This morning the Biscuit caught up on a few past posts we’ve been following but a big part of what makes the Castro so vibrant are all the events, party’s, nightclubs, protests, and quite often, day-to-day sights, that pass by while you wander among its streets and sidewalks.
We love keeping our calendar section full of many of these neighborhood events. Thanks to everyone whose submitted information-keep ‘em coming. Here are some pix from recent Castro happenings pulled from Flickr, Facebook, and the web.
Events: Joshua J & Juanita MORE!’s BCW at QBAR May 1st, 8th & 15th, Int’l Day Against Homophobia, Dick@Nite at Moby Dicks, Jock at the Lookout, Hi Tops, ALC Fundraiser at The Mix, Cinco de Mayo and SF SPCA’s Whole Enchihauhau 2013 at Dolores Park, Marc Huestis Presents: Mother’s Day with ‘Mommie Dearest’ feat. Rutanya Alda (Carol Ann) & hosted by Matthew Martin as Ms. Joan Crawford.
Sutro Tower from the Castro. Photo:Flickr/sshingler
Whole Enchihuahua 2013 Photo: Flickr/Tony
The Whole Enchihauhau Photo: Flickr/Tony
The Whole Enchihuahua 2013 Photo: Flickr/Tony
Crowd gathers at Dolores Park for the 2013 SF SPCA’s Annual Whole Enchihuahua. Photo: viaFlickr/Mark
Taco Dog from SF SPCA Annual Whole Enchihuahua in Dolores Park
Hot boys strutting their stuff at The Mix raising funds on a Sunday for AIDS Ride 2013 Photo: Instagram/MixSF
Artistic license with Castro Victorians. Photo: Flickr/sftrajan
Marc Huestis, Special Guest Rutanya Alda and Matthew Martin as Joan Crawford at the Mother’s Day showing of ‘Mommie Dearest’ at the Castro Theatre. Photo: Marc Huestis
Star of ‘Mommie Dearest’, Rutanya Alda w/ promoter Marc Huestis at the Castro Theatre on Mother’s Day. Photo: Steven Underhill
Parrots it seems love to pop the tops of everyone’s favorite cheap beer PBR on a hot day in Dolores Park. Photo: Flickr/sebboh
Handsome pals at Moby Dick’s fun nite of frolic and trouble:Dick@Nite Photo: Instagram/Moby’s
Crowd gathered to raise funds for AIDS Life Cycle 2013 on a Sunday at the Lookout on 16th St./Market Photo: Instagram/LookoutSF
Warm day brings out the pretty at Jane Warner Plaza. Photo: Flickr/keepal
Congratulations are in order to Edge Bar recognized by The City for all the charitable work they do raising much needed funds for non-profits and other worthy causes. Congrats to all! Photo: Edge SF Facebook
People came to Hi Tops to bid popular hottie Ethan a fond farewell as he adventures east to NYC. Photo:Facebook/Hi Tops
Cico de Mayo celebration in Dolores Park. May 4, 2013 Photo: Flickr/Mark
Cinco de Mayo celebration in Dolores Park 2013 Photo: Flickr/Mark
Cinco de Mayo celebration in Dolores Park May 4, 2013. Photo: Flickr/Mark
Dancer from the Dance@BootyCallWednesdays
Serving Real-Ness @BootyCallWednsedays
Handsome Raini@BootyCallWednesdays
Juanita MORE @BootyCallWednesday
La Moni Stat @BootyCallWednesday
May 17th rally at Harvey Milk Plaza in support of Bradley Manning being named SF Pride Hon. Grand Marshall. Photo: Steve Rhodes
The Mix in the afternoon for fun & sun with good friends. Photo: Instagram/The Mix SF
Peaches Christ-aka Joshua Grannell-is a San Francisco drag-terrorist/cult leader, emcee and award-winning horror film director, writer and co-star of 2010′s ‘All About Evil’. Peaches first burst onto the City’s club scene in the early, heady, years of Heklina’s world infamous club, Trannyshack, held weekly at The Stud in SoMa.
