Meet the Juicers
The Juice Box continues to grow and develop, and there are just too many events for one person to review, attend or be a participant in. The Juice Box family or writers has continued to grow with some amazing talent, but there is always room for more. Do you think you have what it takes to be a writer and reviewer for the Juice Box? If so please click on the “Talk to Juicy” link on the right and let us know.
The Juice Box Reviewers – San Francisco
Jim Hauck (Juicy Fruit)- (Facebook) - Jim is a 40 something club goer with roots deep in many of the other aspects of gay events throughout the San Francisco area. Originally coming out on the East Coast, during a short lived time in the Boston area, Jim returned to California, where he was born and raised and officially came out in Hayward, California, as a regular attendee at the Spoiled Brat in Hayward.
Jim had extensive exposure focused on the Gay Rodeo Circuit, as a festival and event director for the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Rodeo (Best Buck in the Bay), back when it was still held at the Cow Palace and there was still a gay country and western dance bar in San Francisco. Many years of working on the back end of the rodeo, Jim eventually joined the competition side of the rodeo. Many rodeos and a few injuries later, he decided to retire and move to other, less harmful pastures.
Checking out the circuit scene and some Burning Man events, Jim eventually became involved in production work on such great things as the Playa Fairies Burning Man theme camp, REAL BAD, and PLAY T-dances. It was in these things that Jim found a place to play, explore, and grow like he never had before. Jim has traveled the world extensively, attending events such as The Black Party, White Party Palm Springs, Sydney Mardi Gras and Toy Box, La Demence in Brussels, Salvation in London, Atlantis Cruises, and many more.
On a stage or on a box flagging, dancing, and hanging out with friends, Jim continues his circuit journey. He continues his love and affiliation for production with REAL BAD and The Juice Box Presents. The music, lights, lasers, and friends, are still the big draw, calling him to dance floors near and far, to work out his problems, share his satisfaction, and boogie all night.
Graig Cooper - (Facebook) - Relatively new to the circuit scene, Graig Cooper is a quick study with a new perspective. His first circuit party was Real Bad XXI in 2009, and he was immediately hooked. He has since evolved from “that straight guy who works at the leather bar” to a house music and dance party connoisseur, holding his own with his girlfriend, The Original Fag Hag, and his extended San Framily.
Cooper is editor at large of Gloss Magazine, San Francisco’s gay entertainment magazine, and he recently joined Real Bad’s working group. He is often found under the discoball in his girlfriend’s underwear, and takes pride in looking like the biggest fag on the dancefloor. Cooper speaks gay fluently, owing in large part to the intelligence and cultural immersion training he got at West Point. An Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, Graig survived his first gay cruise in 2011, with great battle stories from the Dick Deck.
You might spot Graig wearing full leather or rubber or maybe just an amazing Wonder Woman outfit or covered in rainbows and glitter. No matter what he wears, he is a fun and approachable guy. Say hi!
Steven Satyricon - (Facebook) – A devotee to the dance floor, Steven is often seen working up a sweat, kissing the cute boys, singing at the top of his voice and dancing up a storm throughout the San Francisco scene. His is devoted to his interest not only in dancing, often on the stage with groups like Ejector, but also to performing arts and theater.
His love for dancing extends to devotion of the Pussy Posse and his volunteerism on REAL BAD. He is deeply rooted in the San Framily working hard to make sure the dance experience he loves so much are shared and embraced by others. Look for Steven under that disco ball with his friends, always having a good time and enjoying the company of his dance family.
David Shearer Pedersen - (Facebook) - David recently returned to San Francisco after living in New York for a few years. A San Francisco Bay Area native growing up in Lafayette, David was introduced to the club/circuit scene in October 2010. Being swept away by the incredible energy on the dance floor, the amazing sense of community and the approachability of the wonderful men he saw time and time again, he became a follower of the dance scene.
David grew up with an interest in music and theater and eventually turned to sports, being named one of the top 10 high school volleyball players in Northern California. He pursued an internship at Columbia Records while in New York, eventually moving to MTV as a talent booker. He now works for a large media company in San Francisco.
You might find David on the dance floor bouncing around between his circles of friends or even on a go-go box working the crowd for cheers and love of his San Framily.
