The EndUp
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The EndUp is the longest-running dance club in San Francisco, California having been founded in 1973. It is located on the corner of 6th and Harrison, in the SoMa district. The EndUp has a dance floor with mirrored columns, a fireplace surrounded by seats, and in the backyard is an open garden with a waterfall, plants and seats.
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[edit] Early history of the EndUp
When the nightclub first opened, the dance floor was made of translucent plastic with flashing lights below. 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. Entering this contest is how many San Francisco Go-Go dancers began their go-go dance careers. This contest was made famous in the 1978 book Tales of the City, the first volume of the six-volume series (hexology) Tales of the City by San Francisco author Armistead Maupin.
The EndUp began opening at 6am on Sunday morning in 1980 for the party that was originally called The Church with DJ Steve Fabus. Those who had been up all night dancing at the Trocadero Transfer 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 Hi-NRG music began with the DJ Patrick Cowley at the Menergy parties in 1982. On Valentines Day (February 14th) 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.
[edit] Avant-garde queer clubs at the EndUp in the early 1990s
In the early 1990s, the EndUp was the location of the popular avant-garde queer clubs the Club Uranus on Sunday night and the Klub Dekadence on Friday night.
[edit] The EndUp 1995-2005
The two most popular clubs at the EndUp between 1995 and 2005 were Fag Friday on Friday evenings (which has usually featured male go-go dancers) and Devotion on Sunday afternoons from about Noon to 8PM.
[edit] The EndUp today
Its most popular parties are the daytime Sunday T-Dance, followed Sunday nights by Super Soul Sundayz, Reggae Gold - 2nd & 4th Saturday nights, and Fag Fridays every Friday night. The EndUp has played host to an enormous spectrum of international DJ talent, and continues to represent the artistic-underground culture of the city. Some of the regular acts currently performing in the space include Pink Mammoth, Red Melon, Green Gorilla Lounge, Deep House Project, and David Harness.
From October 2005 to July 2006 one Saturday a month, the EndUp hosted the Revolutionary Club, put on by club promoter Jim "Astroboy" Williams and featuring DJ Keoki.
[edit] Recent ownership change of the EndUp
In August of 2005, the club was sold by the brother of the founders to a group of six, young, Asian American urban professionals. A direct result of this was a turn away from House music. Although the changes made by the new owners to the physical structure are laudatory, the club lost one of its most celebrated parties in September of ’05 — Devotion. It’s replacement Super Soul Sundayz is hosted by the House music DJ David Harness. It is felt by some that the new owners have yet to demonstrate continued commitment to what made the club legendary; i.e., emphasizing House and disco music and catering primarily to the gay clientele. The club originated as a gay club when it wasn’t exactly cool to do so (1973), even in San Francisco.
The Endup is currently trying to take most of the promotions in-house, so that it can direct the club to become truly what the EndUp has been — a diverse club, with a great vibe. The parties at the EndUp now mostly feature the newly popular (since about 2003) Electroclash music, which is directly opposite to the music that made the club what is was - a gay disco, although nowadays many younger gays prefer electroclash music.
