, particularly when Booty Call Wednesdays roll around. “The dance floor is crowded,” observed one patron, “but you can always dry-hump.” The atmosphere’s a bit more laid-back at The Mix, next door to the “Bear” Starbucks. Friendly bartenders, strong drinks, and a well-stocked jukebox keep the locals coming back. And when you’re suffering Badlands fatigue, just wander across the
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street to Toad Hall for a calm crowd on the cozy patio, and a little dancing to that ever-elusive phenomenon: hip-hop in the Castro. Back down Market Street (at Church St.) the Pilsner is the President of Patios. Spacious and crowd-friendly with Watermelon Wheat beer on tap, you couldn’t ask for a more unpretentious crowd. Grab a bite on Chow’s patio next door, then head to the Pilsner for a nice lazy afternoon. Of course, this city overflows with patios and gays beyond just the Castro. There’s also The Cinch over in the Tendernob, where Charlie Horse rules Friday nights and old-school regulars meet and greet. Get in early if you want to enjoy the patio, because it closes at 10pm. Then head South of Market to The Eagle, and bring your uniform, leather, and a jock strap or two. All are welcome, but it’s burly dads who rule the scene, from the backyard barbecues to the Sunday beer busts. The pee-shy among us will need a few drinks before braving the trough in the bathroom nook. Heading even further afield? Wild Side West in Bernal Heights is a lesbian bar, but it’s so inclusive that you might not even notice, save for the ample supply of Bjork in the jukebox. Like El Rio’s backyard patio, Wild Side West’s is adorned with unusual art and splashy flora, lending it the air of an eccentric artist’s backyard. Watch out for assertive mint juleps. Is it fair to call Zeitgeist a gayish bar? Nestled in a freeway’s armpit, the beer garden is like the world’s biggest hipster picnic; perfect for meeting
Rick Gerharter
Wild Side West’s green back yard.
a hetero-flexible bike messenger or prying a phone number out of the president of the Campus Marxist Association. Keep your eye out for the Tamale Lady while you argue about whether you’re in SOMA, the Mission, or the Lower Haight. If you decide you’re in the Mission, check out Beretta for patio dining with a formidable menu: Cioppino, artisan salami, and pizzas with cod and capers for the adventurous. But if you’re in the Haight, head west to Gold Cane, a tucked-away fave with a pool table, notoriously chill vibe, and
A party hosted at the Pilsner’s patio.
appropriately divey jukebox. And if that’s still too close to the Castro for your tastes, hit the Tee Off Bar in the Outer Richmond by 32nd Avenue for a game of ping-pong; or cruise down to Crocker-Amazon’s Broken Record, where the food is fried and everyone recommends the bacon burger. But wherever you wind up, remember to take a deep breath, feel the sun on your face, and thank your lucky stars that you live in SF. Also, your mom asked us to remind you to wear sunscreen.✷
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The crowd at the Powerhouse
DJ Bud Chism Photos: Rich Stadtmiller
WHO’S YER BUD?< T DJ Bud Chism Heats up SoMa •
by Jim Provenzano
he Powerhouse has a tradition of being one of the cruisiest gay bars in South of Market, if not the entire city. But it’s tough to imagine it being so cruisy without the music that makes one’s blood pump a bit harder. For cutting-edge house music to match the libidos of its patrons, stop by on a weekend night to revel
in aural debauchery. For the past ten years, DJ Bud Chism has powered Saturday nights at The Powerhouse. Chism has built a weekly following of men who expect a fresh and unpredictable experience. Don’t expect the current overplayed hits. Bud says he has “a relaxed style to my mixes that goes beyond matching beats, by creating a sonic density with a beauty that exceeds that of its parts. My best sets are on nights where the local crowd will build up with an energy that converges with the music.” Enjoy Chism’s mixes at The Powerhouse every Saturday night in July, and Sunday, July 25 from 3pm-6pm on Up your Alley Street Fair day – that is, if you can get in, as the bar will be packed to the rafters with men!✷
GROOVES BUD CHISM’S SLEAZY, CRUISY LIST
1. “Gotta Let You Go” (Dutch Mix) Michael Mind 2. “The Pleasure” Evolved feat. Mike Mucci 3. “Still In Love With You” Julio Garcia, Pedro Valenzuela and T. Tommy feat. Lucy 4. “Robot” Trent Cantrelle feat. Princess Superstar 5. “Refugee” (Josh Harris Re-Loaded Dance Remix) Kamarova 6. “All Summer In a Day” (Turbotito Remix) VHS or Beta 7. “Hey Hey” (Riva Starr Paradise Garage Remix) Dennis Ferrer 8. “Look Me In The Eye, Sister” (Urchins Remix) Groove Armada 9. “We Never Close Our Eyes” (The Angry Kids Remix) Scanners 10. “Rocketship” (Starkillers Dub) Shiny Toy Guns
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Chism’s best mixes are featured on his podcast, HouseTripper. Download or stream audio: budchism.podomatic.com
PUFF LUCK<
The smoking lounge at Q Bar.
