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Boogie Nights

[whitespace] Monday

Density
Step inside a drum and bass weekly where you actually have a seat to chill out and all the dance floor you can bite off. These promoters are down to pull through special guests, and they are definitely in this for the music. A Monday night venture for the local who demands quality music. At Justice League, 9pm, $3. (DM)

Headquarters
In recent months Storyville has morphed from a traditional jazz club into a laboratory for experiments in hip-hop, jazz and Latin music. Headquarters, the club's new downtempo Monday night, is an evening of languid soundscapes, hip-hop beats and deep dub bass, along with occasional spoken word and live turntablist performances. At Storyville, 9pm, free before 10pm, $2 after. (MG)

Joy
DJs Travis and Mouse feed it to the children deep and hard every Monday night--and my, those children do look fine (if you can make them out through the crowd). House music pumps and everybody bumps and grinds while art fox Jerry Gonzales alters the visual universe with his tripped-out film projections. Look out for the occasional LoveWorks collaborations. At Liquid, 8pm, free. (AN)

Movin On Up
DJs and team producers Mark Anthony and Dimitri serve up thick, juicy East Coast beats to soul-seeking house heads every Monday night at the Top--the glorious oasis of the Lower Haight. A deep, old-school vibe prevails in sound and physical sensation--this is music that makes you move. But beware the Satan-strong drinks, lest you find yourself smooching a DJ beneath the turntables. At The Top, 9pm, $3. (AN)


Tuesday

Electric Fondue
Dip into the tasty deep house, trip-hop and funk flowing from the nimble fingers of Sunburn Records DJ Niven and his turntablist guests. A mellow, chill-out mentality emanates from the crowd; indeed, Electric Fondue is the perfect house-healing antidote to Hump Day anxiety. At The Top, 9pm, $3. (AN)

Spark
Downtempo hip and trip-hop segues into jazzy, funky drum 'n bass at this Tuesday night lounge. DJs Seven and Sol drop lots of local music into the mix, and Backflip's soothing aquatic atmosphere is the perfect antidote to the Tuesday blues. At Backflip, 9pm, $3. (MG)

Static
The free forum platform of this party is its hook! Although usually classified as a techno gig, it encompasses music and DJs from all over the map. Word of warning: minimal clothing is a necessity, there's no coat check, the energy is high, and the heat is ominous. At Liquid, 10pm, $3. (DM)

Texture
An evening blurring the line: a renaissance of classicism and futurism, electronic and organic music mixed with a live element. The ambiance and sound are forever evolving. At The Up & Down Club, 10pm, $3. (DM)

Trannyshack
Hysteric glamour and delicious depravity at the only club in SF devoted to trannies and tranny chasers. Performances at midnight. Singer Tina Keyes said it best, "Trannyshack is a very beautiful cabaret, as well as being a drunken free-for-all that you can black out at." At Stud, 10pm, $4. (MG)


Wednesday

Audio Alchemy
A party thrown by those rare groove merchants and specialty tune selectors, Tom Thump and Cool Chris. The crowd varies week to week, but the tunes remain solid, schooled, and rock steady. At Liquid, 10pm, $3. (DM)

Come-Unity
A legendary all-night party that's been happening for years and is still going strong. DJs Simon, Jeno and Garth dish out deep house to an ecstatic crowd of ravers and club kids. First Wednesday of every month. At Club 1015, 10pm, $7. (HO)

The Groove
The Cream Puff boys run this late-night, truly underground sound session. The club's open till 4:30am; the vibe just doesn't get any deeper. Fourth Wednesday of every month. At Club 1015, 10:30, $5. (HO)

Indulgence
A largely society and international crowd oozing with dough comes to party in the most gorgeous space in the city, the decadent 21st-floor Starlight Room. Champagne chills on every other table, the room is lush with burgundy velvet, burnished gold and fabulous views, and DJ Bruce spins an uplifting mix of house and funked-up disco. At The Starlight Room, 10pm, $5. (MG)

Love-Haight Lounge
An intimate, chatty club night with a mixed gay crowd and eclectic music ranging from funk and rock to trip-hop and lounge. Ogle the go-go boys, hustle at the pool table or find someone to take home and have your own party. Plus, for all you without cable, they show South Park at 10. At Trax, 10pm, free. (MG)

Pausativity
DJs J-Boogie and Pause (both SF hip-hop legends) toss up a beat-intensive party, mixing old school and new with top talent rolling through. If you are down for respected tunes a-flowin' and a pure mix of true danceable beats, this is the club to feed your knowledgeable hip-hop and reggae mind. At Justice League, 9pm, $5. (DM)

Seance
Soothe your spirit at this new-agey night with chilled-out ambient sounds, belly dancers, tarot readers and henna tattoo artists. Downtempo drum and bass and trip-hop courtesy of DJs Anna, Alika, Xanax, Saucer, Toph 1 and guests. At Backflip, 8pm, $5. (MG)


