San Francisco Music Blog

While the rest of the country attended more run of the mill night clubs and house parties, S.F. did what it does best this weekend, taking a walk on the weird side.

Between the Insane Clown Posse and punk legend Diamond Dave's birthday party on Friday to a "Hat Flash Mob" in Union Square and Dead Prez at the Green Festival After-party on Sunday (with a pitstop in DoLo Park on Saturday) there was so much going on it was hard to regain our focus until about our third Bloody Mary this morning.

Well, we've finally sobered up and got it all together, for your reading pleasure.

Hanna Quevedo

Revelers at Diamond Dave's, face-paint optional.

​View more pics in "Party @ Diamond Dave's" by Hanna Quevedo.

Richard Haick

ICP is still going, um, strong

​Read more in "Friday Night: Insane Clown Posse at the Warfield", by Andrew Vontz.

Alexia Tsotsis

Girls and their eye-bling, in Dolores Park

​Click through for the scene in "Magic Hour @ Dolores Park."

​

Click through to our (very NSFW) slideshow for lingerie, fetish, and leather.

The 30th Annual Exotic Erotic Ball came back home to the Cow Palace last Saturday.  After last year's disappointing Treasure Island outing replete with bus issues and too few bathroom facilities it was a welcome return, taking in an estimated 9000 party goers.

The main stage area offered plenty of seating and much room, allowing attendees to get a close hand look at the main attractions offered and featuring fantastic shows by Super Geek League, Impotent Sea Snakes, and Missing Persons as well an appearance by Tila Tequila. The intermission shows were especially entertaining as Paul Nathan took stage to become the ring leader for some steamy burlesque and other fetish oddities.  Honestly, we didn't know that tongues could do the various things showcased.

At the decidedly more intimate Bling Bling stage, hosted by Enrique of Surreal SF, we were treated to hot exclusive acts that sometimes overshadowed the bigger fare of the main stage.  It featured an all star DJ lineup, the Surreal Devil Girls, and a stand out performance by CR Gruve. This little stage that could, actually produced the single most show stopping event of the night in the form of a stellar performance by Coolio. 

A stones throw away, the VIP area seemed like a rehash of last year's fare which, while entertaining (sexy Zombie strip tease anyone) seemed ill managed at the entrance.  We caught quite a few people who didn't pay the extra money for VIP access having full reign of the area.  That being said the smaller main stage did make for some pretty cool happenings.  Of note there was the excellent power duo performance by DJ Meikee Magnetic and live drummer Mateo-G.   

In the more subdued and tightly packed expo area, the vendors were out in full force offering everything under the fetish sun.  A virtual market of the sexy, kinky and grotesque.  This was the only thing that suffered in the move back from Treasure Island which was much more robust and airy than the cramped area at the Cow Palace.  It seemed that it didn't allow you to take in much of what was being offered and stalls were a little packed due to foot traffic.

So what was the sum total? The same as year's past sprinkled with some highlight moments. We were slightly disappointed with not having a "must see" act that would have made everyone converge on the main stage, but there was enough on the fringes to make it worth it.  All in all the Cow Palace is a much better place to hold this event. 

JennaHaze.com

 If you read Peter Jamison's post in the Snitch yesterday
about the troubles with Heaven Mini Theater or today's related story in the Chron, it's clear the city is actually doing something about one of it's so-called "problem clubs." Finally.

While the Snitch scooped the Chron by about fourteen hours, the latter's rundown does have some additional details about the incident last April, when, according to court documents,: "a Heaven employee shot the Broadway Showgirls Nightclub doormen as retaliation for the witness handing out Showgirls passes in front of other clubs."

The Chron story also has reaction from the club's attorney, claiming Heaven was in full compliance with city regulations, despite the fact that, as reported, "The club... violates the city's planning code on at least three fronts: operating after 2 a.m., operating on a story of a building not authorized for commercial use, and operating an adult entertainment business within 1,000 feet of another such establishment." Apparently, being a sleazy den of sin with a wholly-ironic name isn't a violation in and of itself. Even more ironic: this version of Heaven clearly isn't "a place where nothing ever happens," as the Talking Heads once insisted.

Adding to the salaciousness is the news that an undercover sting revealed that Heaven's strippers allegedly engaged in acts of prostitution--with kickback loot going to the club--although, lets be real, people: if you can't get a blow job at a strip club, you're either broke, fugly, psychotic, or overtly odiferous. I'm actually more shocked at the brazenness of the alleged shooting: what club has its employees shoot employees of another club for passing out flyers in front of the establishment? Now that's gangsta.

