[MetroActive Music]

[ Music Index | SF Metropolitan | MetroActive Central | Archives ]

Boogie Nights

[whitespace] Monday

Density
Step inside a drum and bass weekly where you actually have a seat to chill out and all the dance floor you can bite off. These promoters are down to pull through special guests, and they are definitely in this for the music. A Monday night venture for the local who demands quality music. At Justice League, 9pm, $3. (DM)

Joy
DJs Travis and Mouse feed it to the children deep and hard every Monday night--and my, those children do look fine (if you can make them out through the crowd). House music pumps and everybody bumps and grinds while art fox Jerry Gonzales alters the visual universe with his tripped-out film projections. Look out for the occasional LoveWorks collaborations. At Liquid, 8pm, free. (AN)

Movin On Up
DJs and team producers Mark Anthony and Dimitri serve up thick, juicy East Coast beats to soul-seeking house heads every Monday night at the Top--the glorious oasis of the Lower Haight. A deep, old-school vibe prevails in sound and physical sensation--this is music that makes you move. But beware the Satan-strong drinks, lest you find yourself smooching a DJ beneath the turntables. At the Top, 9pm, $3. (AN)


Tuesday

Audio Alchemy
A party thrown by those rare groove merchants and specialty tune selectors, Tom Thump and Cool Chris. The crowd varies week to week, but the tunes remain solid, schooled, and rock steady. At Liquid, 10pm, $3. (DM)

Scotch Broth
Tasty, deep house, trip-hop, funk and classic house tracks flow from the nimble fingers of DJ Niven and his turntablist guests. A mellow, chill-out mentality emanates from the crowd; indeed, Scotch Broth brews the perfect, house-healing antidote to Hump-Day anxiety. At the Top, 9pm, $3. (AN)

Static
The free forum platform of this party is its hook! Although usually classified as a techno gig, it encompasses music and DJs from all over the map. Word of warning: minimal clothing is a necessity, there's no coat check, the energy is high, and the heat is ominous. At Liquid, 10pm, $3. (DM)

Texture
An evening blurring the line: a renaissance of classicism and futurism, electronic and organic music mixed with a live element. The ambiance and sound are forever evolving. At the Up & Down Club, 10pm, $3. (DM)

Trannyshack
Hysteric glamour and delicious depravity at the only club in SF devoted to trannies and tranny chasers. Performances at midnight. Singer Tina Keyes said it best, "Trannyshack is a very beautiful cabaret, as well as being a drunken free-for-all that you can black out at." At Stud, 10pm, $4. (MG)


Wednesday

Broun Fellinis
San Francisco's favorite acid-jazz combo grooves upstairs at the Elbo Room every Wednesday for a crowd of mellow head-nodding hipsters. DJ Charlotte the Baroness opens for and accompanies them. At Elbo Room, 10pm, $4. (MG)

Come-Unity
A legendary all-night party that's been happening for years and is still going strong. DJs Simon, Jeno and Garth dish out deep house to an ecstatic crowd of ravers and club kids. At First Wednesday of every month, Club 1015, 10pm, $7. (HO)

Groove
The Oblivion boys run this late-night, truly underground sound session. The club's open till 4:30am; the vibe just doesn't get any deeper. At Fourth Wednesday of every month, Club 1015, 10:30, $5. (HO)

Love-Haight Lounge
An intimate, chatty club night with a mixed gay crowd and eclectic music ranging from funk and rock to trip-hop and lounge. Ogle the go-go boys, hustle at the pool table or find someone to take home and have your own party. Plus, for all you without cable, they show South Park at 10. At Trax, 10pm, free. (MG)

Pausativity
DJs J-Boogie and Pause (both SF hip-hop legends) toss up a beat-intensive party, mixing old school and new with top talent rolling through. If you are down for respected tunes a-flowin' and a pure mix of true danceable beats, this is the club to feed your knowledgeable hip-hop and reggae mind. At Justice League, 9pm, $5. (DM)

Seance
Soothe your spirit at this new-agey night with chilled-out ambient sounds, belly dancers, tarot readers and henna tattoo artists. Downtempo drum and bass and trip-hop courtesy of DJs Anna, Alika, Xanax, Saucer, Toph 1 and guests. At Backflip, 8pm, $5. (MG)


Thursday

Anthem
Local superstar DJs Ruben Mancias and David Harness never stop at just house. For years this deep, nasty Thursday night at 1015 has maintained a luscious crowd (comprised mostly of cute boys) and a friendly, carefree vibe. Sister Black cuts it up in the Funk Hut while Jorge Martinez works his disco magic in the Studio 1015. At Club 1015, 10pm, $7, free before 11 with flier. (AN)

The Box
One of the most colorful, friendly evenings SF has to offer. Brothers and Sisters and their friends bounce in one enormous jam-packed room to smooth soul, hip-hop and house. A definite must! City Nights, 9pm, $7. (HO)