he open-air patios at Castro-area bars like The Pilsner and The Mix are great places to catch a little sun, meet up with friends, pick up a phone number or two ... and if you smoke, maybe develop a little erectile dysfunction. Although the health consequences of smoking are well known, LGBTs are 40 to 70 percent more likely to smoke than non-LGBTs, according to the National Coalition for LGBT health. To accommodate their smoking patrons, a handful of venues around the Castro provide smoking areas. At Trigger, for example, smokers are provided with an area of about 100 square feet with seating, ashtrays, and regular cleaning. “We want to keep people contained within the club as much as possible, so there’s not too much noise coming from the patrons,” Trigger spokesman Lord Martine said. “We don’t want to bother the neighbors.” He acknowledged that smokers’ numbers seem to be dwindling. “I think that people are smoking less,” he said. “But I’m a former smoker, so I’m on that bandwagon.” Although restaurant owners tend to oppose smoking restrictions, a ban on open-air smoking wouldn’t necessarily impose hardship on most venues. “If it was universal, it would affect us all,” said Larry Metzger, owner of The Mix. “If they ban it in the whole city, then I’m in the same boat with everyone else.” At the Pilsner, smoker Leo Hughet considered the impact of a stricter smoking ban. “If I wasn’t able to smoke here, I wouldn’t stop coming,” he said. But, he
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Jim Provenzano
Smoking Patios Stay in Bars, for Now • by Mike Baume
added, the smoking patio is a definite draw for him. Chris Ducoing, a member of the Pilsner Penguins softball team, agreed. “I’d still come,” he said, even if he couldn’t smoke. “This is one of the better patios.” Having eliminated smoking indoors, anti-smoking laws are likely to turn next to outdoor areas. A 2009 document entitled “Fundamentals of Smokefree Workplace Laws,” agreed to by a consortium of public health organizations including the American Cancer Society and The American Heart Association, advised just such an approach. “Tobacco control advocates should work ‘from the inside out,’” the document stated. “Prior to addressing outdoor restrictions, communities should first have effective smoke-free laws for indoor environments. ... There is emerging science on the health hazards of outdoor exposure to secondhand smoke.” According to the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network, even short exposure to secondhand smoke can increase the risk of heart attack and lead to asthma attacks. Outdoor exposure to smoke is more than just a health hazard; it may actually directly benefit the tobacco industry, since exposure has been shown to lure former smokers back to their habit. “For smokers who are trying to quit, just passing all the people out front who are smoking is often a trigger for an urge to have a cigarette,” said Dr. Gary Humfleet with UCSF’s Department of Psychiatry. Humfleet is the director of iQuit, an ongoing study into the efficacy of online cessation programs for LGBT smokers. Although smoking habits have
Eagle patrons at a recent cigar fan event.
Photos by Rich Stadtmiller
been studied for 50 years, “it’s only recently that we’ve seen any data specific to LGBTs,” he said. It’s still unclear why LGBTs are more at risk. “It may be that smoking is a way to cope with the stress of being LGBT,” said Humfleet. “It may be that historically, gay bars have served as community centers, particularly outside of urban areas, and those have long been associated with smoking. ... It may have something to do with access to health care.” Indeed, lack of access to cessation services is a significant obstacle to quitting. That’s the reasoning behind SB220, a bill introduced by State Senator Leland Yee that would mandate that insurers cover
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cessation programs. Similar legislation was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger – himself a cigar aficionado – in 2006. In the end, it may be a combination of stricter smoking laws and improved access to cessation programs that reduces the heightened rates of smoking-related illness among LGBTs. “One of the things that we do know is that restrictions on smoking have helped reduce the smoking rate overall,” said USCF’s Professor Humfleet. “If you look at states that haven’t implemented the policies that California has, you see much higher rates in general.”✷ #
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Courtesy of Fem Bar
Shar G Photography
Ladies get down at Tease
Partiers at Fem Bar’s White Party 2010
GIRL GROOVES< S Women’s Events Evolve •
by Heather Cassell
an Francisco’s queer women’s nightlife is bursting at the seams, more than it has in years, in spite of hard economic times and the rapid closure of some of the Bay Area’s newest and oldest lesbian bars. The bay’s lesbian nightlife scene is pulsating with constant rhythms of new beats and new faces. Oakland’s lesbian bars Velvet and Vibe Lounge danced to a much different tune nine months after a heady beginning at the start of 2009. Velvet’s owners decided to go straight, after a much publicized rough relationship with the lesbian community, and Vibe shut its doors. San Jose experienced a similar fate with Club Savoy, the South Bay’s longtime lesbian hot spot, shut down without much fanfare last year, to the surprise of the local queer women’s community. San Francisco’s queer girl nightlife also experienced a shake up. The Castro’s Tuesday night lesbo revolution simmered by the end of the year into a round of longstanding and new tea dances, while Q Bar and other venues kept their doors open for ladies’ Tuesday nights. Then Mango, the tea dance that started it all at El Rio, promoter Chantal Salkey passed away earlier this year. Mango kept the beat alive under new leadership and mission in the late promoter’s memory. In the late Salkey’s own words about the burst of queer girl nightlife activity at the beginning of 2009, “Party on girls, party on.”