Before an angry mob of Snapes and Dementors attacks my apartment with giant goblets of fire (note to mob:I do NOT live in the Castro so you should probably mosey on down to the Mission or anywhere that is again, NOT THE CASTRO) I should say I really enjoyed myself at Azkatraz, this year's Harry Potter "Symposium" held in downtown SF. My expectations of costumed, lonely nerds with little to no social skills were, while not blown out of the water, diminished somewhat by the infectious and genuine enthusiasm of the participants. Read: kids in Hogwarts uniforms performing line dances.

This year marks the sixth incarnation of the Harry Potter Con. Each year the convention (and name) changes cities in order to allow fans from all over a chance to attend without paying too much in travel costs. The event is volunteer-run and totally internet-communicated. These guys tweet A LOT.

Is that your typewriter or are you just happy to see me?

All tied up and nowhere to go? Have a closetful of spandex and PVC? Tired of just watching grainy BDSM clips on the Internet? Like playing Dungeons and Dragons - minus the Dragons? Interested in exploring your wild side?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you'll probably feel right at home at Saturday's Marquis Fetish Ball at Supperclub. It's a virtual Disneyland for the corset-and-cuffs/latex-and-leather set, what with a performance by bondage babe and author Midori, a live model casting, beats by DJ Netik, an aerial performance by Evacide , live drawings by Suzanne Forbes, a fetish performance by Satine Phoenix and Athena Fatale, a fashion show by Blacklickorish Latex Design, a "play dungeon," theme rooms, a raffle, and MC the Baroness.

Attendees are advised to come "dressed to thrill" in fetish attire and must be 21 years or older. If that sounds like your ideal Saturday evening out, here's your link for kink.

Padded Cell Set.

If you think the old Armory at 14th and Mission -- a giant brick fortress fashioned back in the 1910's as a recreated Moorish castle -- looks imposing from the outside, check out its insides. Once a month Kink.com, the alternative porn studio that owns the enormous building, opens its doors for free public tours. No, visitors don't get to watch any sex scenes in action. However, they do get to explore the intersection of an authentically antique interior with fabricated dank, dark sets - of real prison cells and BDSM restraint devices, all under the same roof. After all, not only does the Armory, which housed the National Guard until the 1970's, have a military history, it's also the site of weekly shoots for seventeen different fetish websites.

Nv. Sr. Viva L'Amour

Sister Edith at Revival Bingo in April 2005

For Sister Edith Myflesh, the president of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, dressing up in a nun's habit, strapping on a bra-like headpiece, and spending two hours applying white face makeup isn't just about entertaining. It's an honest to God religion.

The Sisters, the infamous San Francisco order of (mostly) men in drag, started on Easter weekend 1979, can now boast nearly 70 members, with other orders popping up around the world - everywhere from America's deep south to Uruguay. Here, the sisters have become well-known figures by hosting an ambitious calendar of events - including bingo nights, holiday galas, and straight-up parties - the proceeds from which go to support sex and gender related charities. The order has been swept up by controversy in the past. It's not hard to imagine how the Catholic church might object to the sisters. Still, these ladies garner a lot of respect, whether they're fighting breast cancer, staging races in high heels, or just holding their heads high as they stroll down the street in full habit.

In yesterday's follow-up  to Tuesday's story in the Chron on proposed new legislation aimed at regulating problem clubs, writer C.W. Nevius drops quite a bombshell: Terrance Alan, a member of the SF Entertainment Commission, is also the landlord of Pink Diamonds, a Tenderloin strip club which has been designated a public nuisance by the City Attorney's office.

Let's consider the irony, shall we? The SFEC wants more power to enforce suspensions on "problem" clubs. If their request is approved, Alan could be put in the uncomfortable position of deciding whether to impose fines, sanctions, or suspensions on his own property, which has had several shootings outside its premises in recent months.

But here's the rub: if the club is such bad news, why hasn't the SFEC already imposed a 30-day suspension--which it has the power to do under current regulations--against Pink Diamonds?  Which makes one wonder if the fact that the club's landlord is an an Entertainment Commissioner the reason why the club (which does not serve alcohol) has remained open, despite the violence and noise it apparently attracts. Which also makes one wonder why new laws are needed, if the old ones aren't being enforced to the fullest? Which also raises the issue of how any club which appears to be a gunfire magnet can stay open despite being on the radar of city officials and the SFPD.

