The Juice Box

Rating: 3 out of 5 Bottles of Water

by Jim Hauck

Furr, the monthly party held at Club Eight in the South of Market Area (SOMA) in San Francisco, bills itself out to the hirsute, muscular, hairy crowd, as a place for dancing and fun. The party has been going for a few months now and I was very happy when I learned that up and coming DJ Steve Sherwood was being given the decks for the opening of this party for July.

Club Eight has come into it’s own, and has a special place in my heart as a club I attended a party called Encore many moons ago with Wayne G on the decks. It was a special night, and thus holds up for me. The club also plays host to Thick and Dragon, regular late night and Friday events. It is a two level club, but I have rarely seen the upstairs open when I have been there, other than as a pass through for the entrance. However, this weekend they took us upstairs for the opening dance set. Probably not my personal choice, as the dance floor is small, the lighting is minimal, but the sound is decent in the small space. The club had some fun graffiti style paper murals on the wall calling out “Furr” to get your attention, and these added a fun touch to the upstairs space, which otherwise, as mentioned is minimalistic.

Steve Sherwood was well underway when we arrived, just after opening, to a quick and easy entry and assembly on the small dance floor. Having just come off a run on pride for The Disco, Steve seemed to look more at home in the DJ booth and more comfortable with his musical stylings as he has really grown as a DJ. With a little coaxing we got him to remove his shirt and show off his FURR for the night. An adorable guy and a lot of fun, Steve was enjoying the music he chose as much as we did. With a light attendance at the event, as most of the bear crowd had gone off to Provincetown, it was like a personal night with Steve playing music as if he read our minds. All of those great vocals my friends and I love – Nothing Going On But The Rent, Joyful Sound, UR The Best Thing (with Peyton) and so many more! I found myself singing along, smiling and forgetting the pains still hanging in my shoulders from an accident not too many weeks ago. There were a few energy shifts and musical changes that could have gone just a bit smoother, but overall, I think it was a great opportunity for Steve to experiment with some music and the small crowd, most of us knowing each other, drank it up and danced for two solid hours to what he gave us.

I think it is just sad however that this event happened in alignment with so many people being out of town for the events of Provincetown. None-the-less, my friends and those others in attendance made the best of the night and enjoyed our dancing. I also found it a bit strange that the event moved downstairs for the second half of the evening, and it was not until the next day that we realized the second DJ had come on, overlapping Steve, and started downstairs, so that when he was finished the upstairs closed. I would reconsider this option in the future because I think it makes for a more cohesive evening to have your two DJs on the same decks on the same floor so the crowd is part of the transition and can make a decision to hang on, or as we did leave.

For a first time at Furr, I had a good time, and I will be sure to go back and check it out again.