FLOCK OF T GALS
ing up to meet the need to groove. “One major change that we have noticed in particular is the surge in women’s promoters with a lot of great ideas,” said Christie James, co-promoter of Lollipop, a club that caters to the 80’s Retro, Top 40, Hip-Hop, Electro music fans, with Michelle Mitchell. They welcome the new energy and the diversification of clubs. “It seems like overnight women decided, ‘Hey, we deserve the same caliber of events that we travel to Palm Springs or Atlanta or Miami for,’” they said. Christine De La Rosa, who took over management of Velvet in 2009, and life partner with mixtress Olga Texidor, better known as DJ Olga T, spun Velvet’s change of heart to their own tune by revolutionizing and reviving the Bay Area’s lesbian nightlife. Less than a year later, the couple emerged as a party machine with Movement Productions, a queer women’s entertainment production company, throwing quality, hot and sexy queer women’s parties that lesbians are flocking to around the bay. De La Rosa agreed with James and Mitchell. She feels lucky to live in and be a part of the lesbian’s “beautiful and dynamic scene,” that includes clubs, live music venues, burlesque type shows and artist showcases that makes the “scene compelling and interesting” and a “destination for lesbians from around the country and the world.”
LEXBIANS AND FEM BARS
In spite of its vibrancy, the Bay Area’s lesbian These losses didn’t deter queer women from party scene suffers from a lack of good publicity and going out and having a good time or promoters ris- remains relatively invisible due to its impermanent 14
BAR★TAB . bartabsf.com . July 2010
Courtesy of Fem Bar
nature, an obstacle for queer launched Club Skirts in San women travelers and locals Francisco a little more than 20 who casually attend the club years ago and is celebrating scene. two decades of The Dinah in Clubs rapidly come and go, Palm Springs this year. said Carol Hill, Mango’s pro“Regardless of how intemoter, reflecting on her 13 grated we become as a lifestyle, years experience in the scene. no one really understands our “If the community doesn’t lifestyle unless they live it,” she support our venues, the clubs said. close. Sooner or later new clubs The need for girl space, appear.” along with increasing accept“The party scene for women ance, is also driving lesbian is very transient and confusparty promoters to take the Shereen Pinto (right) and Eve Friedman (left), ing,” agreed Eve Friedman and parties beyond San Francisco, the gals behind Fem Bar Shereen Pinto, the gals behind San Jose and Oakland. Girl Fem Bar. clubs are emerging in cities A natural occurrence of the lesbian nightlife like Hayward, where La Vaquerita and Club Congas scene, said Lila Thirkield, owner of The Lexington are being produced by Alejandra Delgado of Club, San Francisco’s lesbian bar, who gets excited Boricua Productions. about “all the new parties, DJs, and happenings that Elyssa Pon, better known as DJ China G, propop up along the way.” moter of Rebel Girl, agreed with Hanson, adding, Clubs continue to rise up in place of old ones or that there will remain a need to have a “space for make space in new areas no matter how mainstream women to feel comfortable and safe to express lesbians become because, “We still need our spaces themselves in a way that they will not be judged or that are just for us,” said Mariah Hanson, who harassed for their sexual orientation.”✷
July 2010 . bartabsf.com . BAR★TAB
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June, Spooned Photos by
ill Steven Underh â&#x2DC;&#x2026;
One of the runners-up at the fabulous Dance-Off With the Drag Stars.
Alex Randolph (right), with his boyfriend and a pal at the GLAAD Media Awards.
Andrew gets a little exposure, thanks to Cassandra Cass, at the Dance-Off With the Drag Stars.
Enjoying cocktails at the GLAAD Awards.
(left and above) Frameline Film Festival opening night gala.
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One of several cute participants in “Crude Oil Wrestling” at Faeposium, a week’s worth of Faerie environmentalist and arts events at the former Tower Records store.
Marga Gomez with Jai Rodriguez after they performed at the Help Is On the Way benefit.
Cast members of In the Heights at the Help Is On the Way benefit.
July 2010 . bartabsf.com . BAR★TAB
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TOP DOGS
A pair of pups at last year’s Up Your Alley Street Fair.
• by Scott Brogan
All photos by RichStadtmiller
Up Your Alley, Leather and Kink
there it’s seen as just as commercialized as the Folsom Street Fair. Both are now run by the organization Folsom Street Events. Regardless of size opinions (and who out there isn’t a size queen, anyway?), both events raise tons of money for the many charities they support. Whether you think it’s commercialized or not, you shouldn’t let that deter you from going. It’s loads of fun - the key word here being “loads,” if you know what I mean. It’s also the best kinky time you’ll have outside of going to a private dungeon party. You’ll see lots of hot men and women out and about, with little to nothing on – or completely covered in, say, rubber or neoprene. And don’t worry, it’s not just leather. You’ll see all kinds of kinks and fetishes. So if you don’t have any leather, don’t worry. You’ll still fit it. That’s the beauty of this street fair: Everyone is welcome, no judgments. You’ll no doubt have a great time. My only complaint is that now that it’s become part of an organization, they have to monitor any friskiness that goes on, to ensure no one breaks any laws (those are real policemen walking around, not just people with a cop fetish). Where’s the fun in that? No worries. It’s just more of a challenge. But trust me, it can still be done. You just have to be a bit more creative, and I’m very creative!