Neil Girling, www.theblight.net

Too Lewd for SF? Flame Cynders performing at the DNA's Hubba Hubba Revue

As first reported by SFist, on February 13th, the DNA Lounge's Jamie Zawinski revealed on the club's website that the venue is currently embroiled in a battle with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), who are "trying to permanently revoke our liquor license," according to Zawinski.

ABC's charges? ""lewdness", "discrimination", and "running a disorderly house injurious to the public welfare and morals" - a shocking accusation in San Francisco, to say the least. The citation arose out of two former monthly events, the gay-themed "Cream" and the lesbian-themed "Escandido," both of which were staked out by undercover ABC agents searching for illegal activities of moral turpitude.

Louis Martin via Yelp

As the Chron's Seth Rosenfield blogged yesterday, the already-violence-prone North Beach nightclub scene---aka "Drunken Brawl Central"--took another ding on its sullied rep Monday morning when an underage San Franciscan shot a 21 year-old Oaklander in the abdomen outside L'Amour nightclub. Both the SF Entertainment Commission and the SFPD are looking into the fracas, including whether the juvenile gunman was allowed entry to the club before the shooting, which took place at 1:30 a.m.

The news of yet another North Beach dust-up shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Other than thug-lifers, tourists, and first-time strip club visitors, most reputable hipsters wouldn't be caught dead there. What is amusing, however, are L'Amour's Yelp reviews, which suggest that getting shot in the abdomen is about what you should expect from a club alternately described as "the best Karaoke whore house I've ever been to" and an "undergound dank bar in Chinatown....filled with dirty couches, cheap, shitty beer and booze, hookers, cigarette smoke, and old Asian men singing Celine Dion songs..." Interestingly, while situated at Jackson and Columbus Sts., which technically abuts both North Beach and Chinatown, Yelp lists the club as being in the Financial District. Now that the heat's on for this formerly-incognito grotto of sleazy sin, what it's really in is hot water.

Behind the alluring, glass-enclosed stage at The Lusty Lady, North Beach's co-op peep show famously bought up in 2003 by its female performers, hides a warren of narrow red hallways. Visitors step past the establishment's flamboyant sign, into the long mirrored entranceway guarded by bouncers and flanked by photos of scantily clad women, and then into one of the many booths that offers them access to either the live show or a selection of porn. These folks may never stop to consider the cramped quarters behind the scenes.

There, the 70 or so Lusty Ladies - each of whom dance anywhere from four to 25 hours a week - glam up with lingerie, leather, and impressively high heels. They also chat, run a business, and occasionally hang out eating cereal in the nude.

A typical Good Vibrations cubicle.

By Bonnie Ruberg

For over three decades Good Vibrations has been a Bay Area pillar of sex positivity. With three chic, welcoming local stores - one on Valencia, one on Polk, and another out in Berkeley - these days Good Vibes it synonymous with helpful health info and community involvement. Talking about this beloved company also conjures up images of sleek, stylized dildos, high-end butt plugs, and beautifully displayed vibrators.

Maybe that's what makes it so strange to walk into Good Vibrations' headquarters. Based out of an unassuming, unmarked industrial spot in SOMA, the Good Vibes offices sit on top of a first-floor warehouse full of sex toys. As I began my tour early last week, Marketing Director Steven Duncan lead me through the rows upon rows of cardboard boxes: unassuming from far away, despite being filled with thousands of condoms, scores of romantic gift sets, and enough tubes and bottles to lube up all of San Francisco.

(Click here for a full slideshow by Gretchen Robinette)

The Ninth Annual Edwardian Ball
January 24, 2009
The Regency Center
Review and Photos by Sam Prestianni
Better Than: Being run through with an awl or trampled flat in a brawl.

The annual Edwardian Ball once again staged a fitting, San Francisco-style homage to the cartoon-Gothic writer and illustrator Edward Gorey with a riveting multimedia extravaganza of music, dance, video, art installations, and aerial acrobatics. Hosted by the postmodern cabaret combo Rosin Coven --a virtuosic orchestra of string slingers, horn players, percussionists, and singers-- the quasi-Victorian dance party brought out hundreds of the city's finest freaks and geeks, whose passion for Gorey's urbane sense of the macabre matched their own child-like fancy for dress-up and play. As if competing with the acts under the spotlight, including the Bay Area's world-class theatrical dance troupe Vau de Vire Society and L.A.'s high flyers Cirque Berzerk, many of the attendees showed off ingenious homespun costumes, inspired by the verses of "The Gashlycrumb Tinies," the dearly departed guest of honor's A-B-C book of whimsical ways to die. What follows is a tribute to both Gorey and the dynamic cultural institution his twisted vision made possible.