DNA Lounge has seven full bars, two stages, four dance floors, and a full service pizza restaurant and cafe. Since 2001 the club has been providing continuous audio and video webcasts of all events free of charge.[3][4]
Layout
Sound check, 2009The DNA Lounge building in 2020 (seen across Eleventh Street). DNA Pizza is at the lower left, with Above DNA on its upper floor
The club's main room has a stage at one end and a bar at the other, with a wall-to-wall dance floor in between. Benches and cocktail tables line the walls downstairs. Above this, a balcony looks down on the dance floor and stage from three sides.
Behind the stage on the second floor is a large lounge consisting of two connected rooms, with its own dance floor and sound system.
On the upper floor of the connected pizza restaurant next door is a smaller live music venue with its own stage and a pair of dance floors in two rooms. Known as "Above DNA," this space has its own entrance to the street as well as connecting doors to the main room balcony and upstairs lounge. On some nights, the main room and Above DNA operate separately, with different events in each. For larger events, all four rooms are connected together into one large venue. The entire second floor is not wheelchair accessible; there is no elevator.[secondary source needed]
For live shows, the capacity of the main room is around 800, and Above DNA is around 300.[2]
History
The venue first opened for business in 1983[5] as a leather bar called Chaps, owned by Chuck Slaton.
In 1985 it was purchased by Jim English, Jeff Mason and Brian Raffi who opened for business under the name DNA Lounge on November 22, 1985. The name was rumored to be an acronym for "dancing, not art".[6][7] Jim English left around 1988 to open Club Townsend.The earliest regular DJs were Ted Cousens, Adam Fisher, Michael Snyder, and Brian Raffi. One of the early doormen was Doc Martin, who later became a popular house music DJ after a residency on Monday nights as a DJ (and spinning a lot at Townsend, thanks to English, as he became a star).
Some nights were genre-specific, with both live bands and DJs. Notable nights and resident DJs included DJs Blackstone (who spun hip hop and rap on Wednesday nights), DJ Pause (who spun hip hop and rap on Monday nights), DJ Damon and DJ Matt (who spun Rock on Tuesdays), and were preceded by Kelly Spencer (who played punk and new wave). Many of DNA's posters and flyers were designed by the San Francisco-based artists Scott Williams and Rex Ray. There were wildly psychedelic, fluorescent murals of strange and twisted monsters with stretched perspectives on the otherwise black downstairs walls and a black and white motif in the upstairs VIP lounge that was painted by celebrated late graffiti artist Keith Haring.
During the late '80s, the DNA offered a black membership card for $10 that offered free entry most nights. Employees got a gold card which allowed up to four guests at no charge, and there was a rumored 'platinum' card that was said to be a free pass to unlimited entry, guests, and drinks. In the early '90s, the club hosted many rave-themed nights with acts including Right Said Fred, the Hardkiss Brothers and Tasti Box, and afterhours events such as Lift- it was an important venue in San Francisco rave history. The DNA Lounge was also one of the few bars in San Francisco that would serve the Flaming Dr Pepper, an ignited drink.
In 1994, the club was purchased by John Schneider, his brother, comedian/actor Rob Schneider (who was not an active partner in club operations), and restaurateur Tim Dale. From 1995 until 1998, the DNA was a popular late-night destination, featuring unpublicized shows by such top pop musicians as Prince and Metallica, and weekend dance parties headlined by retro bands Grooveline and the M-80s. But, starting in 1996, John Schneider had to devote the bulk of his time running their family hotel and resort business. They left the daily operations of the club to subordinates, and it fell into disrepair.[8]
The club was purchased by Jamie Zawinski in 1999. The club was closed for extensive remodeling and soundproofing from April 1999 until it re-opened on Friday, July 13, 2001.[9]
From 2001 through 2009, the club provided several publicly accessible computer terminals (running Fedora). They were eventually removed due to maintenance difficulties, and a belief that the prevalence of internet-enabled phones made them obsolete.[10]
In 2011, Zawinski purchased the pizza restaurant next door to DNA Lounge, renaming it DNA Pizza, and announcing his plans to expand DNA Lounge into that space, combining the two businesses into a single all-ages nightclub, restaurant and cafe.[11] That merger was completed in 2012, and the expanded club debuted on October 23, 2012.[12]
When non-essential San Francisco businesses were forced to suspend operations in early 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, DNA Lounge continued hosting online-only events via its webcast. The venue announced it would be reopening for in-person events on June 19, 2021.[13] It actually reopened a day earlier, on June 18, 2021, after 465 days of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] On July 31, 2021, DNA Lounge began requiring proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 for entry,[15][16][17] and required proof of booster shots as of January 17, 2022 due to the Omicron variant.[18][19] However, both of these policies were rescinded on April 19, 2022, as the club "surrender[ed] unconditionally to the coronavirus", citing lax policies at other clubs and falling revenue.[20]
