The Juice Box

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

Jim Hauck

Jim Hauck – San Francisco – Jim is a 40 something club goer that is newer to the circuit scene than many, but has 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 come out in Hayward, California, as a regular attendee at the Spoiled Brat in Hayward.  

Being a part of the BRAT PACK from the Spoiled Brat Bar, it took many years for Jim to find his way to the circuit scene, but he still popped into venues along the way, trying to find music that drew him to dance and enjoy the night life. Following his many years in the East San Francisco Bay Area, Jim’s 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 the city. 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, and as he approached his late 30′s, Jim decided to retire and move to other, less harmful pastures, and continue his involvement in the community.  

Jim found himself checking out the circuit scene and some Burning Man events which eventually lead him to 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, The White Party, Sydney Mardi Gras and Toy Box, La Demence in Brussels, Winter Party, Atlantis Cruises, and a variety of events and clubs in cities like London, Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas, Toronto, and many more. Jim was able to get just a few short dance experiences at the famed club Universe and Pleasuredome in San Francisco before the club was closed and torn down, and often wishes he had found that experience to be pleasurable much earlier in life.   

Today, Jim can be found on a stage or box flagging, dancing, and hanging out with the countless friends he has made along the way on his circuit journey. He continues producing great events in San Francisco and continues his love and affiliation for production with GRGR/West REAL BAD. The music, lights, lasers, and friends, are still the big draw, calling him off to dance floors near and far, to work out his problems, share his satisfaction, and boogie all night.  

Leif Wauters

Leif Wauters – San Francisco – Ever since his older brother smuggled him into New York’s famed Danceateria 13, 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 20^th 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.  

Ray Chalom

Ray Chalom – San Francisco – Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Ray is the son of immigrants who came to this country late enough in life to vehemently stick to their old world beliefs and thoroughly make growing up in the United States as awkward as possible. Raised in a quasi orthodox Jewish household and educated at a religious day school Ray can fully appreciate the contradictions and nuances in life that make us pause, think, and bust out laughing.  

He continued his education at Boston University securing a degree in Mass Communications and honed in the skill of being able to go out 6 nights a week and still function like a human being the next day. He moved back to NYC after graduation decided Carrie Bradshaw was his idle and from that moment on narrates his entire life as if he was writing a sex column on a white MacBook, in his 1-bedroom walk up on the upper west side.  

By day Ray is an advertising professional leading fearless teams in flawless execution of commercials strategically developed to make you believe you can’t live with something your life was complete without moment earlier. In the evenings and on weekends he enjoys spending time at the gym and distracting people from their workout and drinking copious amounts of wine or any other beverage that can be used to clean wounds. He also loves to spend time with his friends who are his surrogate family and whenever possible get out of the city to see the sun.  

He is happily single, not so secretly idolizes Britney Spears and has a penchant for spending money.  

Guest Reviewers

Donovan Whitehurst

Donovan Whitehurst -San Francisco – Donovan has been on the peripheries of the club scene for over half his life now, coming from the underground rave scene in his hometown of San Diego. He developed an early addiction to techno, trance, and drum and bass, but ultimately moved on to deep house when he realized he appreciated soul and rhythm more than counting how many beats per minute his ears were able to put up with!  

During his time in San Diego, he hosted an underground college radio show called “The Morning Dawn” where he played various electronic/dance tracks and sets by his favorite artists and DJs (from Judge Jules to DJ Dan, Little Louie Vega to Danny Tenaglia). After moving to San Francisco in late 1999, he rediscovered his love for dancing at clubs with good friends (he never lost his love for good house music, though!).  

While he doesn’t go out as much as he used to (he is the resident masseur at Bearracuda in San Francisco, which keeps him pretty busy a couple Saturdays a month), you can still find him getting down from time to time at the End Up, dancing on boxes with finger lights in his hands. Some old raver habits never die!  

Steve Kleine

Steve Kleine – Palm Springs – 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.  

Steve Sherwood

Steve Sherwood – San Francisco - Steve first began listening to electronic music in the late 90′s when his younger sister unknowingly left a cassette tape with a live set by Carl Cox on the floor of his car. He quickly fell for the harder side of dance music and became a regular at underground raves held in the Arizona desert. In the summer of 2000, he moved to San Francisco and was immediately impressed with the local dance scene that included parties like Universe, Pleasuredome, Mass, Fag Fridays, Trannyshack, and Sugar. After a year of immersing himself in San Francisco’s vibrant musical culture Steve bought a pair of Technics turntables off of Craigslist and began crafting his own unique sound that incorporates elements of vocal, disco, tribal, and progressive house with occasional forays into techno and trance.  

A decade later he finds himself in the heart of the San Francisco dance scene, eagerly giving back to a community that has provided him many wonderful memories and friendships. He’s an active partner in Past Curfew which produces the thrice annual PLAY T-Dance at DNA Lounge and also DJs at local bars/clubs on a regular basis.  

Craig Cochran

Craig Cochran – San Francisco – Bio coming soon.  

Craig McCaulsan

Craig McCaulsan – San Francisco – Bio coming soon.  

Suzan Revah

Suzan Revah – San Francisco – Bio coming soon.