Partner Profile – Jim “Juicy Fruit” Hauck

–by Richard Henry Thomas (Glitterricky)

If there is one person who I can absolutely trust to tell me the truth of how they felt about a dance experience, it’s Jim Hauck. The man behind The Juice Box (www.juicyfruitjim.com), Jim started off writing feedback on the dance scene for a Yahoo Group called Dancing BearsDescribes a subculture and community of gay men of a specific physical type, generally more hairy and more heavyset, often projecting a working-class or hyper-masculine image through their grooming and personal style. Debate abounds as to what constitutes a true bear, and many offshoots have emerged, including wolves (lean but masculine), cubs (young bears), and otters (hairy but lean). The term bear can also be used in conjunction with many qualifiers that further subdivide the subcommunity, including LeatherLeather culture is found in all lifestyles, but among gay men it refers to practices and styles of dress organized around hedonism and eroticism ("kink"). One way this culture consciously distinguishes itself from mainstream sexual cultures is through a specifically homoerotic aesthetic that draws from post-World War II biker culture as well as military and police uniform. Leathermen art, such as Tom of Finland, represents the hypermasculine ideal. Literature like The Leatherman’s Handbook speaks to the culture and the code. The International Mister Leather organization speaks to the community. Bear, Muscle Bear, DaddyAn older gay man. He may or may not prefer the company of younger men, but if he does and if he is moneyed, he is likely to be the dominant or top in the relationship. Also, “Leather Daddy.” Bear, Panda Bear (Asian) and Polar Bear (white hair). Also see “GoldilocksA fag hag who enjoys the company of bears.,” and “Woof.”. What began as producing a list of events that were flagger friendly evolved into Jim’s own blog covering other events as well; thus, The Juice Box was born.

As Jim prepared to get ready for the 2012 Allure CruiseA term used in verb form to refer to checking out another gay man, perhaps in a sexually predatory way, but primarily characterized by nonverbal signals for sex. Also can be used in noun form to refer to the person being cruised, i.e. “Don’t eyeball my cruise.” Not to be confused with a floating bathhouse of a boat chartered by Atlantis Events (see “gay cruise”)., he tells me how gay nightlife has changed in San Francisco. “It is still reminiscent of a small town. We have gone up and down on the number of events we have, and I have experienced times of famine here in the SF nightlife. We are currently experiencing a true abundance of night events, almost too many, where people start to stay home knowing they will have something to do next week instead. San Francisco does not seem to be able to hold on to large weekly parties anymore similar to those of the Universe and Pleasuredome days. We barely can sustain a monthly event with large numbers. Small events thrive at small venues, but they also come and go.”

The economy was one of the biggest factors of change. “When business was big and SF was bulging at the seams with people, the scene was amazing and packed, but after the bust, it never seemed to come back as strong,” Jim explained. “During that time a generation of guys changed and got older and the younger crowd seems to have a different take on dancing and partying. I think they are more comfortable integrating in SF into any event. It is not unusual to go to a ‘straight’ party at Ruby Skye and see a whole group of gay folks dancing, too.”

In the international scene, it’s mostly positive. Jim tells me that while “Sydney has seen a decline over time from the heyday of large weekly dance parties, there has been a surge of events in Spain. London has held onto a strong gay crowd and maintains a weekly dance event focused on bearsDescribes a subculture and community of gay men of a specific physical type, generally more hairy and more heavyset, often projecting a working-class or hyper-masculine image through their grooming and personal style. Debate abounds as to what constitutes a true bear, and many offshoots have emerged, including wolves (lean but masculine), cubs (young bears), and otters (hairy but lean). The term bear can also be used in conjunction with many qualifiers that further subdivide the subcommunity, including LeatherLeather culture is found in all lifestyles, but among gay men it refers to practices and styles of dress organized around hedonism and eroticism ("kink"). One way this culture consciously distinguishes itself from mainstream sexual cultures is through a specifically homoerotic aesthetic that draws from post-World War II biker culture as well as military and police uniform. Leathermen art, such as Tom of Finland, represents the hypermasculine ideal. Literature like The Leatherman’s Handbook speaks to the culture and the code. The International Mister Leather organization speaks to the community. Bear, Muscle Bear, DaddyAn older gay man. He may or may not prefer the company of younger men, but if he does and if he is moneyed, he is likely to be the dominant or top in the relationship. Also, “Leather Daddy.” Bear, Panda Bear (Asian) and Polar Bear (white hair). Also see “GoldilocksA fag hag who enjoys the company of bears.,” and “Woof.” called XXL, which, by the way, is men only, something you could never do in SF.” Other things you also can’t do in SF nightclubs? Drink all night long. Jim does not hesitate to share his love for the UK. “In some countries you can drink at a nightclub all night long. London is certainly the scene I really like and the place I choose to let my hair down. The London men are nice, fun, sexy, and I guess a bit more raw and masculine, which really works for me. London men are not obsessed with body image, but have a natural sexy vibe.”
But with so many wonderful parties on land and in the sea you’d wonder what the perfect party would be. The Juice Box features a five water bottle rating system. The term was shared by a dear friend of Jim and soon it would become a circuit partyA dance event with historical origins in the gay community’s response to the AIDS crisis. Originally conceived as fundraisers and a means to celebrate life amidst loss, today’s circuit is global and extensive, with highly produced parties that sometimes have a community outreach component and sometimes are commercialized ventures. Circuit events are an expression of freedom as well as a statement of the power and strength of the gay community, but they are not without controversy, as they are often identified with a high degree of superficiality, promiscuity, and drug use. Some of the larger circuit parties are the White Party in Palm Springs, the Black and Blue Party in Montreal, and the Winter Party in Miami, each of which attracts attendees in the thousands to tens of thousands. See “Gay CruiseA term used in verb form to refer to checking out another gay man, perhaps in a sexually predatory way, but primarily characterized by nonverbal signals for sex. Also can be used in noun form to refer to the person being cruised, i.e. “Don’t eyeball my cruise.” Not to be confused with a floating bathhouse of a boat chartered by Atlantis Events (see “gay cruise”)..” buzzword. Jim enlightens me.What about a ship full of sexy men? “The cruiseA term used in verb form to refer to checking out another gay man, perhaps in a sexually predatory way, but primarily characterized by nonverbal signals for sex. Also can be used in noun form to refer to the person being cruised, i.e. “Don’t eyeball my cruise.” Not to be confused with a floating bathhouse of a boat chartered by Atlantis Events (see “gay cruise”). circuit from Atlantis has changed how people party. Rather than traveling city to city to attend White Party, Black Party, Red Party, Purple Party, you can board a cruiseA term used in verb form to refer to checking out another gay man, perhaps in a sexually predatory way, but primarily characterized by nonverbal signals for sex. Also can be used in noun form to refer to the person being cruised, i.e. “Don’t eyeball my cruise.” Not to be confused with a floating bathhouse of a boat chartered by Atlantis Events (see “gay cruise”). and get an entire week’s worth of dancing and parties and be done for the year or do it several times a year.” And while Jim is still young at heart he continues to travel and search out the latest and greatest dance events.