Drive
A lovely, low-key late-twenties crowd of gay men, dykes and fag hags get down to old-school electro, funk and breakbeat at this brand-new Thursday night party. At Stud, 10 pm, $3. (MG)

Eklektic
Easily one of the best clubs in the city, Eklektic is a fast, funky and raw drum and bass night with lots of girl DJs working the turntables, including Sage and Stareyes, plus brilliant national and international guests. The sexy young crowd is there to move, not to pose, and the vibe is both smoldering and welcoming. Get there early, because it reaches capacity fast. At Kate O'Briens, 10pm, $5. (MG)

Kit Kat
Skinny, gorgeous girls in tight pants or tarted-up Ally McBeal mini-suits shimmy with b-boys (and the odd blazer-wearing yuppie) to funky disco house. The lush back patio is paradise on a summer night. At EndUp, 10pm, $10. (MG)

Pan Dulce
Spicy Spanish-flavored house, salsa and meringue at this party for gay Latin boys and their friends. At Asia SF, 9pm, $6. (MG)

Sabotage
A true sign that a positive vibe is alive, this club has moved venues and successfully survived the trauma. Techno derivatives served up by Sutekh, Joe Rice, Jon Santos, Markus Miller, Sho, Positive P, and Kit Clayton. At Il Pirata, 10pm, $3. (DM)

Sound Design
A collaboration between some of the city's best deep-house DJs and most exciting futuristic artists. Blasthaus provides the wonderfully schizoid visuals -- kitschy old educational films, computer graphics, VH1, DJ footage and other cultural detritus. Low tech video games by b.o.l.t.; Mark Farina and Terry Martin work the turntables. At Justice League, 9pm, $5. (MG)


Friday

Abstract Science
Margins of activity where genres cease to matter. Hip-Hop compounds and new directions in sound. These promoters give it up artistically, pushing the maximum vibe. Third Friday of each month. At 111 Minna, 9pm, $6-7. (DM)

Abstract Soul
The Pacific Crew (Loren, Corey Black, and Solar) spin the tunes you WANT to dance to. Lineups are filled with UK and SF Superstars. Record release parties and music giveaways are the norm for this sweet SF party. At Kate O'Briens, 10pm, free before 11pm $5 after. (DM)

Bohemian Lounge
True school funk collages of breakbeat and hip-hop mixed with a little drum 'n' bass are what you'll be groovin' to at this free Friday night party in the Mission. The music and the crowd are all over the place. At McCarthy's, 10pm, free. (DM)

Club Asia
A gay Asian dance party with DJs Matthew Consola and Jamie J. Second and fourth Friday of each month. At King Street Garage, 10 pm, $8 w/flier before 11pm, $10 after 11pm. (MG)

Eye-Spy
Four bars and a glam (if bridge and tunnelish) crowd who can't keep their eyes off each other. House and garage in the main room, trip-hop and mellow jungle in the ambient lounge. Free snacks on the outside patio. At VSF, 9pm-4am, $10. (MG)

Fag Friday
The music never skips a beat at this cruisy all-night party. It transforms into Other Whirled in the early morning and goes strong till 3pm Saturday. At EndUp, 10pm, $5. (HO)

Freakshow
A twisted soiree for queers who are tired of the muscle queen mob. Hosted by porn star Cougar Cash, Freakshow entertains a crowd of androgynous punks and assorted weirdoes with exotic dancers, bizarre performances and music that ranges from disco to new wave to heavy metal. At Stud, 10pm, $5-$7 -- the freakier your clothes, the less you pay. (MG)

Hardkiss Family & Friends
A phenomenal party with a personal touch hosted by global favorites the Hardkiss Brothers. This small venue, big on drinks and smiles, welcomes all and temps your dancing soul. At the Top, 9pm, $5. (DM)

In Bed With Fairy Butch
A steamy lesbian cabaret that happens on the second and fourth weeks of the month at the CoCo Club. The midmonth show has a coed crowd; the performance on the last Friday of the month is for girls only. At CoCo Club, 8pm, $7. (MG)

Nikita
The creators of your four-day work week bring you the best in house and techno from around the globe. Resident DJs Jeno, Jerry Bonham, Simon and David Michael rock a packed house of clubbers who dance their asses off till 6am. At Club 1015, 10pm, $10. (DM)

RoM
Sophisticated deep house with DJs Chad Mitchell, JP Soul, Dan Smith and other local underground talent. It gets mobbed, so show up early and be prepared to sweat. At Liquid, 10 pm, free. (MG)

Stir-Friday
A welcome to the weekend happy hour event hosted by Maneesh the Twister, Sang and JSAB. Local DJs surrounded with great art share their favorite tunes with the bar regulars and the artsy SOMA workers, who pop by for a cold beer or a glass of wine. At 111 Minna, 6-9pm, free. (DM)


