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Almost 10 years ago, I took a deep dive into foundational SF after-hours club The EndUp—which even at that point in its storied history had led a bewildering number of lives.
Almost all of them gay, yes, but through infamous underwear contests (as seen in Tales of the City), wild disco tea dances, New Wave club kids, house music divas, groundbreaking techno minimalism, Asian drag parties, Reggae Gold, Grace Jones frolicking in the patio fountain… well, it’s been around the block, to say the least. (My very hazy time on its fabulous dance floor was the 1995-2004 Fag Fridays years.)
I can’t say I’ve been there much in the last decade, mostly because I own my one bar now and my after-hours are usually spent at house parties or outdoors affairs. The club has tipped over to different, straighter crowds in the past couple decades—not that there’s anything wrong with that!—but it’s heartening and more than a bit nostalgic to see the EndUp return to its queer dance music roots this weekend, both inside and outside the premises.
This Sat/15 sees a huge EndUp 50th anniversary takeover of Union Square (1pm-9pm) with house originator Marshall Jefferson headlining and support from a terrific gaggle of locals. Then the party moves to the club itself for an afters affair with legend Steve Fabus (he DJed the EndUp in the 70s!) and even more locals behind the decks. It’s gonna be like 15 hours of dancing, so bring that baby powder and your comfiest Superstar shelltoes.
OTHER EVENTS OF NOTE
THU/13: ‘PRIDE FOR THE REST OF US’ OPENING a few years ago, amazing longtime nightlife photographer Shutterslut started digitizing his photos from the ’90s and ’00s and bringing some of our favorite blackout memories to life for the Instagram era. Now, he will have his first show in 15 years, and fellow queer shutterbugs Fotohoto, Gooch, Sloane Kanter, and more will join him on the walls. 7pm-10pm, San Francisco Gallery, more info here.
FRI/14-SUN/16: SF SUCCULENT EXPO It’s time for some new little friends in our life—spiny, spiky, fuzzy, prickly, we’ll take the lot! 40+ succulent and cactus vendors, expert growing advice, live planting demonstrations, conservation and habitat info… it’s all in the pot. San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, more info here.
FRI/14: CUPCAKKE Chicago rapper CupcakKe’s lyrics could make the Lincoln Memorial blush, but her motor-mouthed delivery, impeccable fashion, and sense of pure joy in speaking freely are irresistible. Catch her on the West Coast for this joint at 1015 Folsom. 10pm, 1015 Folsom, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: MATCHA FEST Get some of that good green — green tea powder, that is — any number of ways at this celebration of the beloved Japanese tea. Drinks, dishes, and delicacies will be on offer as you enjoy DJs and matcha-themed entertainment. Noon-7pm, District Six, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: MORE MORE OAR: A TRIBUTE TO SKIP SPENCE Moby Grape co-founder and legendary songwriter Spence passed away in 1999, but his psychedelic spirit lives on. This performance from dozens of admirers—Bill Orcutt, Paula Frazer, Brogan Bentley, Moby Grape’s Jerry Miller, etc—brings his essential 1969 solo album Oar to life and touches on all aspects of his influence. The event benefits Musicares. 7:30pm, The Chapel, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: CHOCOLATE AND ART SHOW The name says it all, but the details are delicious. This festival offers chocolate art in the form of body painting, sculpture, and performance—all while visually stimulated patrons enjoy live music and free chocolate. 1pm-7pm, SOMArts, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: LA PEÑA’S 49TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Afro-Cuban ensemble Orquesta La Moderna Tradición kicks off the party for La Peña Cultural Center, which has been celebrating BIPOC and immigrant community roots music and dancing for nearly half a century. 7:30pm, La Peña, Berkeley. More info here.
SAT/15: BONOBO The UK wizard of moody but danceable electronic music fills the grand, historic Hibernia Bank building with exquisite sounds, eerie samples, and plenty of bass. 9pm, Hibernia Bank, SF. More info here.
SAT/15: MAURICE TANI: AMERICANA & BLUES NOIR A poetic soul and ace guitarist whose romantically wry songs can evoke smoke-tinged urban rooms or wide-open countryside, Maurice Tani has been an SF staple for more than 40 years. 7:30pm, Sound Room, Berkeley. More info here.
SUN/16: BROADWAY BARES No idea how this became a tradition, but if you want to see the buff stars of touring Broadway shows like “Company”—in the buff, to help fight AIDS—then tap into they wildly entertaining night. 7pm, 1015 Folsom, SF. More info here.