In 1998 Peaches established the wildly popular Midnight Mass movie series at the now shuttered Landmark Bridge Theatre. There she produced original stage show interpretations of her high camp/cult favorite midnight movies as pre-show entertainment to standing room only crowds. In addition to the films she often scooped up special guest stars to pay the stage a visit as well-Mink Stole, Tura Satana, Linda Blair, RuPaul, Elvira (Mistress of the Dark) and John Waters to name but a few have held court alongside PC. As the productions and crowds outgrew the capacity of The Bridge Peaches relocated most of these spectacles-er-spectaculars to the Castro Theatre where they’ve continued to attract sold out audiences.
She gave the Biscuit a sneak peek into the upcoming Peaches Christ Summer Series at the Castro and the 40th celebration staging of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with special guest star, Patricia Quinn. Peaches Christ: Hey! (gasping) Sorry-outta breath from running up some stairs.
Castro Biscuit: UH. Huh. (dripping with sexual innuendo) Shhhuuuree. PC: (Laughing) Oh girl, no. Its a work day.
CB: So what’s on deck over at The Castro this coming Summer? I heard there’s going to be four events?
Mark Patton in ‘Nightmare on Elm St. Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge
PC: Yes! First up in June is Night of a 1000 Scream Queens, ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge’ with special guest star Mark Patton thats co-presented with Frameline. It’s possibly the gayest horror movie ever made. In July we’re showing ‘The Craft’ and I’ve got a couple of my friend’s from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Alaska Thunderfuck and Sharon Needles set to help with the pre-show madness. In August its my annual presentation of the crowd favorite and Midnight Mass staple, ‘Showgirls’-free lap dance with every large popcorn purchased of course. And for Halloween we’re gonna close out the season with ‘Gray Gardens’ starring ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ 2013 winner, Jinkx Monsoon. She’ll be recreating her role from the Season 5 contest as Lil’ Edie while I’ll be her foil, Big Edie, in the pre-show.
CB: Which upcoming Castro show are you most excited about? PC: I’m always excited about whatever comes next in the schedule to be honest. Its been my dream to bring the only boy ‘scream queen’ of horror films, Mark Patton to San Francisco for Midnight Mass. I ran into him randomly when I wandered into his fantastic shop in Puerto Vallarta, It’s really cool-stuffed with glitter encrusted handbags and Mexican folk art. We hit it off and hatched this plan. I had to include Frameline as its Gay Pride and all the Queer subtext of the film is so interesting. Mark’s character in ‘Freddie’s Revenge’ is the lone, male survivor in the film series ever.
Alaska Thunderfuck
Sharon Needles
Jinkx Monsoon as Lil Edie on RuPaul’s Drag Race
CB: It’s cool that you’re bringing Alaska and Sharon in for roles in the pre-show for everyone’s favorite Goth 90′s Witch-fest, ‘The Craft’. What’s it been like for Peaches to work with so many of the contestants and winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race? PC: It’s really opened the doors for us on every level. Their fame extends deeply into the drag culture the world over. Outside of SF mine has been primarily within the Horror/Gore film buff community. Now we’re seeing new fans and admirers the world over tuning in as a result of our association. I mean you have no idea just how popular they all are. It’s kind of mind-boggling. I am honored to be friends with these talented gals and can’t wait to see what our collaborations are going to accomplish. CB: This weeks event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Rocky Horror Picture Show is quite a departure from your usual Midnight Mass formula. PC: I can honestly say this is the most lavish and involved staging of any show I’ve ever attempted and the first we’ve ever done without showing the movie. The initial idea was our special guest star, Patricia Quinn, who played Magenta in the original film. We’re really lucky to have her here-it’s her first visit to San Francisco. I’m so excited-the cast is superb, we’ve got great singers and musicians-we’ve rehearsed our feet off and there are gonna be some surprises that people aren’t expecting. The cherry on top is Patricia Quinn, reprising her role as Magenta and singing all of her iconic songs. CB: What’s it been like working alongside Patricia? I mean her career has been so long and varied from being on the holy grail of UK Sci Fi, ‘Dr. Who’, to working with the kings off all things humor, Monty Python’s Flying Circus. PC: Well, she’s a real royal ‘Lady’. I mean it. She was married to the late actor Robert Stephens who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth which makes her Lady Stephens. She has some great stories about the Royals and I hope I can convince her to share some during this week ends event. She’s so much fun. She has impeccable style and taste. I really admire her so very much. CB: Wow. A Lady?! It’s not everyday an Irish lass from Belfast becomes a member of English royalty! How many shows are there? PC: Three in all. Friday May 10th and two shows on Saturday May 11th a matinée and an evening show. I’m so excited I can hardly wait!