Conflict with local regulatory agencies
During the period that DNA Lounge was closed for remodeling, Zawinski spearheaded a successful grassroots effort to maintain its late-night permits,[21] facing opposition from several neighbors and the SFPD, but was unable to procure an all-ages license. In September 2008, after two and a half years of legal battles, the club's operating permits were successfully modified to allow patrons of all ages, instead of only those 21 years of age or older.[22]
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) launched an investigation against the club in 2009, resulting in an accusation of "running a disorderly house injurious to the public welfare and morals", and asking for permanent revocation of the club's liquor license, which would result in the club closing permanently.[23]
The accusations pertain to lewd behavior at certain gay and lesbian events which no longer take place at the club. Members of the community[24] were outraged by the ABC's allegations and the severity of their proposed punishment. Many complained that ABC was unfairly targeting DNA Lounge, and their homosexual clientele in particular, pointing out that the specific allegations are far less "lewd" than the standard behavior at heterosexual strip clubs.[25] ABC has not commented on this accusation. Many have claimed that ABC's punishment is in retaliation to DNA's successful appeal to receive an all-ages license, and that this appears to be part of a larger shift in policy by the ABC to crack down on all-ages music venues.[26]
In April 2009, ABC ruled to revoke DNA Lounge's liquor license. DNA promptly filed an appeal citing insufficient evidence in the ABC's case as well as challenging the constitutionality of ABC's code[27] that pertain to regulating sexual behavior and morality.[28] DNA Lounge remained in business, pending resolution of their appeal, and a legal defense fund soliciting donations was set up to help offset the cost of contesting the decision.[29] On November 10, 2009, a settlement was announced, reducing the revocation of their license down to a 25-day suspension, effective January 4, 2010.[30]
On November 22, 2010, the date of DNA Lounge's 25th anniversary, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors issued a resolution proclaiming that day to be "DNA Lounge Day",[49] "to convey the City's sincere respect for their ability to successfully run an entertainment business for the past 25 years."
On the same day, San Francisco MayorGavin Newsom presented the club with a Certificate of Honor, stating that the club "contributes to the rich cultural history of San Francisco's entertainment scene and our beloved historic South of Market District."[49]
On December 11, 2017, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and San Francisco Small Business Commission granted DNA Lounge Legacy Business status,[50] stating that such businesses are "the bedrock of our communities and a draw for tourists from around the world. Preserving our legacy businesses is critical to maintaining what it is that makes San Francisco a special place."[51]
Events
Luxxury at DNA Lounge, March 17, 2007
The space functions as a venue for both live music and regular dance nights.
Hubba Hubba Revue, a weekly burlesque show, featuring classic striptease, vaudeville comedy, variety acts, and live music.
Mortified,[52] an event where adults read from their most embarrassing adolescent journals.
Hoodslam, a profane and absurd underground professional wrestling event.
So Stoked, a dance party featuring hardcore, trance, drum and bass, and other rave music DJs; it is also one of the city's few all ages dance parties (as opposed to 18+).
Turbo Drive, an event featuring performers and DJs in the burgeoning synthwave scene.
DNA Lounge has also hosted several notable tech-industry events, such as CodeCon (a hacker con), Ignite (a technology conference), and BSidesSF (a computer security conference). The release of Mozilla 1.0 was celebrated there in 2002,[54] and the 10th anniversary of FreeBSD was celebrated there in 2003.[55]Cypress Hill's music video for "Insane in the Brain" was filmed at DNA Lounge in 1993.[56][57] In the background of some shots can be seen parts of the Keith Haring mural that used to adorn the walls of the upstairs lounge. The title sequence of the SingStar Amped video game was shot at DNA Lounge in 2007.[58][59]
Live music
DNA Lounge has been well known for both DJ dance nights and live concerts. Since the club was purchased by Zawinski, they have been focusing more on live music,[60] and in 2008 they procured an all-ages liquor license to facilitate this. Live concerts are all ages, and most other events are 18+.[61] Concert highlights since 1985[62][63] include:
Jamie Werner Zawinski, commonly known as jwz, is an American computer programmer, blogger, and impresario. He is best known for his role in the creation of Netscape Navigator, Netscape Mail, Lucid Emacs, Mozilla.org, and XScreenSaver. He is also the proprietor of DNA Lounge, a nightclub and live music venue in San Francisco.
Mission Dolores Park, often abbreviated to Dolores Park, is a city park in San Francisco, California. It is located two blocks south of Mission Dolores at the western edge of the Mission District.
