When Matt Mikesell started the Bearracuda dance party in San Fransisco back in August, 2006, his goal was simple, “I wanted it to be the most well attended bear dance night in the U.S.”
He quickly achieved that goal and two years later took the party to Seattle. The following year, Bearracuda went to Portland and New Orleans, but it was 2010 that Matt says the party really “exploded,” conquering 17 cities world-wide including Vancouver, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Chicago, and Austin. This weekend Austin sees the return of this world-class dance party, and Austin bears are ready to get their party on.
According to Bearracuda’s Matt Mikesell, Austin is the only city that truly turns his dance party into a full-on weekend of wilderness wildness, and he couldn’t be more thrilled about bringing the party back to the ATX. “For the January 22 Bearracuda, we have had an even bigger response and have noticed a lot more guys from out of town getting tickets. I’ve received emails from Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and small towns between here and there. This upcoming party should be a blast!”
Kicking off the weekend is tonight’s preview of Austin’s newest gay bar, the Iron Bear (121 W. Eighth St.). The event is hosted by Lone Star Bears, who will also be making The Iron Bear their new home bar. I stopped by the Iron Bear last week to get a quick tour from owners Roger Rozell and his partner Bengie Beshear who are excited about the preview party, but are also looking forward to their grand opening. They have a lot planned for the new bar and you can count on more about the Iron Bear as the grand opening approaches. In the meantime, the official kickoff to Bearracuda Austin weekend gets started at Iron Bear on Friday night. Doors open at 8PM. (Bring cash; the bar won’t be set up to take credit cards until their official opening in February.)
Saturday night the party heats up and the sweat-soaked fur will be pressed butts-to-nuts over at the ND at 501 Studios which is once again playing host to Bearracuda. Austin’s own filthy filly, Christeene, takes the stage at 10:30pm to shock and awe the bears with her sick and twisted urban grind and then the dancing begins. Bearracuda Austin is once again bringing back DJ Matt Consola as well as DJ boyshapedbox who will be making his Austin debut. BearUps, the folks who brought Austin, Bearz vs Zombiez, will be presenting a Bearracuda photo booth and tasty snack station. According to Mikesell’s Facebook posts, he’s expecting over 500 bears, cubs, otters, chubs, chasers, and then some.
Closing out the weekend’s hairy events is the Trailer Trash Bear Brunch at Chain Drive the following Sunday morning after Bearracuda from 11am to 3pm. Presented by Heart of Texas Bears, and hosted by the totally tasteless Rhea Sisters – Dia and Ghana. Ignoring everything our parents taught us, Lucky J’s Chicken & Waffles and Biscuits+Groovy will be feeding the bears directly from their respective trailers, in the parking lot of Chain Drive while inside a LMT will be working out those sore muscles after a weekend full of frolicking and dancing.
Austin’s bear community is stepping up to the proverbial plate to knock one out of the park and send a clear message to the rest of the world this weekend: WOOF!
This article appears in January 21 • 2011.