You can purchase tickets to the 40th anniversary celebration and uniquely San Francisco Peaches Christ staging of the Rocky Horror Picture Show here.
Tickets to any of the coming movies and stage shows this Summer and Fall staged at the world-famous Castro Theatre can be found here.
Last month SF based Queer porn company and sexual rebels, Naked Sword, produced a porn parody based on the City’s infamous. Sup. Scott Wiener initiated, partial public nudity ban. The finished product has left the editing room and now teaser trailers are available for viewing.
For readers who might have missed the original post the company wrote a script loosely based on the struggle to ban nudity in the Castro and San Francisco. Naked Sword tapped Castro resident and porn director, Mr. Pam, to helm their new tongue on and in cheek vehicle shooting one of the films outdoor, transition scenes at the corner of Castro and Market Streets at Harvey Milk Plaza under the watchful eye of the SFPD essentially violating the City’s new ban.
About a dozen actors and real life nude activists stripped down and paraded about challenging the new ban while being filmed. No arrests were made. Two weeks later several of the public naturist activist who participated in the filming returned to Jane Warmer Plaza for a Nude Dance In and were arrested.
This dichotomy of the use of the law is being cited by SF urban nudity activists and their legal team as one of the prime reasons in their ongoing legal challenge to the Wiener statute that’s been on the books since February 1st of this year.
Dale Cooper-Sup. Scott Cox
However the real life nudity issue plays out here in the City porn reviewers who’ve seen early releases of ‘The Cover Up‘ are raging saying, “its a massive suck-cess”.
The film is the fifth part of the ‘Golden Gate Series’ and premiers on Wed., April 3rd. Star Dale Cooper who portrays Supervisor Scott Cox (wink wink, nudge nudge, Sup. Scott Wiener, if you know what I mean) has been especially lauded for his time on-screen.
You decide for yourself. Fair warning-certainly NSFW by any stretch of the imagination. And don’t forget to turn down the sound or your boss, co-workers or significant other might raise, um, an eyebrow. Click HERE for for trailer.
SFist posted that HBO, the GLAAD awarded, “most Gay friendly”, cable giant will start to film its new Queer themed series around San Francisco and the Castro this coming week beginning April 1st.
The as yet, untitled, comedic, character driven series, focuses on a gang of thirty something friends, modern (read hipster-esque) members of the Rainbow Tribe as they wind their way through life and its many tribulations here in the Gayborhood and around the City.
(Hello!) Jonathan Groff
Slated to lead the cast is former Glee bad boy, 28-year-old actor, Johnathan Groff, whose perfect mix of mischievous and wholesome now comes in a newly worked out and even sexier package.
Additional talent in the series writing department provided by Micheal Lannan. He produced this years Sundance Film Festival moment of wow, ‘Leather Bar Interior‘, directed by the always Queer friendly James Franco, a deconstructed, re-imagined homage the 1980, Queer classic, ‘Cruising‘.
Mr. Lannan also worked on ‘I Want Your Love‘, the outside the box thinking porn film set in SF that was banned in Australia. The HBO comedic pilot is also supposedly based on a script he wrote called Lorimer.
David Marshall Grant
Also tapped to help captian this episodic ship is Tony nominated actor, writer and producer, David Marshall Grant. For those Biscuit readers with a long and sharp television memory Mr. Grant has the distinct, ground-breaking honor of being one of the first actors to play a Gay character on the small screen who broke censorship taboo and was shown in bed with his date during an episode of ‘thirty-something’ in 1989.
Hes also the producer of the now cancelled, much heralded, multi season, ABC series Brothers & Sisters. In that series Mr. Grant incorporated a priciple Gay character into nearly every story line who managed to promote the new dream of a mainstreamed and accepted Gay life: successful lawyer, married to a hottie, adopt a precocious child of color and wrestle with a myriad of modern-day homo issues like, ‘if I wear Prada every day does that make me nelly or just rich’?