et out your slings and hoods. It’s Dore Alley month! Or rather, Up Your Alley, as it’s now called. Coming each year on the last Sunday of July, Up Your Alley is (or was) San Francisco’s answer to the size and perceived commercialization of the Folsom Street Fair. Folsom Street Fair began in 1984, and Dore Alley followed in 1985. At that time it was called Ringold Alley Fair because it was originally located at the famous Ringold Alley. Ringold Alley was a popular cruise alley for men looking for anonymous sex after hitting the many leather bars of what used to be termed The Miracle Mile, the multi-block stretch of Folsom Street that formerly included many leather bars and bathhouses. The original organizers created Ringold Alley Fair to help celebrate the local South of Market leather community, and to make a less touristy and more a local fair than the larger Folsom Street Fair. It moved up to the intersection of Dore Alley and Folsom in 1987. By the way, the Miracle Mile is making a comeback with the Hole in the Wall, The Powerhouse, and Chaps all in a row, and right around the corner we have The Eagle and The Lone Star. There’s something for everyone. Up Your Alley is the first of several events that GIVE A DOG A BONE begin with Pride in June and end with the Castro Some folks you’ll see at Up Your Alley will be Street Fair in October. Dore has become much pups, aka puppies. No, not pups from the SPCA. larger than originally intended, and for many out I’m talking about humans who identify as pups.
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BAR★TAB . bartabsf.com . July 2010
Affectionate men at last year’s Up Your Alley Street Fair.
We used to see mostly Master/slave or Daddy/boy couples/families out and about, but in recent years the pup phenomenon has blossomed. The difference from the other Dom/sub combinations is that the pup community is more socially based. Whereas most Master/slave and Daddy/boy dynamics are usually couples, the pup community will typically run in groups, or packs, with one or more masters in charge. Obviously, there is a hierarchy within the packs. You’ll have an Alpha, for sure, which may or may not be the Master. In the absence of an Alpha pup, the Master becomes both Master and Alpha. But even with an Alpha, the Master still rules. You’ll see these pups running around the fair with tails, leather “paws” and various other sorts of “doggie drag” (Oh, I’m going to catch it for that remark!). I think you know what I mean. Don’t laugh at them for being a bit different. It’s merely a fun variation on the Dom/sub relationship. What’s wrong with that? If you don’t approve, don’t let on. They might hike their legs on you! For more information about Up Your Alley and the many associated events, go to www.folsomstreetevents.org. ✷ Strip Twister at last year’s Up Your Alley Street F aair.
July 2010 . bartabsf.com . BAR★TAB
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A-DORE-ABLE< • Photos by Rich Stadtmiller
GOOD BOY! Missed IML? Can’t wait for Folsom Street Fair in September? For a taste of leather community in our own neighborhood, the International LeatherSIR / Leatherboy and Community Bootblack Contest serves up a spanking good leather weekend of events. Held at the Hotel Whitcomb July 22 through 25, the event includes the annual title contest, plus workshops, exhibits and events full of kink, intimate
community, and sexy leatherfolk. Visit www.leathersir.com for more information. Want to win a pair of full weekend passes to LeatherSIR? Register for free on BARtab at www.BARtabsf.com. Two pairs of packages will be randomly selected among those who sign up between July 1 through July 17. Participants must be 21 or older. Winners will be notified by July 18. - J.P.
g
v
WOOF! The hunks come out in droves for Up Your Alley.
