Mission Mission

Literally.

Jeff over at Spots Unknown was able to peep the remodeling.  Maybe higher ceilings will help make the place less of a clambake?

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potkettleblack snapped this great shot of Beauty Bar.  In fact, she has a bunch of cool photos from all over SF.

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I have come to realize that I’m really good at party-planning, and hope to get into the Event Planning Industry very soon. One of my specialties is a great ear for what sets the mood of a party. My motto is just because you like a song/album does not necessarily mean it should be played at this particular moment. So when I was loosely invited to DJ at an early slot at the Beauty Bar by a friend (since the normally scheduled “northern soul” DJ moved his set to Kimo’s), I jumped feet first into coming up with a three-hour set of my favorite genres: soul, oldies, oldie-reggae, disco.

My expectations of being a good DJ were exceeded. Dancing started happening around 8:30pm and lasted non-stop until 10:30-11ish. People I knew, people I didn’t know, shrieks of happiness, a look of parco gonfiabili amazement on my husband’s face, sweating, pushing through the crowd, laughter, happened right before my eyes – and all because of me, my music, and booze. It’s the best feeling that I’ve felt in a long time. When I told people I was DJing on Thursday, they all gave me the sarcastic response, “Oh – with iTunes?”. But I used a combination of, yes, iTunes and CDs. When the “real” DJ came in and started setting up his equipment, it included a direct line from his iPod to the stereo system. Oh, and a large Abe Lincoln hat.

I was invited back to DJ again, so next time I might tackle punk, electronic, funk?

Now, event design companies – REPLY TO MY RESUME! Or someone give me some money so I can have my own business. And then I’ll be your competition.

Whoever reads my posts in the blogosphere might think that I am a mean, pretentious person. But I’m truly not – many things I call out tend to be true! Just two days after posting “Bars in the Mission: Beauty Bar & Delirium”, I received a text message from my co-worker who recently moved from her home town of San Diego to San Francisco. I quote: “We’re going to Puerte Allegre for margaritas and Mexican food, then we’re going to hit up a few bars.” Now, I keep my blogging hidden from parco acquatico gonfiabile my co-workers, for fear they might discover my awesomeness, so I doubt she read my blog post. However, I must make a slight retraction in regards to the Beauty Bar. I have been there a few more times since the post (for Black Lip Jared’s DJ set and Detroit Soul Thursday), and I must admit that before 10pm, the bar is pretty cool. The people are decent, the bar is not crowded, and the place isn’t stinky. They also have some cool music. The shitty DJs and the “mission ghetto” (as some of the regulars call the clientele) arrive after 10pm. So Katie’s Love-Hate relationship summary: go for Happy Hour, but not for a night out.

Beauty Bar, San Francisco originally uploaded by charlotte.wright

I’ve noticed the droves of young females who spend their nights at Beauty Bar. It’s mainly young undergrads who’ve recently migrated from Southern California to a three-bed share in the Tenderloin. Their version of the Mission is meeting friends at Puerto Allegre for uninteresting margaritas and enchiladas, then shaking their shoulders with some date-rape shirt to some sub-par DJ at Beauty Bar. A few months go by, and they’re standing in the cocaine line at Delirium wondering if the douchebag in the corner with the purple kerchief sitting pretty on his scruffy, smelly neck is checking out her American Apparel sangria-colored tights. Do these tourists make the Mission, or does the Mission make the tourist?