SF nightclubs fight back with new organization

05.07.10 - 3:50 pm | Steven T. Jones |

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In the ongoing War on Fun in San Francisco, a new combatant officially entered the battlefield last night with the launch of the California Music And Culture Association (which strangely goes by the acronym CMAC rather than CMCA). It aims to be a political advocacy organization and to provide members with services such as neighbor relations advice, group insurance, and discounted legal services.

“We're here to celebrate a new era of nightlife and entertainment in San Francisco,” CMAC President Sean Manchester, owner of Mighty and Wish, told a crowd at Mezzanine that included club owners, lawyers, promoters, performers, and politicians ranging from supervisorial candidates Scott Wiener from D8 to Debra Walker in D6. California Sen. Mark Leno also sent a formal resolution of support for CMAC.

A video prepared for the event included an even wider array of local figures extolling the importance of nightlife to San Francisco, including SF Convention & Visitors Bureau chief Joe D'Alessandro and San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) director Gabriel Metcalf, who said, “I think it's great that the nightlife industry is getting organized.”

That organization was prompted by threats and harassment from the San Francisco Police Department, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, neighbors of some clubs, and Mayor Gavin Newsom and others who have been on a campaign to demonize the industry and its regulation by the Entertainment Commission.

It's a trend that the Guardian has been writing about for years, and one that I'll be discussing this Tuesday as part of a panel assembled by SPUR that includes representatives from the SFPD and Entertainment Commission, as well as Sup. Bevan Dufty, who spearheaded the cancellation of Halloween in the Castro.

Comments

WRONG!

Dufty did not support canceling the Halloween party in the castro, what shit are you talking?

Posted by Guest on May. 07, 2010 @ 9:52 pm

Awesome.

Love it.

Posted by generic on May. 08, 2010 @ 3:12 pm

CMAC

CMAC is indicative of a maturing of the nightlife industry in SF. The idea of organizing nightclub and venue owners has been tried three times over the past two decades and failed-- mostly because the owners never saw helping the industry and other club owners to be to their advantage. Fast forward to 2010 and the industry is on the ropes-- attendance WAY down, a general aging of the population of SF, and politicians and police brass turning the clubs into their whipping boy/ girl for political gain. I think it will work this time and hope folks will join and help with the cause. SF is all about entertainment and nightlife and we all need to stand up now and demand an end to the bull s**t.

PS: Dufty was all about canceling Halloween in the Castro.

Posted by Tommy Gunn on May. 08, 2010 @ 5:04 pm

Dufty killed Halloween

No shit, Dufty killed Halloween in the Castro: http://www.sfbg.com/2007/09/25/spooked

Posted by steven on May. 10, 2010 @ 9:04 am

sf nightclubs fight back

Dufty goes where the money and photo ops are. He has no new ideas or solutions for anything

Posted by Guest mongo on May. 17, 2010 @ 3:06 pm

Background of CMAC

The Entertainment Commission’s legacy is captured in the contentious tone of SF politics, particularly with regard to current crises of booze, variously manifested in anarchy of events and nightlife violence.

The legislation Mayor Gavin Newsom sponsored in 11/09 delivers us to a future of antagonism between residents and promoters of “fun”—and the future is now.

The worst legislation of a century, it empowered a hostile takeover of our neighborhoods. With Board support, Newsom virtually stripped residents of any say in where, when, and how neighborhoods would be used for alcoholic fun and clubbing 2-6:00 a.m.

Promoted as remedy to club violence, it literally broadened opportunity for felons to dominate our lives. Following Dufty’s lead, Sup David Chiu sanctioned clubbing 24/7.

The bottle his mainstay, Newsom is light on enforcement.

The CMAC harbingers societal breakdown, as reflected in fractured comments and the current crippling impact to communities of violent crime and public drunkenness sponsored by the S.F. Entertainment Commission.

Posted by Gav's Got to Go for Good, and Not to State Office on May. 21, 2010 @ 11:36 pm

Djs that attract drama to potentially good nightclubs

Supposed new ROOM and ATMOSPHERE, HEIGHTS Nightclubs when DJ Mind Motion of KMEL spins. There's no ventilation downstairs at ROOM, and only one way out, back upstairs; which I think is in violation of the fire hazard codes!! The other clubs have fights often, DRAMA Anywaaze....this DJ attracts this nonsense and I guess he thinks he's coo but must he really advertise himself every 2 minutes? "mind motion mind motion mind motion.....*rings horn*" Seriously. It totally kills the music. If ghetto makes u itch...DO NOT waste your time at his clubs.

Made mistake to check out this one club headlining @DJMindMotion I will never forget it because all you could hear was him over the mic every 10 seconds throughout the night as he was spinning the turntables. He kept saying his f*cking name... "Mind Motion, Mind Motion!" and kept playing this f*cking trumpet/horn sound!!! UGH!!! He should no longer call himself a Pirate DJ because he doesn't play what the people want anymore for years he's so Clear Channel brainwashed all the way...Oh yeah and DJ Mindmotion, mindmotion, mindmotion...just keep your day job on KMEL...you talk to much bruh.

Posted by Guest C LR on Oct. 24, 2010 @ 3:52 am

Supposed new ROOM and

Posted by Guest C LR on Oct. 24, 2010 @ 3:53 am