Here are a few select specimens captured last year by the prolific Rich Stadtmiller. - J.P. 20
BAR★TAB . bartabsf.com . July 2010
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Sat 3
2010~ ~Events in July
Adonis @ Club 525
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Circuit dance party with DJs Casey Alva and Byron Bonsall. $15$20. 10pm-late. 525 Howard St. near 1st. www.guspresents.com
Prowl @ The Stud
The Kinsey Sicks, July 6
Zoo SF guys Bob Mould, Chris Zachos, Papa Tony and Visa De Klein bring you animalistic grooves. 9pm-3am. 21+. 399 9th st. at Harrison. www.zoosf.com www.studsf.com
Teatro Zinzanni @ Pier 29 Love, Chaos and Couture is the current show at the theatre-tentdinner 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
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Sun 4
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Thu 1
All-Male Amateur Strip Show @ Deco Lounge
Glam @ Medjool
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
Betty’s List women’s night at the fab terraced restaurant and bar; with DJ Olga. 6pm-10pm. 2522 Mission St. www.bettyslist.com
Scott Capurro @ The Punch Line
Beer Bust @ SF Eagle
Ascerbic gay comic does his stand-up act. $18$25. 2-drink min. 8pm, 10:15pm. Thru July 3. 397-PLSF. 444 Battery St. www.cobbscomedy.com
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Fri 2
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 Scott Capurro
Bear Trap @ Club 21 East Bay bear night every first Friday, with $6 beer pitchers, DJ Out of Bounds, gogos, patio, plenty of parking. $10. 9pm-2am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com
Latin Explosion @ Bench and Bar, Oakland Renovated gay Latin dance club (eight bars, more dance floors, lounge) shows off their hottests gogo studs. 9pm-2am. 510 17th St. (510) 444-2266. www.bench-and-bar.com
Midnight Mass @ Bridge Theatre
Jamie J. Sanchez and Jay Santos DJ at the July 4 T-dance. $15-$25. 6pm-12am. 1015 Folsom St. at 6th. www.guspresents.com
Thick @ Club Eight Dance night for muscle men, and those who like them. $5. 11pm3am. 1151 Folsom St. at 8th. www.eightsf.com
USO Show @ The Lookout Bebe Sweetbriar hosts an Independence Day show with sailor gogo boys and girls. Porn hunk Tristan Jaxx DJs. $3. 9pm-2am. 3600 16th St. at Market. www.lookoutsf.com
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Mon 5
Lilith Fair @ Shoreline Ampitheatre Heart, Sarah McLachlan, The Bangles, Ann Atomic, Susan Justice, and many other bands performat the women’s music festival. One Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View. $36-$133. 2:30pm. www.lilithfair.com
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Peaches Christ and her wacky pals do a little show before a screening of the 80s camp rock classic Purple Rain, starring Prince, Appolonia, Wendy and Lisa, Morris Day and The Time, and a lot of big hair. $13. 12am. Get there early. Also July 3. 3010 Geary Blvd. www.peacheschrist.com
Independance @ City Nights
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Q Comedy @ Martuni’s
Ghetto Disco @ The Endup
David Hawkins, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Dhaya, Cookie Dough, Nick Leonard, Sandra O. Noshi-di’n’t make you laugh. $5-$16. 8pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market. www.Qcomedy.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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TechnoCraft @ Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Opening night party for a new exhibit of work subtitled Hackers, Modders, Fabbers, Tweakers, and Design in the Age of Individuality. Live smash-up of The Kinsey Sicks @ The Rrazz Room Erasure-esque metal objects, and performances by Cyclecide and Dragapella quartet finally returns home for their others. $12-$15 (Free for members). 8pm-11pm. first extended run show in years. Enjoy the camp hilarity and a cappella parody tunes. $35. 8pm. Thru July 18. Exhibit Thu-Sat 12pm-8pm. Sun 12pm-6pm. 700 Mission St. 978ARTS. www.ybca.org Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 468-3399. www.TheRrrazzRoom.com
Tue 6
Ladies Night @ Q Bar Women’s night, with DJ Ms. Jackson, half-off drinks. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.qbarsf.com
Tank @ Trigger Muscle guy happy hour with DJs Hawthorne and James Torres. 7pm-10pm. 2344 Market St. 551-CLUB. www.clubTrigger.com
Bootie @ DNA Lounge Adrian and Mysterious D DJ the hot mash-up night, this time via live webcast from another club! Also July 17 with Evolution Control Committee and July 24 with DJ Tripp. $6-$12. 9pm-late. 21+. 375 11th St. at Harrison. http://bootiemashup.com/sf/
Club Rimshot @ Bench and Bar, Oakland
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Wed 7
Oakland gay hiphop night finds a home at the popular Latino bar, which is in a new and completely renovated location. $8-$15. 21+. 510 17th St. (510) 444-2266. www.bench-and-bar.com
Mary-Go-Round @ The Lookout 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
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Sat 10
Cookie Dough
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Thu 8
Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Retro tunes and retro cruisy crowd, each Thursday. DJ Bus Station John plays records. $4. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com
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Fri 9
Frolic @ The Stud Monthly costume dance party for Furries and friends. Dress up and dance, you animal. $7 w/o $3 with costume. 9pm-2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.neonbunny.com/frolic www.studsf.com
