Neptune Landing

      The most indie night I've had in weeks was at Smack Dab , a monthly-open-mic-night that has been running since 2003. While I've popped into other open-mics scattered around the city, Smack Dab was certainly the best-organized and best-lit. Its new location is on the second floor of Strut at 470 Castro Street, the public health clinic smack dab in the Castro (disclosure: I am NOT getting paid by Strut; I just think it's a healthy and interesting new space). Open-mic participants seemed to rally around the theme of public health, praising Magnet (now Strut) at every available turn. The take-away is that Smack Dab is a sober and perky addition to a scene that takes place most often in dim and dank watering holes.       Facilitated by hosts Larry-Bob, who also keeps the  SF Queer List Serve , and Dana Hopkins, promoter-extraordinarie, Smack Dab brings together some of the queerest and wackiest independent acts in the Bay. The level of ...

      The fun and flirty Castro neighborhood has a new arrival. Named " Strut ," the 3-floor-edifice at 470 Castro Street is the fresh home of salubrious health for San Francisco's community of gay, bisexual and transgender men. Strut shares the same building that houses Blush, the Wine Bar, where just two doors down is the corner Walgreens, which is perfect for those patients who need to use the pharmacy (one of the few things that Strut does not contain on-campus). Neptune Landing was able to chat with Matthew Denckla, a long-time public health activist and board member of both Strut and its benefactor, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, about the building's inception and how it's a game-changer for SF's queer community.   Strut Exterior       First, the basics: Strut is a larger, enhanced version of the old Magnet, Castro's drop-in-clinic for gay, bi and trans men's sexual health. Like Magnet, Strut is an invented name. The idea for Strut b...