Get your glow on!

Comfort & Joy invites you to

dance in a castle afloat in

dreamscape skies — ring in

2024 glowing with

queer resolve!

12/31/2023 — 10pm to
1/1/2024 — 6am

Space 550 (550 Barneveld St, San Francisco)

Photos from Afterglow NYE

Volunteering is Closed

Those who signed up to help out with event setup or strike received a tasty lunch and free admission to the event as a THANK YOU.

If tickets are out of your price range and you can’t volunteer, but you definitely want to be in attendance:
apply for a Radical Inclusion ticket
via
our Affinity program!*

* BIPOC, Trans, Nonbinary, Latinx, female-bodied queer and other under-represented community members are encouraged to apply!

Comfort & Joy jubilantly invites you to this year's Afterglow New Year – the icy sister of our legendary Pride blockbuster – back again with wall-to-ceiling art, new queer friends and chosen family, gender-bending performative fun and the promise of quality time spent in the embrace of a most queer New Year, as we together revel in the first hours of 2024.

At Comfort & Joy we take pride in holding space for the transformational, at once celebrating the daily realness of humanity, while at the same time encouraging cathartic escape and soulful revivification via periodic commjunity gatherings. Join us as we seek to instantiate a space that is as open to our returning friends + lovers as it is welcoming to new pairs of ears who need to hear the dulcet tones of queer freedom ringing!

Starting at 10pm on December 31, 2023, until 6am on January 1, 2024 we’ll be whisking you away to a future fantasy realm where every Queen, King and Goddex gets their own castle in the sky!

Main Room DJs

Taking off in the main room, we have a coven of queer and allied shamans of sound…click on a DJ to read more about them:

  • (9-10:30pm)

    Ion The Prize, currently a resident DJ at Oasis (Princess) and Powerhouse (Cock Cage), is blazing his own trail in 2023 as a skillful selector who can balance the fun, the sexy, the familiar, and the emotional all on one dancefloor. His latest batch of house & breakbeat remixes released on Bandcamp this spring continue to beef up an immense arsenal of self-produced tracks that keep his DJ sets constantly evolving & uniquely engaging. Following recent C&J appearances at Afterglow Pride in June 2022 and 2023, and Tender Touch this past February, Ion is excited to go deliciously deep into the night with you this New Year! linktr.ee/iontheprize

  • (10:30-11:50pm)

    A familiar force in contemporary dance music, Homero Espinosa has emerged as one of the preeminent purveyors of the modern West Coast House Sound. His distinctive production approach has kept this Northern California native in the Top 20 Traxsource Deep House Artists racks, consecutively, over the last half-decade.

    Equipped with a mission objective to make you Boogie Till You Drop, Espinosa—appearing to be unstoppable—evangelizes the beat as he magically transforms dance floors of cocomotion into comatose cosmic discos, but it wasn’t all double-o-disco for this panhandle prince, who learned from the Bay Area’s best before he unleashed his own brand of stone-cold grooves upon the world.

    Over the last two decades, he has developed a unique musical perspective that blends elements of jazz, soul, and hip hop to melodically produce a sound that is as contemporary as it is timelessly classic. Along the way, gaining the valuable support of house music thought leaders such as Mark Farina, DJ Heather, and Miguel Migs with Farina featuring his tracks on his Fabric and Ministry of Sound DJ mixes, while Migs recently tapped Espinosa for an EP on his Salted Music imprint.

  • (midnight-2am)

    DJ Tiny Tim (Tim Parker) started DJ’ing with a belt-driven pair of NuMark Turntables back in 2003. An old skool raver, Tim eventually discovered Funky/ Jackin’ House and since has discovered additional love for Deep House, Disco and Nu Disco, Tech House and throws down some R&B/ Hip-Hop from time to time.

    Tiny started off DJing in Seattle. After 5 years, the return home to the Bay Area was the first step on his musical journey of rediscovering the love of art. With appearances at most of the major venues in the local SF scene and a residency at the Powerhouse—and a weekly online radio show called Housesession, Tiny has his sights set on sharing his beats across the globe.

