The EndUp
Encyclopedia
The EndUp was founded in November 1973 and is a dance club in San Francisco, California
. It is located on the corner of 6th and Harrison, in the SoMa
(South of Market (Street)) district. The EndUp has two bars, a lounge with fireplace, a dance floor with mirrored columns, and a large open-air deck with a waterfall, plants and seating. The club is renowned for its powerful high-end sound system. The venue has hosted a variety of benefits, events and clubs and each night has a unique dance focus catering to subsets of the dance community. The club reflects the changing nature of gay, dance and San Francisco cultures.
first opened in November 1973, the owner was Al Hankin. The dance floor was made of translucent plastic with flashing lights below. The sound system was a discrete 4 channel custom made creation with Cerwin Vega speakers rear loaded into the ceiling to enhance the subs. The EndUp was originally an entirely gay
dance club, catering mainly to Asian-Americans and their admirers. It was famous as the location of the Sunday Afternoon Wet Jockstrap Dance Contest from about 1974 to about 1992, with host Randy Johnson and DJs -- Steve Newman and Peter D. Struve (google petermixt). Entering this contest is how many San Francisco Go-Go dancers began their go-go dance careers. This contest was made famous in the 1976 book Tales of the City, the first volume of the six-volume series (hexology) Tales of the City
by San Francisco author Armistead Maupin
and recreated on the PBS made for TV mini-series of the same name.
and still wanted to dance more, came to "The Church" when the Trocadero Transfer closed at 6am. The EndUp is famous among DJs as the place where high-energy disco music began with the DJ Patrick Cowley
at the Menergy parties in 1982. Over a period of three weeks once a week, culminating on Valentines Day (February 14) 1984, a contest called Go-Go's Wild was held at the EndUp in which the person who was judged by the audience to be the best go-go dancer in a wooden cage (with four vertical poles--shaped like a telephone booth) got a prize of $100. Many people entered this contest and it inspired many to begin their go-go dance careers.
was not only a very fun club but also fostered a community of artists and "freaks" who celebrated excessive creativity and encouraged others to flex their creative energies by go-go dancing, performing as performance art dancers, and performing as drag queen
s. The Club Uranus was held every Sunday night from December 1989 to December 1992, with special events such as the Miss Uranus drag queen
contest continuing on an occasional basis until April 1994. With co-MC Jerome Caja and a cast of Club Kids
, drag artists and performance artists like Trauma Flintstone, Diet Popstitute, Steven Maxxine, Kitty Litter and performers like Pussy Tourette
and Elvis Herselvis
, Club Uranus was the place to be a part of the bohemian
underground
scene. The annual Miss Uranus Pageant became widely known in the larger LGBT
community when a contestant, a performance art dancer named "Betty" fed a hamster
with carrot sticks. She threw a carrot
hitting an audience member in the eye. She had been feeding the animal by holding the carrot between her butt cheeks. The local gay media ran a series of letters attempting to get any legal names of the performers but no one cooperated.
The new owners of the EndUp have brought most of the promotions in-house. The parties at the venue still have a lot of variety including the gay disco and early underground house music sound that helped create the uniqueness of the club. These classic sounds can still be heard Sunday mornings and into the afternoon. Music styles at the club have evolved as well. Today the club sounds include reggae
, mash-up
s, break beat
s, techno
, tech house
, electro house and more. DJ's from around the world still appear including Derrick Carter
, Doc Martin
, Tommy Sunshine, DJ Sneak
, Josh Wink
. With the departure of Fag Fridays DJ Hawthorne's Ghetto Disco has been added to the lineup. Thursdays are (((Phonic))) with a harder more international sound of techno, tech house and electro house. First Saturdays are KONTROL
, one of North America's most respected techno events, featuring minimal techno and micro-house with an emphasis on live performance. Second Saturdays are Reggae Gold featuring reggae and dancehall. Third Saturdays is now The Show providing a huge variety of music: breakbeats, electro, hip hop hybrids, hyphy, glitch, acid bass, dubstep house, tech house and progressive house beats. It is very clear the club is committed to diversity. Sydney Leung, one of the new owners emphasized that the EndUp is committed to keeping the place "legendary".
From November 2005 to August 2006, the Revolutionary Club featuring DJ Keoki
, hosted by night club promoter Jim "Astroboy" Williams, was held at the End Up on the last Saturday of each month.