“A perfect party is a blend of the elements of the rating system. I like to look at everything a party offers from the ground up. First, it’s how you get in, how hard is it, how friendly and welcoming is the door staff or how aggressive is search and pat down. This impacts the view of the space. Once you get in what is the location like, how is it laid out. I like spaces that have something to explore and places to check out and see. Next, I look at the production values on décor and lighting. Are extras in place? Was décor added? Was a theme applied or implied? Those extras take time and effort and add to the experience of the event. After that I look at the community at the event. Are people friendly, having fun, enjoying themselves, dancing and smiling, or is everyone standing around, sitting at the walls staring at the DJ. Finally, the overall experience of the event if wrapped together – what is it like? How much fun did you have? Did you watch the clock or not? The perfect party is one that embodies the above experiences to a point where when it is over you are amazed and the experience leaves you happy and fulfilled.”

Jim has been blessed to experience a few of these five water bottle experiences. One of them was the ToyBox party in Sydney. “It was over the topCan be used as a noun or a verb to describe someone who is dominant in a partnership, in a sexual relationship, or in life in general (See “Bottom”). in all levels with fun creative outlets, music and décor plus amazing lasers and lights and rigging.”

The Juice Box Presents wishes to deliver a five water bottle experience in San Francisco. During the 2011 San Francisco Gay Pride Jim joined forces with his business partner and best friend Steve Mueller to create the REACH Pride T-Dance. The vision was to create something happy and uplifting with lots of fun dancing. They are again at it this year with additional parties as well such as Anthem. God knows vocals reign supreme in gay San Francisco, but looking into the future is always in plan. “We are constantly looking for new ideas to try on the SF dance scene and to give them something different with different talent. We enjoy partnering with the other promoters in town to work out how we fit in and compliment the scene and I think that is working well. I love the events that Luke, Gus, Tyrone and Matt do. Each of us is creating special opportunities for the community to gather and celebrate and work it out on the dance floor. Each of us hires different talent and brings a different feel to the dance scene. I love that about the nightlife here in SF.”

With his cruiseA term used in verb form to refer to checking out another gay man, perhaps in a sexually predatory way, but primarily characterized by nonverbal signals for sex. Also can be used in noun form to refer to the person being cruised, i.e. “Don’t eyeball my cruise.” Not to be confused with a floating bathhouse of a boat chartered by Atlantis Events (see “gay cruise”). packing almost done, Jim tells me what he’s got in store for the future. He recently has started to work the lights at 525 Howard (Club NV). This would also be his first time working for the lighting crew on the Atlantis Allure of the Seas CruiseA term used in verb form to refer to checking out another gay man, perhaps in a sexually predatory way, but primarily characterized by nonverbal signals for sex. Also can be used in noun form to refer to the person being cruised, i.e. “Don’t eyeball my cruise.” Not to be confused with a floating bathhouse of a boat chartered by Atlantis Events (see “gay cruise”).. If you know Jim, you know he loves lighting since his first trip to Burning Man. A dance experience is never complete with just music – “Getting the chance to program lighting and operate them during the pa

rty really helps me add those production and emotional values to a party.” Jim is eternally grateful to have been taught by two of the best in the industry – Guy Smith of New York and William Brown of San Francisco. He is also writing more for Edge Media. Needless to say, Jim is enjoying his life and is living out his passions. That by far is the tastiest bottle of water one could ever have.

The Juice Box Presents has two parties left this year (www.juiceboxpresents.com) called Anthem (April 22) and REACH (Pride Sunday) and those should be great high energy vocal dance parties at 715 Harrison, which has great lights and sound. We really look forward to those. We are going to grow The Juice Box Presents more as we go too.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 at 7:30 am. It is filed under Partner Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.