PLAY Glow Party
Posted 17-Feb-2010 to ReviewsRating: 4.5 out of 5 bottles of water
by Leif Wauters
As the Original Fag Hag, Suzan Revah, often spouts – I love my gays! Especially when you give them a theme. Whether it’s the military, Britannia, sports, more military, and most recently anything that glows; the gays that come to PLAY T-Dances at San Francisco’s DNA Lounge hop on the theme train in gorgeous style. Glow sticks, body paint, blinky lights and EL wire were the norm at the President’s Day Glow Party edition of this beloved local celebration that starred international DJ/Producer Paul Goodyear.
Paul is what I’d call the perfect DJ; he always plays the right music at the right time. It can be an epic tribal set for our leather massif – Magnitude; a blend of groovy house to an intimate crowd at The End Up; or beefy, progressive handbag (mate Unicorns and Clydesdales) at last San Francisco Pride’s Cherry Disco; or this past Sunday’s PLAY. His discerning ear, traditionalist heart, and decades of experience make him one of those few DJ’s DJ around, if you know what I mean.
And talk about magical moments, it was a year ago that Past Curfew tested the sing-a-long concept with anthems from Andy Almighty’s arsenal. It was at that version of the President’s Weekend PLAY when the majority of the crowd said “huh?”, as the stage was periodically rushed by the faithful troop of crispy choir boys and girls. This time there was no guidance needed as the homo-descent revelers belted out the lyrics to songs like Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and a remake of “Human” by the Killers. Goose pimples, people.
The rush of new blood amongst the producers could really be felt as well. Craig McCauslan and Steve Sherwood joined the Past Curfew team and brought verve and jubilance to their first party. It was especially fun to see Craig up on the balcony with a UV reactive fishing rod catching the boys below with bright toys and blinky lures. It certainly helped to fill the void left by the noticeable absence of moving lights. Add to that the glowing, cubist mobile above the stage and it was easy to see a lot of time and thought went into creating a visual feast.
I will say that although the addition of the illuminated ladies of Earth Circus was a perfect addition to the theme, I missed the big bang performance that’s become a signature aspect of the event. I don’t always like a show, especially when it pulls down the mood, but PLAY’s shows have always been a welcome adjunct to the night and I personally hope they return to that successful formula.
It was also sad to see the impact of tightened-times and the draw of the Fresh T-Dance, as the crowd was lighter than past PLAY T-Dances on the same weekend. However I’m sure every ticket taken represented a night well danced and truly happy memories that won’t fade soon. Pink, blue and green streaks still stain my vision, but all in a very good way. Keep up the well-played concepts and delicious DJs, my PLAYful friends. I’m not the only one who needs and loves what you do.
Tags: Leif Wauters, Past Crufew, Paul Goodyear, PLAY