noizemagazine - Index

noizemagazine - noiZe Magazine Issue 57 August 2008 - Index

Lewis, knew his music well, and has
a similar style. Also, since Paul has
lived in Sydney, London and
Barcelona and has played all over
the world, he brings a fresh international
vibe to the event that reflects
the changing demographics of the
international crowd.
Changing the Party Vibe
International, indeed. Magnitude
and Folsom both attract people
from all over the world. Many
Aussies attend every year, and
there’s even a regular group from
Iceland.
The event was not always focused
on creating an erotic and sexualized
environment. However, five years
ago Franco and Folsom Street
Events decided it needed a few
changes to make it more reflective
of the energy of Folsom Weekend.
The changes proved to be especially
popular with international
patrons, and the event’s popularity
grew considerably.
The first reworking included the addition
of the Dungeon Beds lounge. The L.A.
store Mr. S. Leather is sponsoring the
dungeon space with support from Titan
Studios. It will be in the basement of the
venue, with different music and a different
vibe from the main floor—darker and
sexier. Expect a steamy, safe, playground
of pleasure.
While many mainstream Circuit parties
continue to see a decline, it is a testament
to Beneduce's continuing handson
involvement that attendance at
Magnitude has been steadily going up
over the past few years.
Franco attributes the continued success
to Magnitude and Folsom’s unique place
in the gay universe. Some compare
Magnitude to New York’s annual Black
Party extravaganza.
Franco admits to some similarities, but
he hastens to point out that Magnitude
is part of a much bigger experience, one
where attendees come for a week or
longer. It is not just about a single—
albeit fun, massive and very well-produced—party.
With all this erotic self-expression going
on, you would think that it would be
hard to find a place big enough that
would be accepting of an event of this
nature.
Franco admits it is hard to find an appropriate
space in San Francisco on a
Saturday night. After producing events
for 13 years, however, Franco has managed
to build a solid reputation in the
city’s larger club community. Landlords
know that Magnitude will be a tightly
run ship, with attendees on good behavior
(but not too good!).
This year, the party is moving to the
Regency Center, a restored 1909 landmark.
The Magnitude production team
plans to transform the elegant Beaux
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Healthy Am I! Happy Am I! holy Am I!