Shooting is rumored to jump off over at Dolores Park first-unknown exactly where-up on the ‘Gay Shelf’ or ‘Hipster Hill’? The show is also looking for local extras, bit players and other talent for small roles that are both union and non-union. A list of casting needs can be found here. One role that caught my eye:
MALE STRIPPER, 20′s-EARLY 30′s, CAUCASIAN, actual stripper/exotic dance experience important for this Role! Will be a “Dancing Bear” stripper performing at a party; must be willing to strip from “shorts” to “Bikini Briefs”.
The part pays $838.
Uh. HUH. Suddenly I hear a rush of feet running to their closet to pull out the perfect g-string, White Party inspired Speedo and queuing up their favorite cut from the new Crystal Castles album to work on their dance moves. The Biscuit recommends a quick re-watch of ‘Magic Mike‘ to see how to do it up proper.
Regardless of whoever is lucky enough to land ‘Dancing Bear Stripper’ the Biscuit welcomes HBO’s cast and crew to town. We appreciate the influx of bucks the production drops in local coffers, your obvious intelligence for recognizing how our beautiful City is the perfect back drop for the new show and we wish you nothing but success.
Castro Theatre’s organ rising from the pit to entertain the film going troops. Photo: Flickr Olive Witch
The SF Chronicle clued us in that over at Castro Theatre, the City’s last single screen movie house, the Mighty Wurlizter that’s risen from the pit to entertain film goers for generations is in jeopardy and it’s organists has started a fundraising non-profit to help it stay put and expand its scope.
According to organist, David Hegarty, whose been belting out the signature song ‘San Francisco’ atop the bench perched in front of the pedals and keys of the giant music box for the last 30 years, the cultural icon is in deep peril.
He revealed the organ is actually not even owned by the Castro Theatre but a separate individual who’s getting ready to move away from the Bay Area and take the beloved musical instrument with them or find a buyer and sell it outright.
The Mighty Wurlitzer
On top of that potential tragedy the organ needs a complete overhaul and an expansion to keep up with the demands of a 21st century audience.
That augmentation plan includes adding surround sound speakers, more pipes, and enlarge the keyboard console.
Once completed the face lift will raise the bar on the level of sound the organ produces to a orchestra level instrument attracting greater attention the world over.
The monetary fundraising goal needed to keep our neighborhoods infamous organ in place is a million bucks. Mr. Hegarty has secured the needed 501(c)3 permit and established a non-profit group, SFCODA, to manage and fundraise on the Wurlitzer’s behalf.
That is some fat cash-especially in these slowly recovering economic times-but the City and the neighborhood will hopefully meet the challenge.
It would be a true tragedy to lose the organ from the Castro Theatre where it’s been since it arrived in the early 70′s from Detroit where it’d been constructed to entertain at the old State Theatre prior to being razed.
The Castro Theatre circa 1923-a year after the Art Deco masterpiece opened.
Our heritage as a City is constantly under the strain to remodel and discard. We nearly lost the treasured Maxfield Parrish painting, ‘Pied Piper’, this last week from its perch above the Palace Hotel bar where it’s watched over City patrons for the last 103 years as they celebrated victories and drowned their sorrows.
As new owners, developers and emigrants arrive in SF with less interest in its history and preservation we will see more and more of what makes the City the ‘City’ be chipped away by NIMBY attitudes and beliefs.
The battle to save the Castro’s Wurlitzer is worth the money. Click the link. Spread the word. We hope never to arrive at the Castro Theatre, popcorn in hand, ready to enjoy the melodic strains of show tunes and classical ballads only to be told that this was the day the music finally died.
Premiering at the Castro Theatre as part of CAAMFest-formerly the SF Int’l Asian American Film Festival, SUNSET STORIES is a true labor of love.
Set in the East Los Angeles neighborhoods of Silver Lake and Echo Park, it could just as easily be set in SF with a cast and crew who will be familiar to any savvy Castro audience.
Directors Silas Howard (By Hook or By Crook, seminal SF Punk band Tribe 8), Ernetso Foronda (Wildness and The Owls) and writer Valerie Stadler (For the Love of Dolly) begin their film with the wonderful promise of a princess story for a couple of kids in a cancer ward.
