924 Gilman was ready for the night. Valentine’s Gay, the annual show created by Middle Aged Queers five years ago, was ready to go. The merch tables were strewn with a wide variety of eye-catching items, kids were giggling and slouching on the couches, and costumes were parading around. Folks of every stripe showed up from freaks to furries, parents to punks. I had been looking forward to this show, as a fan of the show’s organizer and headliner, the venue and the annual event. I had never heard of the other three bands but having attended this show in some previous years I knew it was going to be a good night.
When the first band came on stage, I was caught off guard. 924 Gilman, known colloquially as “Gilman”, is non-profit, all-ages, collectively organized music club founded in 1984. Even though I’d seen plenty of kids play on that stage before, I was surprised at how young the band members were – I guess because in previous Valentine’s Gay shows the bands were all adults. These musicians looked to be in their mid teens. No matter. Mugslug got on stage and blew everyone away. The teens in the crowd quickly got the circle pit going which continued non-stop through the set. The band’s combination of light harmonies and melody-driven guitar was offset by some guttural wails and distorted noise. They did a fun cover of Nirvana’s cover of “Molly’s Lips”, which was not a surprise since there was a Nirvana influence in their sound. Their skill level indicated that they had all started making music when they were in utero, how else had they gotten so good? The night was off and running.
The next band took the stage with an air of intensity but at the same time a vibe that something fun was about to start. Slutzville had some classic punk done right. Fast, furious with ringing caustic guitar tone was backed by snappy, tight drums. There were lots of memorable lyrics in catchy songs like “Bro Hate” and “You Dont Mean Shit to Me” (aimed at Donald Trump) that made it easy to sing along underneath the roar, and plenty of folks joined in, including participant-avoidant me.
Now it was time for sparkle and lamé, shredding, and dildos — a heady concoction. Hard-edged glam rock erupted with a resonant bass, well-placed use of toms, and yes, plenty of hammering and shredding on the guitar. Sprinkle socio-political protest on top and you have She Cock With a Vengence, who drove all the way from Salt Lake City to bring us joy. The song “RIOT!”, which talks about Stonewall and queer elders, was an exciting rallying cry. The crowd was teetering on chaos the whole set.
Then it was time for Middle-Aged Queers and when they take the stage, you know you’re in for a party. Sure enough, soon there were pink balloons and bubbles flying everywhere. I’ve had the good fortune of seeing them since their inception in 2020, and they never disappoint. Their playful celebration of queerness is backed by Shaun Osburn’s pitch perfect yet gritty vocals, Josh Levine’s solid baseline, Fureigh’s awesome guitar tone and skills, and Niki Pretti’s steady driving beat on the drums. That said, this show was different than ones I’ve seen before, as Osburn spoke to the crowd at length about the horrors of the political climate we are in. Osburn and Levine started coming to Gilman as teens while growing up in the Bay Area during the AIDS crisis, and Osburn reflected on the similarities of these eras. Much of their music is political, and they were raising up that message. They still had plenty of lighter material like their latest single “Glizzies Bangin’” since overall their music is about celebrating queerness.
Every minute of this show was entertaining. All four bands had great energy. I’d highly recommend seeing any of them whenever you get the chance. See you at the next Valentine’s Gay!
Review and photography by Artemis Jones
