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THE DISCO: REVIEWS
Leif Wauters: www.juicyfruitjim.com
The DISCO: 5 out of 5 Bottles of Water
Many years ago my buddy Joe taught me the elements to rate a party by. It starts with the space, the box we build the party in. Then there’s the decor/ambience, which includes the lighting, decorations, and landscape created by the promoter. Of course the music (including any entertainment) is a major ingredient. That’s then followed by the beauty factor, and in San Francisco’s case, the community factor. And finally there’s the overall experience, that can include anything from how long the wait is for a drink to how clean the bathrooms are, etc.
With five elements to consider, a bottle of water for each, The Disco gets all five.
I’ve always liked Mezzanine. Steps away from MUNI and the flow of cabs, it’s a breeze to get to and home from. Not to mention the stylish entrance through the alley (we do like our alleys, don’t we?). It’s a healthy size inside, with well-kept, modern bathrooms, exceptional nooks upstairs, lots of bars, and a substantial smoking area (in yet another alley!). It’s just an all around clean and earnest space from which to build an event.
The twisted minds that envisioned the theme for The Disco executed it flawlessly. By flawless I mean the theme was to be fun and frisky and they hit both nails dead on. Coming in through the upstairs area the first thing I had to laugh at was the aged Hot House video mixed in with shots of Julia Child (R.I.P.). She’d be turning in her Port bottle if she only knew. Making our way through the giant colored balloons (one of which would re-enact a scene on the dance floor from The Prisoner later in the night) and the camped-out Drag Lounge, we took in the view of what Billy and Kyle, creators of The Disco, had brought to life. The lighting was subdued but festive, if there can be such a blend. The club doesn’t have a lot of flashy lights, but this party didn’t really need that. What it benefited HUGELY from was the masterful touch of Kyle Garner and his four, multi-colored lasers that wove together beautifully all night. Of course the giant Crisco-ized DJ platform returned from last year, and please put your hands together for your Facebook friend, and mine, the Disco Cherry mirror ball, twirling above the crowd (and almost the victim of an early-morning Fruision with a giant grape-looking balloon). Any one of these additions to the landscape would be a hit, but together they made something greater than their sum.
It’s no secret who my favorite DJs are, and I thought two of them gave us an amazing ride. Paul Goodyear’s pumped-up sometimes disco, sometimes tribal, sometimes progressive journey had me gagging for the next great track while I was still laughing about the one before. Whatever you think of his style of music, there’s no denying it’s wrapped in many layers of history and meat. He’ll never let you forget our clubbing heritage, nor allow you to miss the fact that you’re in a turbine under his complete control. After we honored him with applause at 3 AM, Powerhouse star Bud Chism took over with what, for me, was a surprising treat. A deep and sexy late night trip brought the fire down to a simmer, but it was a sound we RARELY get to hear outside the cruisiness of a bar. It was a sultry, progressive set that I personally yearn to hear more often. Sadly, many in the crowd weren’t as attached to it, but a few friends and I gladly rode it out to the last beat.
To polish of the entertainment, there was the return of the Twister Boys, looking as sexy as last year, followed a bit later by Snow White and her seven delicious bears. Thank you to Suzan, Snatch, and your jock-strapped hotties for the silly and engaging show, something that’s become a signature of The Disco.
Now I don’t know who went to the other parties that night, but all the hotness I could handle was in the house at The Disco, which includes a horde of friends it was great to spend the night with. A frisky mix of visitors and locals merged to fill the club; a crowd at least three time as large as last year’s premier installment of this event. What a major testament to Billy and Kyle’s creativity and the sometimes over-zealous viral marketing. It’ll be something to tweak next year, but it worked.
The sprinkles on the sunday were all the little things that made the general Disco experience shine. It was easy to get in, easy to get a drink, and easy to get around the club, despite the size of the crowd. The bathrooms were accessible and clean all night, all the employees were friendly, and it never got too hot (the bane of many “successful” events). Unless I wasn’t paying attention, or wasn’t able to, all the “little” negatives that could be stuck in our minds were missing. It was all good, all fun, and all Disco until we stepped out into the Prideful, pre-dawn streets. I am truly happy this sophomore edition of our new Pride tradition was such a success. With Freedom and ReUnion behind us, The Disco is clearly the future of Saturday night Pride in San Francisco. Keep all those party elements shining, guys, and thanks for making my cherry spin.
Carlton Paul “Sling It”,
Gloss Magazine / June 2009
Before I was the curmudgeon many of you know, I was a circuit boy. In Atlanta during the ‘90s, I enjoyed nothing more than ingesting a recipe of narcotics and losing my mind on a dance floor. During the decade of decadence, I developed a ferocious hunger for quality DJ’s. After all, investing all of that preparatory sketchiness seems a shame, if the music ends up sucking. Also important is the eye candy. There should be steaming beauties writing on the floor, along with tasty lighting, and a fun, non-obtrusive show. Never, I mean never stop the music for anything.
Ok, so I obviously have some opinions. Luckily for my ego… my dear friend Billy and his lovely wife Kyle asked me to sit on a leadership team to create a gay pride event worthy of San Francisco. I was all, “YES!”
“The DISCO” on PRIDE WEEKEND @ Mezzanine, 10 PM, will be offering a plethora of delights. Produced by Frisco Disco Events, (headed up by ultra anally intuitive architect Billy Worthen) this party is going to tickle your fancy.
In the words of Elder Worthen, “There was a club in the ‘70s in Manhattan called ‘Crisco Disco’ that was infamous for its hot men and great music. This is the seed of the idea. Kyle and I have gone to great lengths this year to provide a space where magic can occur. We have all been to parties that sparkle. This year The DISCO is
set to shine like the lube on your cock when you are done with a hot boy.”
…Last years opening act played in my head for a year,” Worthen paints the picture. “I knew that the perfect party had hot porn boys wrestling on stage to set the mood. I just didn’t realize how hot it would be. The “Disco Twister Boys” took the fun youthful spirit of the game Twister and made it piggishly perfect. The energy in the room was fun and steamy. The referee was wearing a ruby Nasty Pig apron with white stripes for God’s sake. We decided this was perfect so we are keeping it. This is what SF deserves for Pride Saturday night.”
…No matter how much production effort goes into an event – the music makes or breaks a party,” Worthen continues. “The two masters chosen to pilot ‘The DISCOs’ turn-tables are known for taking their dance floors on a joyride of sound throughout the night. Much like a great sex party, the music will never stop at this dance event – the first half will headline London’s DJ Paul Goodyear. Paul’s unbelievable collection of uplifting sexy grooves will rip your head off. Then SF’s own Bud Chism of Universe and Powerhouse, will bring it home with a sleazy set of hard driving lyrical cuts. This combination offers our Pride the party it so desperately wants.”
…The icing on the cherry this year will be the 2nd show, an old school circuit-y production featuring seven of San Francisco’s sexiest furbies and Diva Susan Revah in “Snow White and the Seven Bears.” Worthen incites, “Keep in mind, the music never stops, but this show is full of laughs. Snatch, the bitchiest bitch of them all, will be the evil cherry Godmother. If this comes off as planned, it will be one for the books.”
…This is a party designed to the last detail with local SF party people in mind,” he concludes. “The sound system is out of this world. Please come to The DISCO to enjoy a night unlike any other you have ever had. We all lost our cherries many years ago. I’m here to give you yours back.”
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