    Combining 21 years of mixing experience with formal vocal music training and music production, DJ Tiny Tim loves to create and mix music that has a soul and is translated on to the dance floor. Check out projects and mixes at djtinytim.parkerpros.com

  • (2-3:30am)

    DJ Denise is no stranger to electronic music. Since her meteoric rise in the San Francisco underground scene in the late '90s under the guise DJ D, Denise has played countless events from Miami to Hawaii and everywhere in between, spreading her unique energy and style. Her nonchalant fader flicks and mixer tricks combined with effortless beat matching skills captivate her trainspotting fans.

    Between 2006-2013, Denise launched her music production career while concurrently running her record label, Mizumo Music.

    The label released over 180 EPs from local & international artists while her original songs & remixes were released on labels based out of Europe, Australia, North & South America and South Africa. In 2013, Denise stepped back from the label and music production to focus on developing her career as a healthcare professional. But in January 2020, just prior to the pandemic, Denise could no longer ignore her creative side and dusted off her studio computer. This decision proved to be fruitful as she grabbed the attention of DJ Dan's record label, InStereo Recordings. She now has multiple releases on this powerhouse with more in the pipeline and has ongoing collaborations with fellow InStereo artists divaDanielle, The Incredible Melting Man, Tony Covarrubias and Callback Funk.

    When she's not DJing or tinkering in the studio, you can find Denise working as an ER Nurse in Oakland, California. It is evident that her mission in life is to save lives, both on and off the dance floor. www.djdenise.com

  • (3:30-5am)

    Born & raised in the East Bay, and having moved to San Francisco in 2001, Sergio is proud of the San Francisco Bay Area's rich dance music past and especially focuses on keeping our City's traditions & history alive. His DJing style draws inspiration from legendary Chicago DJ & producer Derrick Carter, San Francisco legend and party partner Steve Fabus, Disco Diva Sylvester, and the one & only Larry Levan. Especially after reading "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" in 2000, his 'musical vision' has crystallized into wanting to present the spectrum of dance music - disco, house, funk, jazz, boogie and more - while preserving & paying respect to the vibe of the legendary clubs of Disco's Golden Age. He strives to keep the proud tradition of the DJ "speaking to the dancer" alive - through the music, lights, and other atmospheric elements of the dancefloor & club.

    In 2005, he was chosen as the New Times (SF Weekly/East Bay Express) "DJ Breakthrough" and was invited to play at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami during the Winter Music Conference. In 2006, he was awarded the title of the SF Weekly’s 2006 Music Awards "Best DJ." Most recently, he was voted BEST DJ in SF Weekly's 2010 Reader's Poll! He was also very honored to be invited to represent Go BANG! at the 2011 & 2012 San Francisco Pride festivities, and to DJ at their VIP party in the rotunda of City Hall.

Queericulum

Arrive early (~10:30pm) for a queer intention-setting play-shop:

  • Its time to dust off the old and get into the new! Come explore our best selves as we learn how to step into our truest desires and welcome in 2024! This is a time for growing connections, building community, celebrating our accomplishments, and learning how to be fully comfortable and present at a play and dance party. Come gain new skills, meet old and new friends, and celebrate the beginning to an awesome New Year!

  • Trixie Lamonte (Ariel) is a professional workshop facilitator, sex relationship confidence coach, educator, performer, and ritualist. Ariel is the co-founder of Gender Blender and Queerdome. Ariel is well known for hosting safer sex consent based play parties, gogo dancing, performing genderqueer art, and coaching people in poly, self-love, and quality communication. For more information or to hire Ariel go to polyexcellent.com

Side Room DJs

Join us as royalty in a sonic castle in the sky as we take flight with DJ sets from these fabulous souls:

  • (9–11pm)

    Prince Wolf.

  • (11pm-4am)

    Jimmy DePre

    With a sound reminiscent of the golden era of bathhouses and T dances Jimmy DePre pushes out a legacy of queer culture to new generations through tasteful track selections and innovative mixing that can only be described as cruisey, boozey & ambrosial.

    Philadelphia native Jimmy DePre began his professional DJ career in 2002 at the age of 15 landing a job with iconic radio personality and DJ, Jerry Blavat. In 2009, he began his 10 year Friday & Saturday residency at Tavern on Camac, which in 2017 was voted “Best Dance Spot” by Philadelphia Magazine. During this time, gig highlights include a residency at Bobby Viteritti’s Classics Never Die and guest spots at Shep Pettibone’s summer poolside Tea Dances in Asbury Park.

