The Top Five Parties in San Francisco This Weekend

Moodymann plays Public Works on Friday

Ah, the storm before the calm. No, that's not in reference to the bad weather currently en route to the Bay Area, but rather the weird situation we're currently in regarding parties. With the holidays just around the corner, this might be your last opportunity before the new year to really get down. Luckily, you've got plenty of top-notch options to pick from. Read on--your weekend awaits.

5. Go Bang Four Year Anniversary @ The Stud
Saturday, Dec. 1, 9 p.m. - 3 a.m.

San Francisco has a rich history of disco music that stretches back past the HI-NRG days of the 1980s and into the political chaos of the early '70s. One party that's dedicated to preserving that legacy is Go Bang!, a long-running event helmed by Sergio Fedasz and original S.F. disco DJ Steve Fabus. Over the years Go Bang! has played host to a revolving cast of resident DJs that's included some of the best selectors in the city. Now, it's celebrating its fourth anniversary in style by gathering most of its residents past and present for a big party at The Stud. Check out these mixes recorded live from the board at last month's party and this review of Go Bang!'s epic three-year anniversary bash.

4. Throwback @ Mighty
Saturday, Dec. 1, 9 p.m. - 3 a.m.

Alternatively, San Francisco also has a rich history of house music that blossomed most famously in the 1990s. Throwback is an event that pays homage to those heady days with deep, retro-oriented sets by some of the biggest names in Bay Area house. It's also worth noting that the soundsystem for this party comes directly from that era: The RLA currently installed at Mighty was originally located at the infamous, but now shuttered, Club Townsend. This one's free all night, and has the added bonus of an open bar between the hours of 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. So go early, abuse the bar privileges, and dance with the memory of what once was.

3. As You Like It presents Tin Man @ 222 Hyde
Friday, Nov. 30, 9:30 p.m. - 2 a.m.

As You Like it returns with a highly anticipated, intimate affair at 222 Hyde. The headliner is Tin Man, a new-school practitioner of acid house who's quietly risen to prominence over the past 10 years. Last year his fantastically moody track "Nonneo" was at the top of many critics' year-end lists, and was an unlikely underground club anthem. This year he released Neo Neo Acid, a manifesto disguised as an LP that brings to mind the self-contained cohesiveness of DJ Sprinkles' classic Midtown 120 Blues. Listen to "Absurdist Acid" and his podcast for Little White Earbuds for an idea of what to expect. Oh yeah, did we mention that he'll be performing live?