Matt Charnock, Author at Underscore

Yet Another San Francisco Gay Bar Has Been ‘Deactivated’ on Instagram Without Any Prior Warning

16Sep

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Yet Another San Francisco Gay Bar Has Been ‘Deactivated’ on Instagram Without Any Prior Warning

Beaux's Instagram account was removed from the Meta-owned platform abruptly on Tuesday, September 15 — sparking outrage and serving as another example of an SF-based queer venue being suspended from the app. For the second time this year (and the third time since 2025), Beaux, the popular queer watering hole and nightlife venue in The Castro, has had its Instagram profile deactivated. The reason? An all-too-familiar one for gay nightlife venues across the country: violating community guidelines … presumably because of the account's queer affiliation. “Last night, Instagram suspended Beaux's THIRD account, [at]beauxnightclub, without any warning or violations of community guidelines,” reads a post, collectively authored by six handles, one of which is owned by San Francisco-based dr...

The Weekend Catch-Up: SF Opera Goes on Strike, Opening Night Axed as Schedule Remains in Limbo

15Sep

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Hyperlocal News + Stories

The Weekend Catch-Up: SF Opera Goes on Strike, Opening Night Axed as Schedule Remains in Limbo

Plus: OpenAI has pulled the brakes on going public this year amid "safety concerns," and a cluster of earthquakes rattled the SF Bay Area's most dangerous fault this weekend. Less than 24 hours before unionized musicians under the sixth locale of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) were set to open the 104th season of the San Francisco Opera, the group announced on social media that its contract negotiations had failed to materialize, prompting them to collectively go on strike. As a result, what would’ve been the SF Opera’s debut show for the season was abruptly canceled; no rescheduling of the show has been announced, and the entire season remains in limbo as union contracts for the participating musicians remain at a stalemate. "San Francisco Opera is increasing revenues ...

So… Did Lady Gaga Quietly Move to the SF Bay Area Full-Time?

15Sep

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Hyperlocal News + Stories, News to Know

So… Did Lady Gaga Quietly Move to the SF Bay Area Full-Time?

Mother Monster sent shockwaves through the internet over the weekend when she was spotted in Marin holstering (presumably) her first-born child. Social media was put into a frenzy over the weekend when news broke that 16-time GRAMMY winner Lady Gaga had (secretly) welcomed her first child into the world. Her fiancé and San Francisco-based entrepreneur Michael Polansky were photographed in Northern California — Marin, specifically — walking through a parking lot, the newborn coddled inside a baby sling around Gaga, the infant's head resting on her chest. View on Threads The pictures, which were acquired and released initially by Page Six, of Gaga and her newborn have garnered tens of millions of impressions across social media; keen “little monsters” noted that ...

The (Belated) Long Weekend Catch-Up: RuPaul Stuns in San Francisco, His Favorite (American) City

14Sep

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Hyperlocal News + Stories

The (Belated) Long Weekend Catch-Up: RuPaul Stuns in San Francisco, His Favorite (American) City

Plus: Shorelines around the Bay Area will rise about a foot over the next few weeks, peaking in October. RuPaul, who’s now well into his 60s, continues redefining aging norms and what vivacity means in your life’s third act. In addition to his proclivity for filming automotive PSAs, RuPaul is a prolife globetrotter — one who has famously gone on record to say that San Francisco is his favorite (American) City. His previous Instagram posts and Stories have given followers a rundown of his favorite SF activities: a plush stay at the Ritz-Carlton, a nostalgia-soaked spin around Church 8 Wheels Roller Rink, and a meaty indulgence courtesy of John's Grill are among his must-dos. More recently, RuPaul has added DJing in the seven-by-seven — most recently at the Midway this past weekend. ...

Woodside Fire Produces Worst Air Quality in World; NorCal Fire Charts Rare Burn Path

31Jul

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Nature + Climate Crisis, News to Know

Woodside Fire Produces Worst Air Quality in World; NorCal Fire Charts Rare Burn Path

Wine Country is contending with another life-threatening blaze — one that’s creating dangerous breathing conditions. The Sonoma Coast was perfumed with the smell of crackling bonfire Thursday afternoon when a wildfire began burning off Highway One. Dubbed the Woodside Fire, it's since exploded to over 140 acres; as of Friday morning, only 30% of the blaze is contained, per Cal Fire. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jeff Ranieri (@jeffranieri) Skies above communities in Sebastopol and Guerneville — the latter unincorporated metro currently the host of Lazy Bear, one of the country’s largest queer events centered around all things brawly men and body hair — became particularly dark T...