Thursday

Anthem
Local superstar DJs Ruben Mancias and David Harness never stop at just house. For years this deep, nasty Thursday night at 1015 has maintained a luscious crowd (comprised mostly of cute boys) and a friendly, carefree vibe. Sister Black cuts it up in the Funk Hut while Jorge Martinez works his disco magic in the Studio 1015. At Club 1015, 10pm, $7, free before 11 with flier. (AN)

The Box
One of the most colorful, friendly evenings SF has to offer. Brothers and Sisters and their friends bounce in one enormous jam-packed room to smooth soul, hip-hop and house. A definite must! At Justice League, 9pm, $7. (HO)

Drive
A lovely, low-key late-twenties crowd of gay men, dykes and fag hags get down to old-school electro, funk and breakbeat at this brand-new Thursday night party. At The Stud, 10 pm, $3. (MG)

Eklektic
Easily one of the best clubs in the city, Eklektic is a fast, funky and raw drum and bass night with lots of girl DJs working the turntables, including Sage and Stareyes, plus brilliant national and international guests. The sexy young crowd is there to move, not to pose, and the vibe is both smoldering and welcoming. Get there early, because it reaches capacity fast. At Kate O'Briens, 10pm, $5. (MG)

Heavy Rotation
New York-style hyper lounging in San Francisco on the first Thursday of every month. "Electropsychedlicfunkhouse" and trippy projections courtesy of visual attack. At Backflip, 9pm, $5. (MG)

Kit Kat
Skinny, gorgeous girls in tight pants or tarted-up Ally McBeal mini-suits shimmy with b-boys (and the odd blazer-wearing yuppie) to funky disco house. The lush back patio is paradise on a summer night. At The EndUp, 10pm, $10. (MG)

Pan Dulce
Spicy Spanish-flavored house, salsa and meringue at this party for gay Latin boys and their friends. At asia sf, 9pm, $6. (MG)

Sound Design
A collaboration between some of the city's best deep-house DJs and most exciting futuristic artists. Blasthaus provides the wonderfully schizoid visuals--kitschy old educational films, computer graphics, VH1, DJ footage and other cultural detritus. Low tech video games by b.o.l.t.; Mark Farina and Terry Martin work the turntables. At Justice League, 9pm, $5. (MG)


Friday

Agent II
The Sequel: Feeling lucky? Head to the newly remodeled Cat Club for a swanky, sexy night featuring DJs Jerry Ross and Kevvy-kev. What really makes this night special, though, is the in-house mini-casino replete with craps and blackjack tables. At Cat Club, 9pm, $10. (MG)

Bohemian Lounge
True school funk collages of breakbeat and hip-hop mixed with a little drum 'n' bass are what you'll be groovin' to at this free Friday night party in the Mission. The music and the crowd are all over the place. At McCarthy's, 10pm, free. (DM)

Club Asia
A gay Asian dance party with DJs Matthew Consola and Jamie J. Second and fourth Friday of each month. At King Street Garage, 10 pm, $8 w/flier before 11pm, $10 after 11pm. (MG)

Eye-Spy
Four bars and a glam (if bridge and tunnelish) crowd who can't keep their eyes off each other. House and garage in the main room, trip-hop and mellow jungle in the ambient lounge. Free snacks on the outside patio. At VSF, 9pm-4am, $10. (MG)

Fag Friday
The music never skips a beat at this cruisy all-night party. It transforms into Other Whirled in the early morning and goes strong till 3pm Saturday. At The EndUp, 10pm, $5. (HO)

Hardkiss Family & Friends
A phenomenal party with a personal touch hosted by global favorites the Hardkiss Brothers. This small venue, big on drinks and smiles, welcomes all and temps your dancing soul. At The Top, 9pm, $5. (DM)

In Bed With Fairy Butch
A steamy lesbian cabaret that happens on the second and fourth weeks of the month at the CoCo Club. The midmonth show has a coed crowd; the performance on the last Friday of the month is for girls only. At CoCo Club, 8pm, $7. (MG)

Nikita
The creators of your four-day work week bring you the best in house and techno from around the globe. Resident DJs Jeno, Jerry Bonham, Simon and David Michael rock a packed house of clubbers who dance their asses off till 6am. At Club 1015, 10pm, $10. (DM)

RoM
Sophisticated deep house with DJs Chad Mitchell, JP Soul, Dan Smith and other local underground talent. It gets mobbed, so show up early and be prepared to sweat. At Liquid, 10 pm, free. (MG)

Stir-Friday
A welcome to the weekend happy hour event hosted by Maneesh the Twister, Sang and JSAB. Local DJs surrounded with great art share their favorite tunes with the bar regulars and the artsy SOMA workers, who pop by for a cold beer or a glass of wine. At 111 Minna, 6-9pm, free. (DM)

Thump
Soulful house and garage to work your body and massage your mind, brought to you by Joy's DJ Travis and Mouse. At Liquid, 8pm, free. (MG)


Saturday

The Funk Side
Attention all freaks, this is the home for graffiti artists, writers, jazz heads and hip-hop connoisseurs. Tophone and Wisdom give up the funk. At Deco, 10pm, $3 before 11pm, $6 after. (DM)