The Juice Box Reviewers – Around the United States and World
Steve Kleine – San Diego - (Facebook) - Steve was first introduced to the gay dance scene almost one month to the date of coming out of the closet in 1993 at the ripe old age of 27. The party was called Empire and was held at the famous Trocadero nightclub in San Francisco. Walking through those doors, he was overwhelmed by the sight of over 1000 men dancing together with huge smiles on their faces. And then there was that amazing music! Steve never turned back from that point and started attending Pleasuredome and Club Universe on a weekly basis. The old school house that legendary DJs such as Phil B, Neil Lewis, Jerry Bonham and Jeff Johnson laid down still influence Steve’s musical tastes today.
After a few years on the San Francisco dance scene, Steve started to branch out and hit parties across the country including The Winter Party, Fire Island Pines Party, P-Town Summer Camp, NYC Pride’s Pier Dance, The San Diego Zoo Party, IML’s Victory Dance and Black and Blue Ball, Palm Springs White Party and MasterBeat’s New Year’s Eve parties in LA and Palm Springs. Steve started hitting gay cruises back in 1996, notching up nine so far.
Steve enjoys a wide variety of dance music including all the flavors of house, uplifting trance and techno and some meaty chunky beats when appropriate. Divas are always welcome to the mix. Steve’s earlier circuit experiences included throwing light toys, normally hitting nearby dancers, and occasionally the DJ. At the 2001 Palm Springs White party, Steve’s soon to be best friend put some flags in his hand and he has been spinning those rags every since. Although his laser and a few random glow toys are normally close at hand. Steve is a regular contributor to noiZe Magazine and has been published in Edge Online.
Brian Rosenberg – Fort Lauderdale - (Facebook) - Originally from Los Angeles, it was evident at his earliest gigs at friends’ house 
parties that DJ Nineteen69 had more than just an ear for music; he had a feel for it. The positive reaction he received from crowds early on was all it took for him to recognize his calling. Word spread quickly and soon DJ Nineteen69 began appearing at clubs and events all over southern California and beyond. Soon thereafter, DJ Nineteen69 heard yet another calling. The thriving tribal sound so prevalent in Miami’s South Beach beckoned him. In late 2003, he relocated to South Florida where he became so firmly entrenched in the area’s sophisticated (and very chic) club scene that his skills not only as a DJ, but also as a remixer and producer grew in fast demand to become his full-time career.
And while so many DJs fall back on a single formula, DJ Nineteen69 knows that every crowd is different and never relies on the same calculation. “Just like beauty, musical tastes vary between every individual,” he explains. “I love strong and emotional rhythms and beats. Something that moves you and works you into a frenzy, building and building until it breaks out into a FIERCE vocal. I don’t believe in continuously repetitive beats that go nowhere. Thank goodness for diversity!”
Leif Wauters – Te Aroha, New Zealand – (Facebook) - Ever since his older brother smuggled him into New York’s famed Danceateria13, Leif’s been dancing. Through his teens he was larger than his age and easily able to wave a fake ID for entrance to many of the major night-clubs in New York and his hometown, Washington DC. However, he was generally unaware of the ritual he was partaking in until he spent two years following the Grateful Dead. They gave him his first lesson in the magic and power of music, and inspired the artwork that graces his back
Having learned from the best, his ear would continue to follow other amazing artists until a friendship bloomed with whom he would come to consider the DJ’s DJ, San Francisco’s Neil Lewis. Leif quickly became a devotee of Neil’s and a fixture in the corner at Pleasuredome. He followed Neil to some of his first major circuit events – Masterbeat Millennium, Sydney Mardi Gras, Winter and White Parties. Usually among the first and last on the dance floor, Leif was often the proud vinyl caddy until Neil’s death in 2004.
Leif helped to throw his first dance in 2000, MASQUE. A small fund-raiser for Positive Resource Center, its huge success came from the love for silly and uplifting parties that’s shared by many in the San Francisco dance community. That energy drew him to join the REAL BAD working group in 2004 and eventually to the honor of being Event Chair for the beloved event’s 20th birthday in 2008.
Whether escaping to the wooden floor of London’s RVT, or looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow lasers at Sydney’s Toy Box, Leif’s dedicated to the best in the world’s dance scene – the music, the experience, and the friendships. His opinions on the dance scene are heartfelt, balanced, and will hopefully help at least one DJs or event producer to step outside themselves and give love to the scene that needs it.