, (((Phonic))), Ghetto Disco, The Show and Reggae Gold, . The EndUp has played host to an enormous spectrum of international DJ talent, and continues to represent the artistic-underground culture of the city.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located on the corner of 6th and Harrison, in the SoMa
Soma
Soma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities...
(South of Market (Street)) district. The EndUp has two bars, a lounge with fireplace, a dance floor with mirrored columns, and a large open-air deck with a waterfall, plants and seating. The club is renowned for its powerful high-end sound system. The venue has hosted a variety of benefits, events and clubs and each night has a unique dance focus catering to subsets of the dance community. The club reflects the changing nature of gay, dance and San Francisco cultures.
1970s
When the nightclubNightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
first opened in November 1973, the owner was Al Hankin. The dance floor was made of translucent plastic with flashing lights below. The sound system was a discrete 4 channel custom made creation with Cerwin Vega speakers rear loaded into the ceiling to enhance the subs. The EndUp was originally an entirely gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
dance club, catering mainly to Asian-Americans and their admirers. It was famous as the location of the Sunday Afternoon Wet Jockstrap Dance Contest from about 1974 to about 1992, with host Randy Johnson and DJs -- Steve Newman and Peter D. Struve (google petermixt). Entering this contest is how many San Francisco Go-Go dancers began their go-go dance careers. This contest was made famous in the 1976 book Tales of the City, the first volume of the six-volume series (hexology) Tales of the City
Tales of the City
Tales of the City refers to a series of eight novels written by American author Armistead Maupin. The stories from Tales were originally serialized prior to their novelization, with the first four titles appearing as regular installments in the San Francisco Chronicle, while the fifth appeared in...
by San Francisco author Armistead Maupin
Armistead Maupin
Armistead Jones Maupin, Jr. is an American writer, best known for his Tales of the City series of novels, based in San Francisco.-Early life:...
and recreated on the PBS made for TV mini-series of the same name.
1980s
The EndUp began opening at 6am on Sunday morning in 1980 for a party originally called The Church with DJ Steve Fabus. Those who had been up all night dancing at the Trocadero TransferTrocadero Transfer
The Trocadero Transfer was an after hours dance club in San Francisco from its opening in December 1977 to the late 1990s. It was located at 520 4th St. at Bryant in the SoMa neighborhood. In 2000, a new owner took over, the name was changed to the Glas Kat, and the club was remodeled.-History:The...
and still wanted to dance more, came to "The Church" when the Trocadero Transfer closed at 6am. The EndUp is famous among DJs as the place where high-energy disco music began with the DJ Patrick Cowley
Patrick Cowley
Patrick Joseph Cowley was an American disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. He recorded in a style that has drawn comparisons to that of Giorgio Moroder and is often credited with pioneering electronic dance music.-Early life:Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York to...
at the Menergy parties in 1982. Over a period of three weeks once a week, culminating on Valentines Day (February 14) 1984, a contest called Go-Go's Wild was held at the EndUp in which the person who was judged by the audience to be the best go-go dancer in a wooden cage (with four vertical poles--shaped like a telephone booth) got a prize of $100. Many people entered this contest and it inspired many to begin their go-go dance careers.
Club Uranus
Created by DJs Lewis Walden and Michael Blue, Club UranusUranus (disambiguation)
Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun.Uranus may also refer to:*Uranus , a deity in Greek mythology*Uranus , the astrological aspects of Uranus*Uranus...
was not only a very fun club but also fostered a community of artists and "freaks" who celebrated excessive creativity and encouraged others to flex their creative energies by go-go dancing, performing as performance art dancers, and performing as drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
s. The Club Uranus was held every Sunday night from December 1989 to December 1992, with special events such as the Miss Uranus drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
contest continuing on an occasional basis until April 1994. With co-MC Jerome Caja and a cast of Club Kids
Club Kids
The Club Kids were a group of young New York City club personalities mostly led by Michael Alig and James St. James in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, drag artists and performance artists like Trauma Flintstone, Diet Popstitute, Steven Maxxine, Kitty Litter and performers like Pussy Tourette
Pussy Tourette
Pussy Tourette is the stage name for an American drag queen, composer and singer.She is best known for her single "French Bitch", for which a music video/short film directed by Andrei Rozen was made and included in the film festival compilation DVD Boys' Shorts: The New Queer Cinema...
and Elvis Herselvis
Elvis Herselvis
Elvis Herselvis is the stage name of the American actor and singer Leigh Crow, whose rise to international exposure was performing as a female Elvis Presley impersonator...