La Belle Epoque
wishfm, mike bee and sea do up a classic SF club filled with a home-style atmosphere and top tunes. One guest DJ per week keeps the energy flowing. A place for boozing and shmoozing. At The Top, 9pm, $5. (DM)

Lush
One of the few nights at this speakeasy-style club that's not just for girls. Andrew Ableson hosts this stylish lounge where young sophisticates relax to modish pop and orchestral retro ephemera. Some nights feature cabaret acts. At CoCo club, 10pm, $5. (MG)

Pablo's Sugar Shack
Tasty funked-up house and rare groove jazz booms through this Saturday night meat market. There's an unnerving number of single men swarming in groups, but for a girl looking to get lucky it's ideal. At VSF, 10pm, $10. (MG)

Release
Legendary promoters Martel and Nabil invite you to release yourself at this Saturday night bacchanal. DJs Marques Wyatt, Julius Papp, Behrouz, Ellen Ferrato, Tom Thump, Jerry Ross, Bruce, Norm, B.B. Hayes, Jellybear, Michael Nader, Scott Demilo, Eric Lacy, Miquel and Anthony Scott keep the crowd grooving on six dance floors until 7am. At Club 1015, 9pm, $10. (MG)

'70s Disco and Funk
It's sweaty inside Nicki's Barbecue on a Saturday night, but don't be put off. This is the sexist place to shake bootie to the sounds of R&B, disco and funk music from the glittery, rolling-skating days of the late '70s and early '80s. And be prepared for dancing on the bar: there are no posers at Nicki's, only shakers. Skimpy disco gear and lots of gold jewelry are musts. At Nicki's Barbecue, $5. (CP)

Sugar
A trendy, mellow house night featuring DJs Lewis and Ellen Ferrato. Sashaying drag queens mix with flannel-clad pinball players in this intimate club. Produced by Cream Puff magazine, the party is gay but breeder-friendly. First and third Saturdays of each month. At The Stud, 9 pm, $5. (MG)

Universe
This three-year-strong club really gets moving after 2am. David Harness and Blackstone serve up fierce deep house for a massive throng of shirtless muscle boys. At Club Townsend, 9:30pm-7am, $10. (HO)


Sunday

Dub Mission
Come down from your weekend at San Francisco's only dub night. The versatile and eclectic DJ Sep and weekly special guests spin soul-soothing dub and roots music. At Elbo Room, 9pm, $4. (MG)

Spundae
Only the music has attitude. Education through electronic dance music. Five different rooms host five different sounds. Featuring highly respected big-name talent as well as local beatpalayas. At Club 1015, 10pm, $10. (DM)

Tea Dance
A San Francisco tradition. This Sunday daytime club is packed with the city's most hardcore partiers, tweakers and adventure seekers. Exhilarating depravity. At The EndUp, 5am-10pm; $5. (MG)

Waterproof
Smoother than a Slurpie and deeper than a high-end aquarium, Waterproof is all about gorgeous, god's day house. Resident DJs Franky and Mauricio flood the speakers with delicious sounds while the well-heeled crowd mills about. Guest extraordinaire Marques Wyatt has been known to rock the turntables every now and then. At Backflip, 10pm, free. (AN)


The Clubs

asia sf, 201 9th St., 415/255-2742
Backflip, 601 Eddy St., 415/771-FLIP
Cat Club, 1190 Folsom St., 415/431-3332
Club 1015, 1015 Folsom St., 415/431-1200
Club Townsend, 177 Townsend St., 415/974-1156
Coco Club, 139 8th St., 415/626-6772
Deco, 510 Larkin St., 415/441-4007
Elbo Room, 647 Valencia St., 415/552-7788
End Up, corner of 6th and Harrison Sts., 415/357-0827
Il Pirata, 2007 16th St., 415/626-2626
Justice League, 628 Divisadero St., 415/289-2038
Kate O'Brien's, 579 Howard St., 415/882-7240
King Street Garage, 174 King St., 415/974-1156
Liquid, 2925 16th St., 415/431-8889
McCarthy's, 2327 Mission St., 415/648-0504
111 Minna St. Gallery, 111 Minna St. (between New Montgomery and 2nd), 415/974-1719
Nicki's Barbecue, 460 Haight St., 415/621-6508
Starlight Room, atop the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 450 Powell St., 415/979-3031
Storyville, 1751 Fulton St., 415/441-1751
The Stud, corner of 9th and Harrison Sts., 415/252-7883
The Top, 484 Haight St., 415/864-7386
Trax, 1437 Haight St., 415/863-4275
Up & Down Club, 1151 Folsom St., 415/626-2388
VSF, 278 11th St., 415/605-9943



Reviews by Amanda Nowinski, (AN), dmarie (DM), Michelle Goldberg (MG), Hakeem Oseni (HO) and Christa Palmer (CP).

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From the November 16-29, 1998 issue of the Metropolitan.

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