San Francisco: Win Tickets! New Wave City: Ladies of the ’80s
[Terri Nunn]
The kids at one of my favorite clubs in SF (and let’s face it, it’s not very often that I can tolerate ANY “club”) are throwing a “Ladies of the ’80s” dance party this Saturday night. I’m talking Blondie, Au Pairs, Grace Jones, Siouxsie, and more, for a riotous evening at the Cat Club. And you can win a pair of tickets! Just follow me on Twitter @lalenguasf, and leaving a comment below telling me who your favorite “lady of the ’80s” is.
New Wave City combines the standard recipe for fun (drinking + dancing) with the sense of legitimacy that comes from listening to DJs spin awesome, artsy, and occasionally obscure ’80s female music acts. I actually asked DJ Spin “So what the hell is so great about ladies of the ’80s anyway?” and he told me:
What ISN’T great about the ladies of the ’80s? While the guy bands (Depeche Mode, The Cure, Duran Duran, The Smiths, etc.) got all the headlines, the gal bands that were turning out equally important music. Hell, Robert Smith quit The Cure TWICE to go play guitar for Siouxsie & the Banshees, and The Human League didn’t achieve any real success until Joanne and Susan joined the band. Whether it was rockin’ out like Joan Jett or The Pretenders, making beautiful music like Cocteau Twins or Alison Moyet, or just havin’ fun like Cyndi Lauper or Bananarama, the ladies of the ’80s were awesome!
Word. The Cat Club is on a just-seedy-enough block of Folsom in SOMA, and, um, did I mention they make their drinks strong? And that it’s super lez-friendly? If you ask me, New Wave City is the perf excuse to trash it up for a night.
[Clare Grogan]
In only marginally-related news, the line-up for Phono del Sol was released. Thoughts anyone?
Ribbon Around A Bomb 
Why don’t I live in San Francisco? Or Berlin? 😛
I may not be able to participate in this contest-thingy, but I’ll just say that my favourite lady of the eighties is probably Siouxsie Sioux. (That was pretty predictable.) Though she’s probably tied with Liz Fraser. (Her voice is heavenly.) Not to mention Lydia Lunch, Patricia Morrison, Norma Loy, that woman who was in TG and Chris&Cosey, and pretty much any Goth/Post-Punk/Coldwave lady around at the time.
I wish something like this was happening by me. I hope this goes on next time I’m in San Fran!