, Club Uranus was the place to be a part of the bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene. The annual Miss Uranus Pageant became widely known in the larger LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community when a contestant, a performance art dancer named "Betty" fed a hamster
Hamster
Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....
with carrot sticks. She threw a carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
hitting an audience member in the eye. She had been feeding the animal by holding the carrot between her butt cheeks. The local gay media ran a series of letters attempting to get any legal names of the performers but no one cooperated.
Klub Dekadence
The Klub Dekadence, another avant-garde queer dance club, took place every Friday night from December 1991 to December 1993. DJ Bugie was the DJ. It had a reputation for having the sexiest go-go dancers and performance art dancers who wore the most unusual go-go dance costumes.2005 ownership change
In August 2005, the club was sold by Carl Hankin, the brother of the founder, to a group of six owners with eclectic backgrounds.The new owners of the EndUp have brought most of the promotions in-house. The parties at the venue still have a lot of variety including the gay disco and early underground house music sound that helped create the uniqueness of the club. These classic sounds can still be heard Sunday mornings and into the afternoon. Music styles at the club have evolved as well. Today the club sounds include reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
s, break beat
Break beat
Break beat may refer to:*the genre breakbeat*the technique break beat...
s, techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, tech house
Tech house
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that mixes elements of minimal techno into simple, 4-to-4 beats found in soulful deep house. The genre came to prominence in the late-1990s atmosphere of American clubs as soul influenced Detroit-style techno that also borrowed elements from house before...
, electro house and more. DJ's from around the world still appear including Derrick Carter
Derrick Carter
Derrick Carter is an American house producer and DJ from Chicago, Illinois. He is regarded as one of the best underground house key players currently active and is particularly popular in Europe.-Biography:...
, Doc Martin
Doc Martin
Doc Martin is a British television comedy drama series starring Martin Clunes in the title role. It was created by Mark Crowdy, Craig Ferguson and Dominic Minghella. The show is filmed on location in the fishing village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, United Kingdom, with filming of most interior scenes...
, Tommy Sunshine, DJ Sneak
DJ Sneak
DJ Sneak is a Puerto Rican house music DJ and producer raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is noted as being one of the second wave of Chicago house producers, as well as a member of the vanguard of late-1990s United States house producers.-Biography:In 1983, Sneak moved to the city...
, Josh Wink
Josh Wink
Josh Wink is an electronic music DJ, label owner, producer, remixer, and artist. He is a native of Philadelphia, United States. A pioneering DJ in the American rave scene during the early 1990s, Wink was the most prominent exponent of the tribal forms of techno and house in the U.S...
. With the departure of Fag Fridays DJ Hawthorne's Ghetto Disco has been added to the lineup. Thursdays are (((Phonic))) with a harder more international sound of techno, tech house and electro house. First Saturdays are KONTROL
Kontrol
Kontrol is a Bulgarian rock band from the 1990s, reunited in 2009 for several shows.Albums:* BG Rock I * BUMM * Lele Kako * Kontrol 88–92 * Lyuboff * Pazete si detzata...
, one of North America's most respected techno events, featuring minimal techno and micro-house with an emphasis on live performance. Second Saturdays are Reggae Gold featuring reggae and dancehall. Third Saturdays is now The Show providing a huge variety of music: breakbeats, electro, hip hop hybrids, hyphy, glitch, acid bass, dubstep house, tech house and progressive house beats. It is very clear the club is committed to diversity. Sydney Leung, one of the new owners emphasized that the EndUp is committed to keeping the place "legendary".
From November 2005 to August 2006, the Revolutionary Club featuring DJ Keoki
DJ Keoki
Superstar DJ Keoki is an Electronic music,among other genres DJ. Born in El Salvador and raised in Hawaii, Keoki reached 'Superstar' status shortly after moving to New York City.-Bio:...
, hosted by night club promoter Jim "Astroboy" Williams, was held at the End Up on the last Saturday of each month.
The EndUp today
Today the most popular parties at the EndUp are the daytime Sunday T-Dance, Sunday Mass, KONTROLKontrol
Kontrol is a Bulgarian rock band from the 1990s, reunited in 2009 for several shows.Albums:* BG Rock I * BUMM * Lele Kako * Kontrol 88–92 * Lyuboff * Pazete si detzata...
, (((Phonic))), Ghetto Disco, The Show and Reggae Gold, . The EndUp has played host to an enormous spectrum of international DJ talent, and continues to represent the artistic-underground culture of the city.