Honey Soundsystem in association with San Francisco's GLBT Historical Society present: SPKR an amplified history of San Francisco's queer dance floors on Saturday March 12, 2011 at Public Works.
THE BACKGROUND
San Francisco, CA — the world's gay Mecca where many counter cultures are born — has a rich history for creating legends. The city is known for late night dancing, where disc jockeys are regularly canonized into saints, and any ordinary queen can transform into drag royalty overnight. Like most social movements, it takes generations before their oral traditions and memories are committed to stone. San Francisco's underground dance clubs of the 70s ,80s , and 90s is no exception.
THE GALLERY SHOW
The SPKR gallery show will feature five significant venues from San Francisco's timeline: I Beam, End Up, Trocadero Transfer, Townsend, and The Box. These parties and the personalities gravitating around them will be portrayed as a multimedia family tree — telling the tales of notorious Sunday Tea Dances, a sexually charged and libertine rave culture, and the emergence of a global authority on dance music for the present generation.
The GLBT Historical Society Archives, private donors, and newly commissioned photography will be used to weave together a concise narrative for SPKR. A poster and audio documentary will be produced to showcase select media from the show. After the event the show will be open for a public viewing of all media and collateral on March 13th and 14th at the Public Works gallery space from 1pm - 8pm.
THE EVENT
SPKR will be structured to engage the community with a VIP donor's reception, and then followed by a lavish all night dance party to benefit the GLBT Historical Society. Music will be provided by Bobby Viteritti and Steve Fabus. Guests will also be able to seamlessly travel from club to gallery space in the Public Works in-house gallery to view the never before seen artifacts and interviews curated just for the event.
THE MUSIC
Bobby Viteritti played long nights of sophisticated disco, R&B and Sleaze, in which songs were connected not by beats-per-minute or theme, but by their musical structure and subtle nuances that were almost impossible to hear--unless you were under Bobby's spell. He was a pioneering DJ, one of the few that started before the Bozak mixer was invented in 1973 and a mainstay from 1978 to 1981 at the Trocadero Transfer where patrons usually showed up after I-Beam closed at 2am. His style defied disco gravity with stunts that took major talent and timing to pull off, and never backfire.
Steve Fabus is one of the first nationally recognized DJ's that originated during the disco era in San Francisco, beginning in 1975. His disco soul sound of the late seventies and early eighties would be a precursor to House music. Steve played at San Francisco's first major all-night loft party called the "Boiler Room" and additionally held court at the I-Beam's Sunday Night Tea Dance from 1977 to 1980. Steve Fabus also DJed at the Trocadero Transfer alongside Bobby Viteritti and is credited for starting what is still known to this day as "Church" at the EndUp.
THE VENUE
Public Works is a multifaceted event and community space in San Francisco's Mission District. Public Works consists of a performance/event space, bar, art gallery and artist work shop/community room. During the day artists conceive and produce work that will come to light as the sun goes down and the electronic and indie music scenes bubble up to fill this new home for the SF Underground. From DJ oriented Club Parties and live bands to independent film screenings, performance art and random creative outbursts, the art gallery provides a space where local SF based artists can mingle with the budding savant, encouraged to show by one of the City's creatively oriented non profits.
THE HOSTS
Honey Soundsystem, a DJ group created in the spirit of the legendary bay area crews, have been making their own scuff marks on today's dancefloors while spreading the gospel of SF's rich dance music history. A couple of years ago discaires, Ken Vulsion, Pee Play, Robot Hustle, Jason Kendig, and Josh Cheon, and Derek Bobus came together seeking to fill a void they saw in current gay nightlife. Each member, with many years of experience under his belt, watched as a revival of gay disco legends and queer house music producers were being celebrated by a new generation of dancers. Honey Soundsystem started throwing events bringing those old records and the excitement of new underground sounds back to a gay/mixed dancefloor. Honey started turning heads with their cunning ad campaigns, decadent themes, international guests, private warehouse parties and of-course their floor stomping DJ sets.
The GLBT Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender Historical Society (GLBTHS) collects, preserves, and interprets the history of GLBT people and the communities that support them. We sponsor exhibits and programs on an on-going basis. The professionally-staffed archives and reading room are open to GLBTHS members by appointment Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and to the general public on Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. The GLBTHS is a community-supported, 501c3.
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
Lights and Sound | Randall Schiller Productions
http://www.randallschillerproductions.com/
Media | Bar Tab SF
http://www.bartabsf.com/
Wine | Swirl in Castro
http://www.swirloncastro.com/
Catering | SF Delicious
http://www.sfdelicious.com/
Event and Exhibit Design | Santiago Salsido
