Last Night: NightLife at Cal Academy of Sciences

DJ J-Boogie drops some science, yo

NightLife w/ DJs Fluid and J-Boogie
California Academy of Sciences
Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009

Better than: Shoving a six-year-old out of the way so you can hit the secret "eel viewing" spot.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against kids. Some of my best friends have one, or even little pairs of them. And I understand that San Francisco's new celebrity museum, the California Academy of Sciences, is a good place for small fries because they can learn stuff (and run themselves tired before they get back home). But as a selfish adult, who is a CAS member and just wants to stare at jellyfish and butterflies and giant sea bass without long lines of big strollers and little people, I think NightLife is a pretty brilliant idea.

Last night was the kickoff of the museum's 18 and over happy hour, which brings in DJs from the community, sets up a couple bars, and lets the "mature set" wander through all the myriad exhibits, from the living roof to the aquarium to the rainforest (until 8 p.m.) and the planetarium. Nothing was off limits and everything looked better with a cocktail in hand, lemme tell ya.  

Of course, CAS being the city's most exciting new attraction, NightLife's first run sold out well before it opened. There were a handful of tickets sold at the door, and long lines to get into the building and into the rainforest. But as daunting as things looked upon arrival, the packs of people actually moved pretty swiftly. Not only that, but as time went on, the crushes around the most popular attractions (like the viewing area of the coral reef) subsided as people spread out throughout the gigantic space.

This being close to Valentine's Day (or, perhaps this  just being San Francisco) there were signs that this happy hour put more on the brain than just science. As my friend observed, NightLife seemed to be offering the dating scene a new option: packs of ladies tottered around in slinky shirts and high heels; one couple made out on the observation deck of the living roof; and bar patrons waiting for drinks lingered a bit to mingle. I even saw one of the penguins getting ready for the party. While his buddies slept in near darkness, this little dude was picking the dirt off his natural tuxedo with his beak, this being no time to get lax about grooming.

Over by the "science in the news" section of the museum, DJs got the funk and soul on the turntables. Old school vinyl jockeys J-Boogie and Fluid helped break the ice and the sweat--a makeshift dancefloor formed around them, with people from their twenties to their sixties getting down. Personally I wasn't in the dancing mood (maybe if I could've grabbed the guitarfish out of the aquarium for a partner) but I have to say I never cease to be amazed at San Francisco's capacity to dance anywhere and everywhere. Give this city a good beat and someone will be bumping to it.

The tunes were piped all around the museum, and really, there's nothing quite like gazing at a bunch of sardines with Michael Jackson piped over the speakers.

All in all, I'd say NightLife's off to a very successful start. I think we have San Francisco's best happy hour right here -- or at the very least a chance to hog the museum away from the kids, if only for the evening. (What? They should be in bed by then anyway).

Critical bias: If it isn't already obvious--I've been too intimidated to use my membership at CAS much before now because I keep waiting for those long lines of so many strollers to subside.

By the way: NightLife happens between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. every week until October 29. It's $8 for members and $10 for non members. More info here.