Somewhere between Stonewall and Will & Grace, gay culture swerved toward the mainstream. Every day in the Castro, coupled men shop at Pottery Barn; at night, barely twentysomethings in Hollister polos weave around each other to an extended Britney Spears remix at the top-40 club S.F. Badlands. Such predictability and sameness were bound to foment a revolt, and—hallelujah—a handful of renegade impresarios of queer nightlife have taken the scene into their own hands. Working in off-the-radar venues around SoMa and the Tenderloin, these free thinkers are embracing the edgy, debaucherous side of gayness and reclaiming its subversive roots in the process. The movement began with a man-about-town by the name of Bus Station John. In 2004, he started a Thursday-night party named (brace yourself) Tube­steak Connection at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, the creaky gay dive bar at Turk and Taylor. There, the bathhouse disco is loud, the dancing feverish, and the cruising reliably hot and heavy. Bus Station John inspired a new generation of old-school party promoters to follow suit—and they, in turn, now have the in crowd tracking their every move.

The players

Brontez Purnell, 26
WHERE TO FIND HIM: At the Hop! (first Tues. of every month at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge).
THE SOUND: “I play music from all genres: garage rock at the end, ’50s and ’60s R&B and soul 45s in the middle. The club jam is definitely the Drifters’ ‘Still Burning in my Heart (I Need You Now).’ That’s when I smoke the ganja and the spirits come down, bitch.”
WHEN HE'S NOT IN A BAR OR A CLUB: He’s a member of the dance band Gravy Train!!!!, set to tour this month, and of the duo the Younger Lovers. He’s also a host at the drunk tank known as Sparky’s Diner in the Castro.

Stanley Frank, 28
WHERE TO FIND HIM: At Chilidog! (Tues. at the Transfer); as the DJ at Dress Barn and Babysitter’s Club (both monthly at the Transfer).
THE SOUND: When it comes to Chilidog!’s soundtrack, Frank says, “I’m really capricious.” With a playlist that runs from the Italo-disco of Daniel Wang to the electro-alternative tunes of Róisin Murphy to the late-night anthems of the Cars and the Boss, he’s not kidding.
WHEN HE'S NOT IN A BAR OR A CLUB: “I’m a member of the sketch comedy group Funny But Mean. The name says it all.”

George Ridgely, 44
WHERE TO FIND HIM: At Trans Am, a rock and roll night with a live band and drag performances (first Sat. of every month at Eight); at the ’70s rock and punk party Chrome (third Sat. of every month at the Gangway); and at the glam indie rock night Rockstarz (second and fourth Tues. of every month at Jet).
WHEN HE'S NOT AT A BAR OR A CLUB: Ridgely is an event producer who mas­terminds such Bay Area institutions as the Castro Street Fair and Bay to Breakers. No wonder he knows how to throw a party.
HEAVEN ON A CONE: “MaggieMudd’s vegan ice cream. Come on—ice cream with less guilt? It’s just the best, whether it’s nondairy or not.”
PRAYING AT THE CHURCH OF UNLIMITED BEER: “The beer bust at Eagle Tavern is con­sistently the best place to be on a Sun­day afternoon. It’s like a weekly party in your backyard, and you’re bound to run into someone you know.”

Billy Picture, 36
WHERE TO FIND HIM: With Ridgely at Trans Am, Chrome, and Rockstarz.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN: “We wanted to cre­ate a place where the boys that look different and like different music can meet boys that look different and like different music. And everyone gets laid at Trans Am and Chrome, so mission accomplished.”
WHEN HE'S NOT IN A BAR OR A CLUB: “I’m an event producer and entertainment writer.” (Full disclosure: Picture regularly covers nightlife for this magazine. What can we say? We know talent when we see it.)
TEA LEAF SALAD, ANYONE? “Burma Superstar is so good, it’s orgasmic. But I don’t eat there very often, because the wait is such a fucking hassle.”
GETTING TRIMMED, OLD-SCHOOL STYLE: “Louie’s Barber Shop on Castro Street is not cheap, but they have real gay barbers. Who knew those existed?”

Mica Phelan, 28
WHERE TO FIND HIM: At the weekly pag­eantry mess Tiara Sensation (every Thurs. at Kimo’s); and the loosely themed art party Beast (slated for the fall at the Transfer).
WHEN HE'S NOT IN A BAR OR A CLUB: “I work on my accessory line, Horseface, and I’m also a graphic designer.”
TOP TACO: “The super chicken taco at Casa Mexi­cana taqueria is amazing. So is their mole taco. Both are the perfect amount of food for the perfect amount of my money.”