The Monster Show @ Russian River Resort Cookie Dough brings a slew of drag queens for a day and a half of raucous country fun. Show at 10pm. Pool parties Sat & Sun. Raffle prizes, Jell-O shots, and a special Rocky Horror Picture Show number by the pool. 16390 Drake Road. Guerneville. www.cookievision.com
Alison Arngrim @ The Rrazz Room Former child star, who played Mellie Oleson, the mean girl in Little House on the Prairie, performs Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, her comic tell-all about child stars and TV land. $20-$25. 2-drink min. 10:15pm. Also July 10. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 4683399. www.TheRrazzRoom.com
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
Erasure-esque @ Café DuNord Local Erasure cover band performs classic hits by the British duo; Sing Blue Silver (Duran Duran tribute band) opens. $10-$12. 9:30pm. 2170 Market St. 861-5016. www.cafedunord.com
Reason to Party @ St. Regis Hotel Elegant cocktail night with art and fashion show with designs by Travis Taddeo, networking galore, and music by DJ Jeff Stallings. Proceeds benefit Visual Aid, At the Crossroads, and the Future Leaders Institute. $35-$50. (VIP reception 7pm-9pm). 9pm-2am. 125 3rd St. 2nd floor. www.reasontoparty.org
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Wed 14
Ask the Docs: Cock Rings @ Good Vibrations Berkeley
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Sun 11
Afternoon Delight @ Deco Lounge New weekly Sunday T-dance with DJ Pirate spinning 70s, 80s and new stuff. 21+. 4pm-8pm. 510 Larkin St. www.decorsf.com
Dr. Charlie Glickman answers your questions about the purpose and use of cock rings in this comfortable workshop. He will discuss physical anatomy, explain the different types of rings, offer tips on using them, and cover important safety info. Free. 6:30– 7:30pm. 2504 San Pablo Ave. www.goodvibes.com
Booty Call @ Q Bar
Bijou @ Martuni’s
Honey Sundays @ Paradise Lounge
Juanita More! and her More Boys entertain and debauche with hot gogo studs, too. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.juanitamore.com
Fab dance night for the SoMa folk, produced by the Honey Sound System’s eclective electro collective. 8pm-2am. 1501 Folsom St. at 11th. www.honeysoundsystem.com
Nine Vines Dinner @ Fifth Floor
The eclectic live cabaret showcase celebrates five years of highlighting both new and established performers. Tonight, a tribute to gay musical composer Jerry Herman. Trauma Flintstone MCs. $5. 7pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market. www.dragatmartunis.com
Lil’ Kim @ The Rrazz Room Hip hop star performs in a rare one-night intimate concert. $47.50-$75. 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason st. at Ellis. 394-1189. www.TheRrazzRoom.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
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Mon 12
One Night Only @ Club Fugazi Cabaret show fundraiser for the Richmond Ermet AIDS Foundation and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, with cast members from Young Frankenstein and Wicked performing their favorites songs; guest comic Bruce Vilanch. $100-$25 (dessert party with the cast, $20 extra). 7:30pm. 678 Green St. 421-4222. www.helpisontheway.org
Queer Ballroom @ Live Art Gallery Weekly beginners same-sex dance classes in salsa and other styles. Also swing classes on Wednesdays, Standard ballroom Thursdays, $10 each, $35 for series. 151 Potrero Ave. 305-8242. www.QueerBallroom.com
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Tue 13
Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s
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Thu 15
Orsay Soirée @ de Young Museum Thursday evening parties featuring reduced admission fees for extended viewing hours for Birth of Impressionism through 8:45pm. $10-$16. Also, the Friday Nights at the de Young series celebrates Impressionism and Post-Impressionism with lectures, music, and artist demonstrations. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. 750-3600. www.deyoungmuseum.org
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Fri 16
Boy Bar @ The Cafe Full Frontal Fridays at the renovated popular club. Matt DJs, twinky bois gogo dance. $10 or something like that. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. at Castro. www.guspresents.com
Club Dragon @ Club Eight Weekly Asian gay dance club. 1151 Folsom St. at 7th. 431-1151. www.clubdragonsf.com
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Sat 17
Art Show @ Cat Club Exhibition of works by Keith Gaspari, with drag acts by Bebe Sweetbriar, MuthaChucka, Lady Tatas, Suppositori Spelling and more. DJs David Mahr and Sir Charles Leibermacher. Champagne toast at 5pm. $5 donation benefits Visual Aid. 5pm-10pm. 1190 Folsom St. www.sfcatclub.com
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Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gay-friendly comedy night. One-drink minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com
Final dinner of the season hosted by the Australian winery; proceeds benefit Project Open Hand. Enjoy Juanita More! lively conversation, exquisite wine pairings and a luxurious dinner and the fraction of the cost. $75. 6:30pm9pm; cocktail attire. Hotel Palomar, 12 Fourth St. 447-2316. Register at: www.ninevinesevents.com
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Mon 19
Testarossa @ Trigger Halford @ Regency Ballroom Rob Halford, gay frontman for Halford, Fight and Judas Priest, performs live with his band. $37$40. 9pm. All ages. 1300 Van Ness Ave. at Sutter.www.theregencyballroom.com
Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi
