When yours truly, Baron Whistlebottom, was a young queen coming to terms with his sexuality, he would stalk the men’s underwear section of Filene’s department store for glimpses of sexy men on the packaging. It seemed to garner a reaction, but over time boredom set in. He needed something different.
Luckily, a movie called Just Can’t Get Enough debuted in 2002, that would help. It was about the rise and fall of a special all-male revue called Chippendales, and the salacious chilling headlines surrounding it. The mere idea of a place he could see broad-shouldered, muscled, ab-tastic men wear little bow ties and bare it all, excited him with all kinds of sensations. Would this be the end of this kind of performance? He hoped not and prayed that one day he could live his gay daydream.
Now, years later, this is no longer a problem. It’s fairly commonplace to visit a bar or circuit party and watch gorgeous men go-go dance or offer you shots in juicy jocks. But, what if you want something more thrilling?
Look no further, then, to the dramatic and camp Baloney at Oasis SF, one of Gay Agenda SF’s top July picks. It’s not Chippendale’s, by any stretch. With beards, leather, abs and curves, this is a gay burlesque fantasy come to life with a cast of performers representing a wide spectrum of queer and kink community. This is no show solely geared towards bachelorettes and divorcées (although your girlfriends will have a blast).
We caught up with co-creator Rory K. Davis to learn more about how the show got its start, what makes it unique, and what you as an audience member should expect:
Rory sets the stage by telling us about the genesis of the show. As the venue [Oasis SF] re-opened in 2015, drag shows made up the entirety of the events calendar. The idea for Baloney was “a way to combine our love of performance and porn and create something entirely new, [pulling] those backup boys into the spotlight.” Each performance rotates cast members and different bits, which makes for a special performance every night of the show with the audience.
“ [Every time we step onto the stage we are experiencing something entirely new”.
Here’s what else he had to say to Gay Agenda SF:
Q: Have you had any surprises (good or bad) reaction from the audience?
A: We always get a surprise from the audience…[and] love having one big gross-out number in the show…[and, sometimes] we get confessions from people you would not expect who tell us that the scene with the nacho cheese or baked beans or whatever gross item was involved was a massive turn-on. To each his own!
Q: If there’s one thing you’d want an audience member to take away from the experience, what would that be?
A: Our goal since day one has always been for every audience member to experience something new about their sexuality. It might even be a turn-off, but if we've shown them something and had them experience something new and surprise themselves with a reaction, then we've done our jobs.
Q: Reflecting on your experience, what is one way its impacted you? Anything else you care to share?
A: I think the one constant for me that has been an impact is seeing how much this queer storytelling was needed when we first began and perhaps even more so now.
With that, Gay Agenda SF is looking forward to experiencing this kind of storytelling. It’s an event you can take a date or visiting friend to, and still go out on the town after.
Tickets are now on sale for the upcoming season, July 7-16. Performances start at 7pm. Gay Agenda SF recommends checking out the recent Queerty and queerforty articles. You can also view the recent documentary by Joshua Guerci chronicling the journey to produce the show.
We recommend getting an earlier dinner before at one of two places within a stone’s throw of the venue: The Willows, for a burger and a beer or, Basil Canteen, a neighborhood staple for tasty Pad-anything and curries.
Tell us about your experience! E-mail gayagendasf@gmail.com.
And remember, as always, consent is sexy and no fboy is worth your time!
XOXO, Baron Whistlebottom
Gay Agenda SF is not affiliated with nor has it received any compensation for promotion from Baloney SF.