Re-opening a legendary queer bar? In this economy? Well, the economy is slightly better than when the Stud Collective, of which I am a member, closed the Stud bar in March 2020 due to COVID. And even before that, operating an accessible, affordable 58-year-old queer bar that was an essential part of SF culture was getting well-nigh impossible, even with a dedicated group of 17 people + a whole wonderful community pouring their resources into it.
Welp, after four years of looking, we’ve finally found a new space—the old Julie’s Supper Club space on Folsom near 7th Street, not far from the old location, in an area that’s started to brim with new restaurants and cute spots. We are so excited to be opening our doors again to everyone! While we still have ambitions for the space and need funding to get fully back online, we’re ready to throw open the Stud for a grand opening party on April 20 (more in of on that soon).
BUT FIRST: I vowed to throw a party for my long-delayed (by COVID) 50th birthday party when we opened the bar, and by gum we are doing it! Join 48 Hills and the Stud on Friday, April 12, 6pm-10pm, for a sneak peek party at the new location, celebrating the bar’s reopening and my faux-50th! This is a casual night of gathering for drinks, drag, and a little dancing to reignite the spirit of SF, benefitting the city’s one-and-only local independent progressive daily news and culture site (the one you’re reading). Come see the new Stud and spank an old one. More info here!
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FAREWELL TO A FABULOUS COCKETTE I heard from iconic photographer Danny Nicoletta on Tuesday that one of the Fabulous Cockettes, Rumi Missabu, had passed away, leaving a huge community grieving in his wake. “Tranma” Rumi was a brilliant performer, mentor, and one-of-a-kind personality. He appeared here in the pages of the Bay Guardian many times, of course in the original wild shenanigans of the Cockettes, as well as later, wonderful Cockettes revivals like the deliriously fun and more-than-a-bit scandalous “Pearls Over Shanghai” with the Thrillpeddlers. Rumi was always lovely to me, and was indeed a true San Francisco gem, living life as a defiant outsider and giving it all to art. RIP.
MORE EVENTS OF NOTE
THU/4: SOUL CLAP Boston duo Soul Clap helped bring funk back into underground clubs in the 2000s, and they’ve been champions of down and dirty retro and contemporary grooves on the scene ever since. This Bay Area appearance at Public Works promises plenty of throwbacks. 9pm-2am, Public Works, SF. More info here.
THU/4: FIRST THURSDAYS ART WALK IN THE TL AND POLK Art Walks are serious neighborhood magic, and every first Thursday, gallery owners, artists’ studios, and other businesses and event spaces in the Tenderloin and Lower Polk neighborhoods throw open their doors. Don’t miss Rosebud Gallery’s show of all trans and gender-nonconforming artists, or Low Key Skate Shop’s show “Cornerstone” by Austen Zombres, which features “Hand cut recycled collage. Cardboard and paper found in San Francisco cornerstones and local shops. No paint or pen used.” 6pm-10pm, more info here.
THU/4-APRIL 21: THE VERTICAL SHOW Pole-dancing and aerial acrobatics fly to an all-new level in this eye-popping artistic showcase for World Pole Sports champions (it’s a thing!), with performers like Pink Puma, Paige Olson, and Kira Bucca wowing and mystifying audiences with their gravity-defying derring-do. Great Star Theatre, SF. More info here.
FRI/5: THE SCHIZOPHONICS If you’re missing the raucous spirit of MC5—and who isn’t these days, RIP to absolute legend John Sinclair, then this longtime San Diego outfit is a blast of fresh and funky air, with nods to James Brown, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, and The Sonics. 8:30pm, Bottom of the Hill, SF. More info here.
SAT/6: THE BLESSED MADONNA A Stud fundraiser featuring one of the most beloved DJs in the world, guaranteed to blow your house down! Yes indeedy, the wonder from Chicago that is the Blessed Madonna brings her massive skills to the Public Works deck, along with David Harness, CarrieOn Disco, Nina Sol, Charles Hawthorne, Mark O’Brien, Clearcast, and Mouthfeel for a night of dancing and debauchery. 9pm-late, Public Works, SF. More info here.
SAT/6: KPFA’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH AMY GOODMAN KPFA has broadcast community news and inspirational vibes since the 1940s, and it’s a true gem of the Bay Area. Activist and host of the Democracy Now! Amy Goodman headlines this benefit to help keep the station going for another 75 years. 6:30pm-8pm, First Church of Christ Scientist, Berkeley. More info here.
SAT/6: “DALIT DREAMLANDS: TOWARD AN ANTI-CASTE FUTURE” EXHIBIT AND PARTY More than 30 international and local multiply marginalized artists from Dalit, Adivasi, Bahujan, Afro-Indian, Indo-Caribbean, Indo-Fijian, and Muslim communities come together for this art show, curated by Manu Kaur and organized by the Asian American Women Artists Association, that “centers queer and trans caste abolitionist futurisms through art across a diverse array of mediums, including fashion design, music, performance, film, painting, and visuals.” There is also an incredible party component, thrown in collaboration with record label Discostan, with performances by London-based trans artist Mya Mehmi of Pxssy Palace, DJ Seema Hari from LA and many other queer Dalit DJs and performers. Say the organizers: “This event is one of the first queer Dalit-centered spaces to emerge in California, offering a vital opportunity for dialogue, celebration, and community-building. In Hinduism, Dalit is a term for caste-oppressed communities formerly known as Untouchables, who still face violent oppression and are considered outcasts even today.” Opening art show reception at Oakland Asian Cultural Center (5:30-7:30pm) and ARTogether Oakland (6pm-8pm). Opening party at 7th West, Oakland, 8pm-1am. More info here.
SAT/6: BOOTIE SF 20TH ANNIVERSARY Way back in the Pleistocene (2004), a wee club started the mashup craze here in San Francisco, squishing together songs from different genres to often electrifying effect, presaging the “everything is available” era of music online, before it was all subjugated by the Algorithm. There is still a bracing freedom represented by smushing a heavy metal and a pop diva song into the same sonic space. Join originator DJ Adriana A and a host of friends to celebrate two decades of jam-togethers. 9pm-2am, Cat Club, SF. More info here.
SUN/7: DRUNK DRAG I mean why not, is there any other kind? (I kid, most of the drag queens I know are sober—can’t get the shakes when you’re applying that lipliner!) Drunk Drag is actually the name of a drag parody theater troupe, and they’re bringing their latest doozy “Yaas, and! Drunk Drag Snatch Game!” to the stage with a number of feisty queens trying to outdo each other. 6pm, Oasis, SF. More info here.
SUN/7: SAN FRANCISCO CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL 2024 The sixth annual installment of this yummy festival features chocolate makers and artists from around the world, all showing off their delectable creations and decorating skills. The best part? You get to eat the results. Like all of it. 11am-5pm, SF County Fair Building/Hall of Flowers. More info here.