Monique Gabriela Curnen
JP Sung Kang
Our unlucky Princess is May (Monique Gabriela Curnen, CSI, Lie to Me, Fast & Furious), a hyper active pediatric Nurse who must travel to her hometown LA to pick up a cooler full of bone marrow needed for a transplant.
Soon after her trip begins, her world turns upside down when past and present collide and she runs smack into JP Sung Kang ( Fast Five, Live Free or Die Hard, Fast & Furious), the man she left behind five years ago. Thrown off by this chance encounter, she looses the cooler and her anything-but-fairytale adventure begins. JP reluctantly agrees to help May, as they search up and down Sunset Boulevard.
Mx. Justin V. Bond
They come across an enchanting cast of characters as they wander about bouncing amid the madness that can be LA including a Punk Rock Latina who leaves them graffiti clues about the cooler, a cranky old dyke who fixes motorcycles, a bag lady who’s Kevin Bacon’s biggest fan, and a lovelorn transgender chanteuse played by San Francisco favorite Justin Vivian Bond.
As the cooler travels from dumpster to taco truck, we are treated to a very alternative princess story that will satisfy both the incurable romantic and the bitter cynic alike.
Highest praise for this picture playing Sunday, March 17th, at 9:45PM. You can purchase tickets HERE.
The Castro is always packed to the gills with event choices that are fun and interesting to do. In the next week there are several excellent choices to go check out that fall outside of the usual, same ol same ol, club nights.
Poster for the 14th Annual SF Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival
Over at Cafe Du Nord and the Swedish American Hall (2170 Market) the neighborhood’s only live music venue, the 14th Annual San Francisco Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival is in full swing. The festival is held at different locals throughout the Bay Area, but, in SF its home away from home is Cafe Du Nord.
SF is one of the cultural, urban epicenters for Bluegrass and Old Time music. The genre found an audience here during its early days of popularity when Bluegrass first gained nationwide attention. That love affair continues with this music rooted in Irish/Scottish folk disciplines crossed with African-American Blues and unique Americana country elements into today with this festival.
Cafe Du Nord, built in 1907 named one of Americas top 40 ‘Live Music Venues’ by Paste magazine, has always been a great spot to see a show. If you’ve never experienced Bluegrass this is a fantastic opportunity to step outside of your musical comfort zone give it a whirl with some of the best examples of the genre currently around.
The full calendar is contained within the link but tonight, Saturday the 16th, features two choices to try. First, downstairs at the Cafe, its new, ’Alternative Bluegrass’, sounds with The Fucking Buckaroos, Big Jugs and Supermule. Doors are at 8, tickets, $15, 21+.
Option Two, upstairs at the Swedish American Hall, you can lose your mind with the Festivals official Square Dance event featuring Triple Chicken Foot, Knuckle Knockers and special guest caller, Jordan Ruyle. All levels of dancers welcome. The Square Dance is ALL AGES so everyone can come and join in. $15, Doors at 7.
Our second major plug for where to spend your hard-earned entertainment buck is over at the historic Castro Theatre (429 Castro). They’re playing host to a showing of the brilliant, 2011, intimate documentary on Diana Vreeland, legendary fashion editor and icon aptly titled, ‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel’.
Diana Vreeland-The Eye Had To Travel, billboard ad touting it’s merits.
This special screening event takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 20th. Banana Republic is sponsoring and the film’s director, Lisa Vreeland who married the late editor’s grandson, will be on hand to take Q&A’s from the audience. There will also be a cocktail party at 7 PM pre 8PM movie showing.
Diana Vreeland’s influence on fashion is without parallel. Her time as Fashion Editor at Harper’s Bazaar, 1936-1962, and then Editor-in-Chief at fashion powerhouse Vogue, 1963-1971, heralded a time of great change within the world of women’s apparel, society, politics and what role a woman played in every aspect of life itself.
Known as the ‘Empress of Fashion’, Ms. Vreeland was named to every ‘Best Dressed’ list ever assembled, broke new ground in fashion from her first editorial she ever headed at Harper’s and also helped nurture and curate an ongoing interest in fashion as art and historical artifact by heading up the Costume Institute at the ever influential NY Metropolitan Museum of Art. This woman’s life is worth knowing and this film is a love letter to her spirit and drive. Tickets are $12, can be purchased in advance here.