Weekly 80s costume party with 80s videos and music; VJ Mark Andrus, with Don Lynch. 9pm-ish. 16th St. at Noe & Market. www.ClubTrigger.com
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Tue 20
The Castro’s Got Talent @ Midnight Sun Open mic night with host Dee Spencer. Weekly at 9pm. 4067 18th St. at Castro 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com
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Wed 21
Musical comedy revue, now in its 35th year, with ever-changing 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
New York-based singer-songwriter and OUTMusic Award winner with a witty edge stops by along her UK and Midwest tour (with several Pride events included) to perform new music. Also performing: Jay Nash and Joe Firstman. $12. 9:30pm. 2170 Market St. 861-5016. www.rachaelsage.com www.cafedunord.com
Cockfight @ Underground SF Culture Whores’ big slutty dance party in a little club, with Pansy the Drunken Panda, DJs Matt Hite and Earworm. $7. 9pm-2am. 424 Haight St. www.cockfightsf.com
Fauxgirls @ Kimo’s Ninth anniversary of the classic drag show, with Victoria Secret, Alexandria, Chanel, Davida Ashton, Pinky Bubbles, Tiger Lily, Maria Garza, Shelly Wilde and “boy toy” Bobby Ashton. No cover. 10pm. 1351 Polk St. at Pine. 885-4535. www.fauxgirls.com
Wet & Wild @ Club Eight New monthly party held every third Saturday, with gogo boys dripping wet, electro pop bumping, and progressive mixes banging. Hostess Lady TaTas performs with Raya Light and Charisma Glitterati. $5. 9pm-3am. 1151 Folsom St. at 8th. www.eightsf.com
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Sun 18
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
Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 GLBT country-western dancing night celebrates its 12th anniversary. Tonight’s a special Beach Party. Wear bikinis, board shorts, sarongs. $5. Free clothes check. 5pm-10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. at Industrial. www.sundancesaloon.org
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Rachel Sage @ Café DuNord
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Thu 22
Shirts Off @ Hole in the Wall Get $1 off all drinks all night if you doff your top at the funky bar with wild decor. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.holeinthewallsaloon.com
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Fri 23
Adam Lambert @ The Warfield The Glambert performs live. Orianthi opens. $32-$43. 8pm. Also July 25. 982 Market St. 775-7722. www.warfieldtheatre.com
Trannyshack Siouxsie Tribute @ DNA Lounge Heklina and her pals perform drag acts set to the music of the queen of Goth; Trixxie Carr, Putanesca, Fauxnique, Anna Conda, Suppositori Spelling, Jordan L’More, Valentine, Jason El Diablo, Syphillis Diller, and more. With DJ Omar (Sixxteen) and visuals by Vis-A-Vis. $12. 10pm-2am. 375 Eleventh St. www.trannyshack.com
Robyn, Kelis, Dan Black @ Mezzanine
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Sat 24
Trio of popular vocalists perform their dance music songs as part of their All Hearts tour. $25-$40. 7pm-2am. 21+. 444 Jessie St. www.mezzaninesf.com
Bay of Pigs @ Factory 525
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Sun 25
Leche @ Trigger Joe Pessa
Folsom Street Events continues to transform one of the sexiest events of the leather and fetish season. Bay of Pigs has become a highlight of the Up Your Alley weekend, with innovative demos, sweaty action, an ample dance space, a cutting edge light show, lounges, dark room, play spaces and fan favorite DJ Ted Eiel spinning chunkhouse grooves. $30-$45. 10pm4am. 525 Harrison St. www.folsomstreetevents.org.
Bearracuda @ Deco Lounge
Club Papi presents a sexy Castro Tdance, Latin style, with gogo boys and drag shows hosted by Sasha DJ Child, giant 24 oz. margaritas, buckets of Dos Equis, tequila shot specials. 4pm–10pm. 2344 Market St. 551CLUB. www.clubtrigger.com Bay of Pigs
Special Dore Alley Underwear edition of the beartastic dance night, with DJs Matt Effect from Australia and Matt Consola. $5$8. 9pm-3am. 510 Larkin St. at Turk. www.bearracuda.com www.decosf.com
Play @ DNA Lounge
Hayes Valley Follies @ Marlena’s
Up Your Alley @ Dore Alley & Folsom
Mango @ El Rio The wild fun dance and social party for women, fourth Saturday of every month. 3pm-8:30pm. 3158 Mission Street. www.elriosf.com
Sexy street fair celebrates leather and kink of all kinds. Beer and food, plus booths selling sexy products galore. But mostly it’s about the man-watching and occasional kinky showoffs. $5 donations. 11am-6pm. Dore Alley at Folsom Street. www.folsomstreetevents.org
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Weekly old-school drag show, hosted by Miss Galilea. 10pm. No cover. 488 Hayes St. 864-6672. www.marlenasbarsf.com
Up Your Alley T-dance and closing party, with DJ Joe Gauthreaux. Dress code is blue-collar grunge! $20-$35. 5pm-12am. 375 11th St. www.playtdance.com
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Glam @ Medjool
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Betty’s List women’s night schmoozes at the fab terraced restaurant and bar; with DJ Olga. 6pm-10pm. 2522 Mission St. www.bettyslist.com
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Mon 26
Fri 30
Karaoke Mondays @ Bar On Church
Club Dragon @ Club Eight
Drink specials as the meagerly talented get an opportunity to sing. 198 Church St. at Market. www.thebarsf.com
Weekly Asian gay dance club. 1151 Folsom St. at 7th. 431-1151. www.clubdragonsf.com
Judy Gold @ The Rrazz Room
Thunder From Down Under @ The Rrazz Room