The culture of San Francisco is major and diverse in terms of arts, music, cuisine, festivals, museums, and architecture but also is influenced heavily by Mexican culture due to its large Hispanic population, and its history as part of Spanish America and Mexico. San Francisco's diversity of cultures along with its eccentricities are so great that they have greatly influenced the country and the world at large over the years. In 2012, Bloomberg Businessweek voted San Francisco as America's Best City.
Ryan Gary Raddon, better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ, music producer and remixer. DJ Times voted Kaskade "America's Best DJ" in 2011 and 2013. DJ Mag named Kaskade fifty-first on its 2009 list of Top 100 DJs.
Trannyshack was a San Francisco drag club started by drag queen Heklina in 1996 as an offshoot of Klubstitute, and was a weekly fixture at The Stud bar in San Francisco for 12 years, drawing large crowds on a regular basis. The Tuesday night performances at The Stud ended on 12 August 2008, with Trannyshack resuming as a monthly event at DNA Lounge in March 2010.
The EndUp is a nightclub in San Francisco, California. Opened in 1973, the club is located at 6th Street and Harrison in the South of Market district. Known for its status as an afterhours club, the venue has hosted a variety of benefits and events during its time as part of San Francisco's nightlife community.
The How Weird Street Faire is an outdoor street fair held each year in San Francisco, occupying several blocks of Howard Street and the surrounding area, in the SoMa neighborhood. The event has been held yearly since 2000, and is currently centered at the intersection of Howard and Second Streets. The How Weird Street Faire claims to be the longest-running electronic music street festival in North America, showcasing diverse forms of dance music including live electronica, downtempo, breaks, electro, trance, house, techno, dubstep, drum & bass, dub, and world beat. As of 2017, it had several thousand visitors, many of which come dressed in costumes.
The I-Beam was a former popular nightclub and live music venue active from 1977 to 1994, and located in the Park Masonic Hall building on the second floor at 1748 Haight Street in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. The I-Beam served as one of San Francisco's earliest disco clubs, as well as serving as a "gay refuge".
The Trocadero Transfer, or The Troc, was an after hours dance club in operation from December 1977 to the late–1990s in San Francisco, California, U.S.. It was located at 520 4th Street at Bryant in the SoMa neighborhood. The club has been compared to Studio 54 in New York City, and their patrons would travel from other cities to attend the party.
Bootie is the first club night in the United States dedicated solely to mashups and bootlegs, and was founded in San Francisco, California. It is now the biggest and longest running all-mashup party in the world, with regular parties in several cities.
The King Street Garage was a nightclub located at 174 King Street in San Francisco, California, near the present location of AT&T Park. It was directly adjacent to, and physically connected with, the Club Townsend, another famous nightclub on the other side of the block located at 177 Townsend Street.
Pollo Del Mar is an American drag queen performer, wrestling personality, journalist, activist and recording artist.
Outside Lands, formerly known as the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, is a three-day music, art, food, wine, beer and cannabis festival held annually in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Multi-genre and multi-generational, it is the largest independently owned music festival in the United States. It was founded in 2008 by Another Planet Entertainment, Starr Hill Presents, and Superfly.
The Hubba Hubba Revue is a San Francisco–based neo-burlesque and variety show which opened in September 2006 and continues with weekly and monthly shows in San Francisco and Oakland.
Death Guild is the oldest continually operating gothic/industrial dance club in the United States, and second in the world. Death Guild opened on March 15, 1993, and is currently held every Monday at DNA Lounge in San Francisco.
The San Francisco Drag King Contest is an annual contest for drag kings held in San Francisco, California and founded by performer and producer, Fudgie Frottage. It is the biggest drag king contest in the world, and the longest running drag king competition in the U.S. The related International Drag King Community Extravaganza (IDKE) is the largest drag king performance event in the world but not a contest. The 26th Annual San Francisco Drag King Contest will be held Sunday, August 21st, 2022.
Robbie Kowal, also known by his professional names Motion Potion or MoPo, is an American DJ, record producer, and concert promoter. Known for blending electronic music with the genres of funk, hip hop, and psychedelic rock, he first started mixing live in 1995.
The Stud is a gay bar currently located on 1123 Folsom Street in San Francisco.
Badlands is a gay bar and nightclub in San Francisco's Castro District, in the U.S. state of California. The bar opened in 1975 and closed in July 2020. It reopened in October 2023.
Temple is a nightclub first established in San Francisco, with an additional location in Denver. With a San Francisco location south of Market Street near the Salesforce Tower and Salesforce Transit Center, the club was opened in 2007 by entrepreneur Paul Hemming. Temple has been notable for being among the highest-grossing nightclubs by revenue in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 2010s. The club is seen as a primary gathering place for technology industry figures in and near Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
