culture@sfbg.com
SEX 2012 It’s time for some real sex in the city, dear friends, and as usual San Francisco is whipping and chaining things into a frenzy. Here are some select events (including the great Folsom Street Fair itself, which has some great music this year) to get you in the sling of things.
TUBESTEAK CONNECTION
Leatherman, come hear the true “music of your people.” DJ Bus Station John has been our champion of authentic, old school bathhouse disco for many a fuzzy moon, dive through the gloryhole of his vinyl collection for the special Folsom kickoff edition of his weekly Tubesteak Connection party. He’ll be playing “early 80’s hi-NRG from Bobby O and Divine to Lime and Patrick Cowley!” You’ll be playing, too. And dancing.
Thu/20, 10pm, $5. Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, 133 Turk, SF.
WOOD
Calling all big, burly lumberjacks! And fans of big. burly lumberjacks who, for the purposes of ribald jocularity we hereby dub “lumberjackers.” Fluff out your flannels and head to — where else? — that hairy den of iniquity, the Lone Star Saloon, as this youthful monthly dance party partners with the hot-hot LA Raunch crew, with DJs Aaron Elvis and the incredible Frankie Sharp. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, etc.
Thu/20, 9pm, free. Lone Star, 1354 Harrison, SF. www.facebook.com/lonestarsf
BEARRACUDA
More irresistible fuzziness at this huge bear dance party — how does the idea of 1000-plus big, sweaty, hairy men strike you? We’ll be happy just to have a dozen or so strike us, thank you. But the more the bearier! With DJs Hifi Sean, P-Play. Mark Louque, and Bill Tod.
Fri/21, 9pm-3am, $15. public Works, 161 Erie, SF. www.bearacuda.com
EROTIC ART EXHIBITION
Curator Peter Keresztury will be showcasing his oddly alluring breasted zebra women, but that’s not all that will entice you to this roundup of erotic Bay visual artistry. Friday at 7:30pm, come to watch a fashion show of Blacklickorish Latex’s stunningly sexy gowns. Good Vibrations will also host a toy demonstration, and there will be other fetish runway walks throughout the weekend.
Fri/21, 4-10pm; Sat/22, 1-10pm; Sun/23, noon-5pm, $5 (free on Sunday). Gallery 4N5, 863 Mission, SF. www.eroticartevents.com
FLEUR DE LIS’ UNDER THE BIG TOP
2008 Britney Spears album notwithstanding, we’ve never found the circus to be particularly sensual. However, sex blogger Vanessa Pinto, a.k.a. Fleur de Lis (check out her recent HuffPo interview with Patient Zero of the porn industry’s recent syphilis outbreak) is bringing back her seven rings of sex acts this year, so perhaps we’ll be swayed to the whips and honk-nose look. A who’s-who of SF sex culture including Carol Queen and Vagina Jenkins take the Supperclub stage for suspension, burlesque, BDSM, and so much more.
Fri/21, 8pm, $40-100. Supperclub, 657 Harrison, SF. sexycircus2012.wix.com/sexycircus2012
XO BALL AND EXPO
A moment of gagged silence for the departed Exotic Erotic Ball — the swinger-fetish big box fantasy event that expired last year in financial flames. Thankfully into this void stepped XO Ball and Expo, a two-day affair featuring fetish gear on sale at the expo that culminates in the Saturday night ball with wrestling women, burlesque performers, porn stars, aerialist Stoya, and a performance by Too $hort, who doubtlessly pull out his 2010 classic “Porno Bitch.”
Expo: Fri/21, 5-11pm; Sat/22, 11am-6pm, $25 advance tickets. Ball: Sat/22, 8pm-1am, $65-200. Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva, SF. www.xoexpo.com
PEGASUS II
Spectacular boutique Sui Generis is the Castro’s ground zero for stylish, scruffy gentlemen on the make during Folsom season — do check out the amazing horsey bondage window display, good sirs — and its Pegasus party last year was a great place to cop a good feel of the weekend’s coming festivities. This year, Provincetown underground house hottie Mark Louque will DJ, and everyone will be sexy-sexy.