Saturday

The Funk Side
Attention all freaks, this is the home for graffiti artists, writers, jazz heads and hip-hop connoisseurs. Tophone and Wisdom give up the funk. At Deco, 10pm, $3 before 11pm, $6 after. (DM)

La Belle Epoque
wishfm, mike bee and sea do up a classic SF club filled with a home-style atmosphere and top tunes. One guest DJ per week keeps the energy flowing. A place for boozing and shmoozing. At the Top, 9pm, $5. (DM)

'70s Disco and Funk
It's sweaty inside Nicki's Barbecue on a Saturday night, but don't be put off. This is the sexist place to shake bootie to the sounds of R&B, disco and funk music from the glittery, rolling-skating days of the late '70s and early '80s. And be prepared for dancing on the bar: there are no posers at Nicki's, only shakers. Skimpy disco gear and lots of gold jewelry are musts. At Nicki's Barbecue, $5. (CP)

Lush
One of the few nights at this speakeasy-style club that's not just for girls. Andrew Ableson hosts this stylish lounge where young sophisticates relax to modish pop and orchestral retro ephemera. Some nights feature cabaret acts. At CoCo club, 10pm, $5. (MG)

Pablo's Sugar Shack
Tasty funked-up house and rare groove jazz booms through this Saturday night meat market. There's an unnerving number of single men swarming in groups, but for a girl looking to get lucky it's ideal. At VSF, 10pm, $10. (MG)

Release
Legendary promoters Martel and Nabil invite you to release yourself at this Saturday night bacchanal. DJs Marques Wyatt, Julius Papp, Behrouz, Ellen Ferrato, Tom Thump, Jerry Ross, Bruce, Norm, B.B. Hayes, Jellybear, Michael Nader, Scott Demilo, Eric Lacy, Miquel and Anthony Scott keep the crowd grooving on six dance floors until 7am. At Club 1015, 9pm, $10. (MG)

Sugar
A trendy, mellow house night featuring DJs Lewis and Ellen Ferrato. Sashaying drag queens mix with flannel-clad pinball players in this intimate club. Produced by Oblivion magazine, the party is gay but breeder-friendly. At First and third Saturdays of each month, Stud, 9 pm, $5. (MG)

Universe
This three-year-strong club really gets moving after 2am. David Harness and Blackstone serve up fierce deep house for a massive throng of shirtless muscle boys. At Club Townsend, 9:30pm-7am, $10. (HO)


Sunday

Spundae
Only the music has attitude. Education through electronic dance music. Five different rooms host five different sounds. Featuring highly respected big-name talent as well as local beatpalayas. At Club 1015, 10pm, $10. (DM)

Tea Dance
A San Francisco tradition. This Sunday daytime club is packed with the city's most hardcore partiers, tweakers and adventure seekers. Exhilarating depravity. At EndUp, 5am-10pm; $5. (MG)

Waterproof
Smoother than a Slurpie and deeper than a high-end aquarium, Waterproof is all about gorgeous, god's day house. Resident DJs Franky and Mauricio flood the speakers with delicious sounds while the well-heeled crowd mills about. Guest extraordinaire Marques Wyatt has been known to rock the turntables every now and then. At Backflip, 10pm, free. (AN)


The Clubs

111 Minna St. Gallery, 111 Minna St. (between New Montgomery and 2nd), 974-1719
Backflip, 601 Eddy St., 771-FLIP
City Nights, 715 Harrison St.,339-8686
Club 1015, 1015 Folsom St., 431-1200
Club Townsend, 177 Townsend St., 974-1156
Coco Club, 139 8th St., 626-6772
Deco, 510 Larkin St., 441-4007
Elbo Room, 647 Valencia St., 552-7788
End Up, Corner of 6th and Harrison Sts., 357-0827
Il Pirata, 2007 16th St., 626-2626
Justice League, 628 Divisadero St., 289-2038
Kate O'Brien's, 579 Howard St., 882-7240
King Street Garage, 174 King St., 974-1156
Liquid, 2925 16th St., 431-8889
Nicki's Barbecue, 460 Haight St., 415/621-6508
McCarthy's, 2327 Mission St., 648-0504
The Stud, Corner of 9th and Harrison Sts., 252-7883
The Top, 484 Haight St., 864-7386
Trax, 1437 Haight St., 863-4275
Up & Down Club, 1151 Folsom St., 626-2388
VSF, 278 11th St., 605-9943



Reviews by Amanda Nowinski, (AN), dmarie (DM), Michelle Goldberg (MG), Hakeem Oseni (HO) and Christa Palmer (CP).

[ San Francisco | MetroActive Central | Archives ]


From the September 21-October 4, 1998 issue of the Metropolitan.

Copyright © Metro Publishing Inc.