Emmy Award-winning actress and comic performs Jewdy, Jewdy, Jewdy, all about being a Jewish lesbian. $35. 2-drink min. 8pm. Also July 31 8pm, Aug. 1, 7pm. (Also, Carly Ozard performs Bewitched, Bothered and Bopolar, July 30 at 10:15pm.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 468-3399. www.TheRrrazzRoom.com
Australian male stripper troupe performs (no frontal nudity; men welcome). $35$45. 8pm. 21+. Thru July 29. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 468-3399. www.TheRrazzRoom.com
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Tue 27
Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gay-friendly comedy night. Tonight, Candy Churilla, Dave Thomason and Katie Compa. Onedrink minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com
Ladies Night @ Q Bar Women’s night, with DJ Ms. Jackson, half-off drinks. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro st. www.qbarsf.com
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Wed 28
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
Smack @ Underground SF Juanita More! hosts a night at the intime Lower Haight club, with DJs Chuck Hampton and Jason Kendig. $5. 10pm-2am. 424 Haight St. www.juanitamore.com
Tattoo Fridays @ The Stud Show off your ink. DJ Adrian Taylor spins house and hiphop; gogo dudes shake it. $6. 10pm-3am. 21+. 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com
A-List Martini Nights @ Bar TBA
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Sat 31
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
Go Bang! @ Deco Lounge
Atomic dance floor disco action with guest DJs Said and the Hard French gals Carnita and Brown Amy, plus Kimmy Le Funk, Tal M. Klein and Steve Fabus and Sergio. $5. Free before 10pm. 9pm-3am. 510 Larkin St. www.soundcloud.com/go-bang
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Thu 29
Bear Market @ Russian River Resort Bearracuda guys and pals’ bear weekend getaway includes days of outdoor and nightclub fun, with pool parties, a bonfire, hiking, a river float and more. Special party buses from the Castro 10am-12pm. $55-$70 for a weekend pass or $10-$20 for single events. Thru Aug. 2. 16390 Fourth St., Guerneville. (707) 8690691. www.beargetaway.com
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BAR★TAB . bartabsf.com . July 2010
Go Bang!
Send your August event info by July 22 to: bartabsf@ebar.com
barchive er by Jack Fritsch
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PERVERSATILITY<
Mapping the DNA of Gay “Identity” Bars in the Titanic 1970s • by Jack Fritscher ife on the sidewalks of 1970s Castro was bar from the original Midnight Sun founded the Pacific culture. It spilled out of the bars into the Drill Patrol, San Francisco’s first uniform club. streets where we Castro village people con- Country-Western dudes two-stepped the night away gregated after we left our 1960s hippie style in the bumping buckles at the Devil’s Herd bar wearing Haight. In that first decade of gay liberation, “iden- cowboy clothes from Ed Wixson’s second-hand tity bars” helped define who we were and what we store, Worn Out West. Rollerskaters, every Tuesday wanted. Bars were parade night, chartered a bus from and parody of the “diversity the Castro to a rink in South drag” that Walt Whitman San Francisco where, embraced: leathers, feathdragged up like the Village ers, construction workers, People plus a tutu or two, we cowboys, musclemen, genskated in roaring circles der-benders, hippies, pissthrough streaming vapor elegant queens, and Castro trails of poppers. clones, all sporting keys on Brawny loggers in plaid the right (bottom) and keys shirts and bears with beards on the left (top), and backbellied up to Bear Hollow by pocket bandanas coded in day and the Ambush by the rainbow flags of gay night because bear bars semaphore. added another ten years to a In San Francisco, the inmature man’s sex life. tersection of 18th and CasLeather bikers, parked outtro was the Gay Ground side Castro bars for afterZero destination for sex noons, decamped at night refugees fleeing homophofor Folsom Street running bia from all across America. the leather-bar gauntlet Ideals are universal, but sex from Fe-be’s to the BlackCastro Street in the early 1970s. is specific. Bars, which are and-Blue, to Folsom Prison, the soul of gay small business, competed to exploit to the Leatherneck, to the Arena, to the Ramrod, to every personality kink, thereby creating more of the the classic sleaze of the No Name which became the diverse culture they courted. We sorted our identi- Bolt which became the Brig which became the Powties in the bars which, despite “discrimination,” en- erhouse. forced specific dress codes to great applause. Gay All were satellites to the core Castro bars where, style diversified; the bars were our performance art during daylight and evening hours, the first sense of spaces. We acted out with “perversatility” every gay neighborhood emerged during the Titanic 1970s desire that Father O’Grady, the priest from Our Lady, when our first-class party cruised on, full speed, inhad denounced as sinful. Our mantra was: What you nocent of the iceberg of HIV that lay ahead.✷ do with your body is the ultimate political act. Gay liberation intended to mainstream everyone © 2010 JackFritscher.com. Excerpted from Jack award-winning Some Dance to Reinclusively, but bar owners knew that hard dicks Fritscher’s member: A Memoir-Novel of San Francisco 1970with no conscience thrived on the adrenaline of 1982 which can be read for free at fetish, fun, fantasy, and fraternity. SFPD-fetishists www.JackFritscher.com Crawfor Barton, courtesy the GLBT Historical Society.
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