Fri/21, 7pm, free. Sui Generis, 2231Market, SF. www.suigenerisconsignment.com
CASTRO NUDE-IN
You gotta fight for your right to cock ring. Castro nudeles unite today for their right to accessorize — cops have been chastizing the pants-free for drawing undue attention to their junk in the neighborhood lately, and the aggression will not stand. Join the disrobed and raise a ruckus, or take your spot among the throngs of gape-mouthed tourists who will surely be snapping away at the sight of so much scrotum.
Sat/22, noon, free. Castro and Market, SF. www.nude-in.blogspot.com
CUM AND GLITTER
Having sold out its prior incarnations, SF’s sex-positive, live cello-soundtracked skin show takes the stage for two Folsom Street Fair weekend editions, both hosted by sultry genderqueer twink Quinn Cassidy. Attend the matinee for mimosas and well-staged orgasms administered and accomplished by the likes of local pornographers Courtney Trouble and Maxine Holloway, then come back for Act II with Kitty Stryker, Sadie Lune, and more.
Sat/22, 2pm and 10pm, $35-70 one performance, $55-115 for two. Location disclosed upon ticket purchase. www.cumandglitter.com
GO BANG!
The polymorphously perverse monthly disco party spanks into full effect for Folsom, with classic atomic action DJs Paul Goodyear, Allen Craig, Steve Fabus, and Sergio. If you can stop dancing long enough, feel free to ask someone if the secret makeout room is open. Coat check by Eva Androgyny!
Sat/22, 9pm-3am, $5–$7. Deco Lounge, 510 Larkin, SF. www.facebook.com/gobangSF
LUTHER
We are happy to report that the music at this year’s International Mr. Leather competition in Chicago was incredible, thanks to this mysterious quartet of leatheristas, who tag-teamed on the tables to produce a blend of danceable tunes that didn’t tip into gym queen carnival schmaltz, pop diva headache, or weepy disco sentimentality. Oil those chaps, girls, boys, and others — this dance party will be off the hook (hooks optional).
Sat/22, 9pm, $10–$15. Holy Cow, 1535 Folsom, SF. www.tinyurl.com/luthersf
NIPS IN THE AFTERNOON
Keep those buds busy until the main event tomorrow at this darling little Folsom Street glory-hole-in-the-wall. It’s all in the name of nipple worship this afternoon. Well almost — the dollars you lay down for entry go to the SF GLBT Historical Society, standard practice for a bar whose parties try for more community service than just giving your Grindr app the night off.
Sat/22, 2-6pm, $5. Powerhouse, 1347 Folsom, SF. www.powerhouse-sf.com
FOLSOM STREET FAIR
This is it — the big, be-harnessed Megillah, benefitting multiple charities and keeping the leather tradition alive. Hundreds of thousands of beautiful freaks, of course, and naughty goods of all description. Most intriguing is the entertainment side of the fair, which has steadily been gaining traction as one of the biggest live electronic music festivals in the city. This year’s players include Ladyhawke, Little Boots, AB Soto, The Limousines, Garcon Garcon, and Hi Fashion.
Sun/23, 11am-6pm, $10 suggested donation. Folsom between Seventh and 12th Sts., SF. www.folsomstreetfair.com
DEVIANTS
Although last year’s custom-made porn star nest, outdoor Motown fetish fiesta, and indoor Bulgarian underground techno triumph may prove hard to top, the four party crews hosting this annual official post-Folsom blowout — local househeads Honey Soundsystem, old school soul fiends Hard French, London’s disco-riffic Horse Meat Disco, and Australian electro duo Stereogamous — are gonna try their darnedest to finish your slut season strong. Deviants will be the spot to post up with that high fashion off-shoulder fetish gown, or nothing more than a lace-up leather jock, chest hair, and a growl.
Sun/23, 3pm-3am, $20-30. Public Works, 161 Erie, SF. www.publicsf.com
ARSE ELEKTRONIKA
A weekend that explores gaming and sex, gaming sex, and sexing gameplay. Tangibly, this festival will give birth to lectures on things like amorous videogame storylines and the physics of vibrators, an award ceremony for “sex machines, orgasmatrons, and teledildonics,” and live performance. Less concretely, AE is a chance for the significant sex nerd contingent of the Bay Area to critically examine the culture it’s created.
Thu/27-Sun/30, various times, venues, prices. www.monochrom.at/arse-elektronika