Party Radar: AYBEE, Bonobo, Crystal Method, oOoOO….

PARTY RADAR Have you looked at all the winners and runners up of our Best of the Bay 2018 Arts & Entertainment Readers Poll? Best DJ, Best Hip-Hop Club, Best Drag Queen .. There’s tons of names you’ll probably recognize, and maybe some new to discover? In any case, it renewed my hope that there’s some oonce-oonce left in San Francisco’s ear-budded, work-stationed heart. So get out there and keep dancing, please.

PARTIES OF NOTE 

FRI/16 THEY’RE HERE “Skin tingles in the dark. Flashing lights on your face. Throbbing in your ear…” The They’re Here party crew plays sweetly darker, harder tunes, celebrating the release of Sepehr’s debut EP “Body Mechanics” on Dark Entries Records. Label honcho Josh Cheon will be sipping up as well. 9pm-2am, $5. Underground SF. More info here.  

FRI/16 GOLF CLAP It probably can’t quite equal the time I caught this excellent Detroit duo playing a cavernous space above a gay strip club deep in tha D at 5am, but it’s worth a shot at Audio. 10pm-2am, $10. Audio, SF. More info here. 

FRI/16 DANCE TO STOMP OUT HUNGER A cavalcade of local tech stars hits the decks at this benefit for Cityteam SF, which has fed homeless people in the bay Area for 60 years. 9:30pm-2am, $5-$20. Monarch, SF. More info here.  

FRI/16 LOOSE JOINTS I love this party. DJs Tom Thump and Damon Bell fill MakeOut Room with soul sounds: Boogie, disco, rare groove, afrobeat, latin, funk and more. 10pm-2am, $5 before 11, $10 after. MakeOut Room, SF. More info here.  

FRI/16 CREATURE Who needs gender when you can dance however you like? The incredible Creature party moves on from the Stud with this star-studded finale, including DJs London Jade and Ophelia and oodles of post-drag insanity. 10pm-4am, $10. The Stud, SF. More info here. 

FRI/16 ASHEQ عشق A queer Middle Eastern/North African dance party? YES PLEASE. 10pm-3am, $10. Oasis, SF. More info here.   

FRI/16 oOoOO + ISLAMIQ GIRLS Oooh! OG Witchy house realness with oOoOO. Hosted by the 120 Minutes crew so you know it will be spoOoOOky. 10pm-2am, $15. Elbo Room, SF. More info here. 

FRI/16 MAKEOUT PARTY Lock lips for Jell-O shots at this fabulously omnisexual patio party, with Robin Malone Simmons and Elaine Denham as your luscious house music DJs. 9pm-2am, $10. SF Eagle. More info here. 

FRI/16 DIGITALISM The ecstatically accessible electronic duo fills August Hall with waving arms and sharp ideas. 10pm, $22.50. August Hall, SF. More info here. 

SAT/17 AYBEE One of my absolute techno heroes, an astro-cultural explorer from Oakland (now in Berlin) who finds a sublime connection between afro-futurism and deeply-rooted grooves. He’s at the Mixed Forms party with Atlanta’s Ash Lauryn and more. 9pm-4am, $10-$20. The Stud, SF. More info here. 

SAT/17 BONOBO I adore Bonobo when he’s behind the decks, bringing big moods and some highly delectable tunes. Oh, and all that charm. 9pm-late, $25. The Midway, SF. More info here. 

SAT/17 RUSSELL E.L. BUTLER Check out this interview I did with Russell to see the full scope of their incredible, inclusive, political vision—and do come down to Vinyl Dreams on Saturday afternoon celebrate the release of their super-anticipated album The Home I’d Build For Myself And All My Friends. 2pm-8p, free. Vinyl Dreams, SF. More info here. 

SAT/17 AFROLICIOUS SOUNDSYSTEM Soe of my favorite people on the scene, brothers Oz + Joe and crew, bringing some much-appreciated Afro-Latin funk and jazzy grooves (plus some killer classic house cuts) into the mix. 9pm-2am, $10-$15. monarch, SF. More info here.  

SAT/17 PUSH THE FEELING: TOM NOBLE Lovely, glowing disco grooves with a DIY feel, at one of the cutest indie parties ever? Sign me all the way up. 9pm-2am, $7. Underground SF. More info here. 

SAT/17 THE CRYSTAL METHOD People really like these guys! (Well, now just a single guy, since one of the duo retired last year.) They stepped in at that big beat moment in the ’90s when rave was briefly arena-sized (presaging EDM), with a funky slinkiness and overt drug references. A fun blast. 9:30pm-3:30am, $20-$25. More info here. 

SAT/17 FRINGE: ROBYN TRIBUTE The Nordic electro-pop goddess of the gays/gals just released a new album, and adorable indie dance party Fringe is going to dance about it! 9pm-2am, $5. Madrone Art Bar, SF. More info here. 

SUN/18 DISCO DADDY Bus Station John takes over the Eagle for his wildly popular tribute to the steamy disco-funk days of ever-relevant yore. “Dr. DISCO DADDY Sez: As Y’all Know, GOOD MUSIC Is GOOD MEDICINE! This Sunday We’re Gonna Take A Few Hours To Dance Off Our Troubles *AND Help Out Our Fellow Humans In Need, As We’ll Be Collecting Donations For Victims Of The California Wildfires (And Throwin’ In A Good $$$ Chunk From The Door!)” 7pm-2am, $7. SF Eagle. More info here. 

SUN/18 CASUAL EUPHORIA: AN ASMR PARTY Do you love the way sounds make you feel? Come to this night of live ASMR demonstrations, with lots of tingles included. 10pm-2am, $5-$10 NOTAFLOF, The Stud, SF. More info here. 

SUN/18 BEER BUST FUNDRAISER FOR THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY Hey ya’ll, I’m putting on a show of incredible photos from a golden age of SF gay nightlife 1986-1994 at the GLBT History Museum in February. Come have a bunch of beer at the Lone Star and help us fund it! SJ Chaka Quan is on decks! 4pm-8pm, free but you can pay $10 for all you can drink beer. Lone Star Saloon, SF. More info here.