The (Belated) Weekend Catch-Up: Beloved SF Drag Cabaret Venue Reopens After Months-Long Rehaul

23Jul

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Hyperlocal News + Stories

The (Belated) Weekend Catch-Up: Beloved SF Drag Cabaret Venue Reopens After Months-Long Rehaul

Plus: Another PG&E outage left thousands in San Francisco without power Saturday for over six hours. With queer watering holes and venues hanging on by a bedazzled thong, any gay bar’s opening (or in this case: reopening) is worth a headline. In San Francisco, few performance spaces, queer-centric or otherwise, hold as much importance and cultural cache as the drag cabaret bar, Oasis. Nestled inside SoMa and coiled by a sidewalk-to-ceiling mural, the beloved queer hub announced its planned shuttering in July of last year; a blog post by the business noted “rising cost of operations, paired with declining attendance and sales” ultimately served as the final nail in the coffin. But in an almost conspiracy-inspiring series of events — as if its preemptive closing served ...

The SF Dish This Week: Popular Food Magazine Crowns SF Eatery as Having America’s Best ‘New Pizza’

12Jul

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Food + Drink, News to Know

The SF Dish This Week: Popular Food Magazine Crowns SF Eatery as Having America’s Best ‘New Pizza’

Plus: $8 croissants have entered the chat as the next Millennial meme-worthy foodie expense ... even giving avocado toast a run for its money. San Francisco, though a gastronomic mecca, often escapes “best of” lists for pizza consumption. (We’ve got authentically infused burritos and farm-to-table plates on lock, thank G*d.) But that presumed prejudice is slowly shifting away, thanks to a new generation of pizza makers who aren’t afraid of stepping outside presumed norms. Jules is becoming a class favorite, putting their own spin on New York-style thin-crust pies pulled from their restaurant at 237 Fillmore Street. The likes of Eater SF and the Chronicle deem it a regional staple; its char-speckled crusts — known as “leporading” (perhaps my favorite niche-pizza-making-fact) — famou...

The Workweek Catch-Up: San Francisco Queer Man Reported Missing This Week Found Safe

11Jul

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Hyperlocal News + Stories, News to Know

The Workweek Catch-Up: San Francisco Queer Man Reported Missing This Week Found Safe

Plus: A quick assemblage of (fake) homeless encampments sparked more than a few "311" calls in San Francisco's Financial District earlier this week. Friends and family of 32-year-old Gabriel Carreon noticed his absence and lack of communication this past week had grown uncomfortably long; Carreon was last seen on July 7th around noon. Up until Saturday morning, he was reported missing in San Francisco. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Reggie Aqui (@reggieaqui) Given the wave of recent anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment and growing number of hate crimes directed toward queer people — trans women remain the most vulnerable demographic to homicide, with the demographic being four times more like...

SF’s Fleet of Self-Driving Cars Prove Their Biggest Opps Are Fireworks

9Jul

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Hyperlocal News + Stories, News to Know

SF’s Fleet of Self-Driving Cars Prove Their Biggest Opps Are Fireworks

Mayor Lurie has condemned San Francisco's transit nightmare over this past 4th of July weekend, promising that October's Fleet Week won't suffer the same headaches. Fourth of July in San Francisco is, ostensibly, a laughable affair. (That … and there’s an incredibly small list of celebratory items to wax patriotic.) Fireworks disappear into dense blankets of fog; cold, windy weather makes outdoor evening festivities less than enjoyable; and the most visible fireworks, barenone, are those set off illegally in neighborhoods until the wee hours of the morning. A more recent happening — the entire city of San Francisco having access to driverless Waymo rides since June of 2024 — is the presence of bricked self-driving cars causing pandemonium all over SF. The problem, which has been well d...

Fireworks Cause Rare Wildfire in San Francisco on Telegraph Hill Along Hard-to-Reach, Narrow Road

6Jul

By Matt CharnockNo Comments

Hyperlocal News + Stories, Nature + Climate Crisis, News to Know

Fireworks Cause Rare Wildfire in San Francisco on Telegraph Hill Along Hard-to-Reach, Narrow Road

A Sunday evening fire smoked in one of San Francisco's most wildfire-prone neighborhoods after a rogue firework detonated near Calhoun Terrace, igniting the precarious brush fire. Despite its urban density, San Francisco’s wildfire risk remains unusually high, with likelihoods of forest fires expected to increase around 50% over the next 30 years due to a combination of urbanization and climate crisis outcomes. That said, true wildfires remain exceedingly rare within the city limits; the vast majority of fires the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) responds to annually are structural fires. Sunday night, SFFD snuffed out a wildfire on Calhoun Terrace in the Telegraph Hill area — a rare blaze inside one of SF’s more metropolitan neighborhoods. The San Francisco Fire Department is ...