By Marke B.
2k9's gallery party season is heating up -- last Saturday, I jetted from the art-fag-elite-packed Jonathan Solo opening at Catherine Clark Gallery to the huge "What's the Big Idea?" shindig at YBCA, just in time to see thousands of expressive-oriented types raise their hands and clap along with the NonStop Bhangra troupe as they showed them how to punch the the air, Punjabi-style.
Next up on the big calendar is this Friday eve's "Parlor Games" at the de Young, celebrating that museum's ongoing Yves St. Laurent exhibit, hosted by one of the SF underground's most scintillating performers/choreographers, Fauxnique.
Fauxnique and friend -- arty, non?
Fauxnique was one of Trannyshack's darlings (her revival of her Elton John "Butterfly" tribute number, complete with full ballet corps and huge outspread wings, brought the house down at last year's Trannyshack Kiss-Off party. She's the top female drag queen in town -- not drag king, but drag queen, as in faux queen. Yes, it's confusing.) From 7:15-7:45 in the Piazzoni Murals Room, there'll be charades, musical chairs and a “Proust Questionnaire,” and Fauxnique and some ultra-chic friends will perform numbers meant to invoke both the asthmatic Parisian author/drama queen's social demimonde and Laurent's delicate and lovely designs.
At the same time, from 6:30 to 8:30, in the Wilsey Court, Orkestar Sali will be pumping out a wild gypsy music extravaganza, featuring Rumen “Sali” Shopov. Oh yes, there will be much mezmerizing cacophany with tambura, bouzouki, dumbek, and tupan, darling. Plus, there'll be a showing of Luis Bunuel's steamy Belle de Jour flick, with Catherine Deneuve at her most delicious. The regular de Young evening affairs are a lot of bohemian fun (and the change of venue from bars and clubs makes everyone who attends a little lighter). Yes there are cocktails available, although the staff can get antsy about spills, so hold tight!
Cultural Encounters: Friday Nights at the de Young presents Orkestar Sali, Fauxnique and Friends, and Belle de Jour
Fri/6, 5-8:45pm, free (regular admission to exhibits applies, however)
de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
in Golden Gate Park
www.famsf.org/deyoung
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Another art-in-party brewhaha that should pop up on your "I'm Interested!" radar:
Real, honest-to-goodness nightlife
Starting February 12, the Cal Academy of Sciences is opening up its stunning new premises late on Thursday nights, and is gunning hard for intelligently fun-lovin' clubbers, with a program of lively cocktails, primo local DJs, and informal talks with some intriguing scientific bigwigs. I'll be writing more about the whole thing in my next Super Ego clubs column, but below's what you need to know about the first one. See you there, with or without that albino alligator.
"Nightlife"
Celebrating Darwin
with OM Records' DJ Fluid and J-Boogie
plus talk with Oxford University's Keith Thompson
Thu/12, 6-10pm, $10
California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Drive
in Golden Gate Park
www.calacademy.org/nightlife
Read more SFBG Noise blog clubs coverage here and more Super Ego clubs columns here.
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