    Always curious about San Francisco, Jimmy visited in 2014 and fell in love. He played his first guest spot at Go BANG! in 2015 and quickly began traveling more and more frequently to the Bay Area. After guesting at various venues during his visits, Jimmy decided to move to Oakland in 2018.

    His knowledge, drive and unique style quickly led him to becoming a resident at Go BANG!. He’s since played, both solo and with his partner Jeremy Rosebrook, at parties put on by David Harness, Comfort & Joy, Big Muscle, Polyglamorous and Electroluxx, just to name a few. He currently spins a few times a month at Lookout and does guest spots in various Bay Area clubs and bars. As Jimmy embarks on his 20th year of sharing music, he’s excited to continue to share his passion of past, present and future with the dance floor.

    Jeremy Rosebrook

    San Francisco

    soundcloud.com/jeremy-rosebrook

Mezzanine DJs

Laying down a rock-solid foundation secure among the clouds:

  • (10pm–12:30am)

    Renowned local San Francisco underground Downbeat & House Music DJ, with a hearty appetite for championing obscure left field electronic music into his unique sets. Former employee of Amoeba Music, Tweekin' Records, In-House Records, Primal Records & TRC Distribution. These were all staples of the San Francisco community that allowed him to gain a vast knowledge of musical history. You can currently find Ivan up & down the Bay Area delivering his unique brew of thumpin' Downbeat & House Music grooves.

  • (12:30-3am)

    DJ Tomcat SF (formerly DJ Neco D) is a self-taught DJ who’s been spinning for nearly 20 years. He began playing music with Comfort & Joy in 2005 and became a resident DJ in 2019. He specializes in chill vibes with lo-fi beats to create an atmosphere that’s equal parts make-out room and cocktail lounge.

  • DJ & Melodic Storyteller

    Fly through a fusion of vocals, synths and brass as you embark upon a soulful journey through bass, funk, techno & house music with a magnetic emphasis on groove-entraining bass.

    Vertel’s sets are a sonic adventure filled with melodic mashups that promise an appeasing sonic experience.

    LET’S DANCE!

Midnight Show Performers

Leading the way to a fearlessly queer new year, take in performance by:

  • Hennessy Williams (they/them) is a Chinese American genderqueer drag performer based in Oakland. They are the reigning Mx. NorCal Quing Pageant winner and the creator & host of Royales, the only all-BIPOC Drag King show in the Bay Area. You can follow them on Instagram at @hennessy_williams

  • The Bay Area’s sluttiest drag husband, Just Jason (he/him), is a San Francisco based gogo dancer, drag artist, and activist. If he’s not busy pouring blood all over himself, you can find him being whipped on every stage around SoMa. No stranger to the events scene, Just Jason ran events for BAAAHS from 2020-2022 - including all of their community activations, rallies, and marches during the height of lockdown. His drag family may have all the titles, but he’s Just Jason. Find him on Instagram @jasonsnotoninsta

  • Miss Monstrosity (they/them) embodies cute and creepy, ooky spooky beauty. They will slay the house down with their hypnotic dance moves and on point lip sync skills. They recently stepped down as Little Mx Monster 2022. Give in to the MonStRoSitY! Follow them on Instagram at @missmonstrosityofficial

  • She's dark, sweet, and guaranteed to keep you up all night. Mocha Fapalatte. (she/her), Miss GAPA 2019-2022, is a San Francisco-based transgender Filipina-American drag queen, burlesque dancer, and kinkster. She draws inspiration from a wide range of styles and disciplines including multiple dance styles (vogue, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and modern), 1980s-90s goth culture, iconic horror imagery, and Asian-Pacific Islander (API) culture. In her spare time she is the Vice President of the Prism Foundation and sits on the board of directors for Folsom Street, advocating for the queer, trans, and API communities.

    You can find her on Facebook at Mocha Fapalatte and on Instagram @MochaFapalatte.

  • The Bay Area's Gothiccc Non-Binary Sensation, Redd FaFilth, Apocalyptic Mx Queen of 2020 & RORSHOK Annus Novus Champion of 2022! This stage-stomping Drag Monster is known for their nerdy pop-culture references, killer makeup looks, and monstrous attitude. Get Redd-y to be SLAYED! Be sure to follow The Moody Beauty on Instagram @ReddFaFilth and TikTok @CreepsCreations

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Touch of Venus: Lace & Chains 2024

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Groove'n Touch 2023