Special Event
Rooftop Radio: The Stud
Thursday, Sept 12, 2024
5:30–9 p.m.
Floor 5
Ticket price*: $35 / $15 for members
*This event is for guests 21 and older. Ticket includes access to the entire museum (open until 9 p.m. on September 12).
Update: This event is full. A limited number of tickets will be available for sale onsite starting 3 p.m. the day of the event.
Get ready for an epic evening of joy and celebration!
For this new episode of Rooftop Radio, we’re partnering with The Stud, San Francisco’s oldest queer bar, and one of the most famous drag performance venues in the world. Enjoy two drag show sessions put together by The Stud and music by their DJ friends throughout the evening, surrounded by the beautiful city skyline.
Special food and beverages will be available for purchase. Bring your friends. Have fun!
The Lineup
5:30–6:30 p.m. | DJ Nina Sol
6:30–7 p.m. | The Stud Drag Show
Hosted by Jillian Gnarling, with performances by Natalie Ray, Die Anna, and Curveball.
7–7:30 p.m. | DJ Ducky
7:30–8 p.m. | The Stud Drag Show
Hosted by Jillian Gnarling, with performances by Sicaria, Mela Pelas, and Militia Scunt.
8–8:40 p.m. | DJ Edge Slayer
A ticket is required to attend this event on the rooftop. A limited number of tickets will be available for sale on-site starting at 3 p.m. on the day of the event.
While you’re here, roam the museum and explore all the amazing art on view.
Check out artist Kara Walker’s commission Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine) on Floor 1. Enjoy three new exhibitions inspired by sports on Floor 2: When the World Is Watching, Count Me In, and Unity Through Skateboarding.
Also, it’s your last chance to experience Creative Growth: The House That Art Built (Floor 2) before it closes on October 6. The exhibition celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the first organization in the United States dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities.
About The Stud
The Stud first opened its doors in 1966 in the heart of SoMa, a neighborhood that would later come to be known as the Leather District. Over the years, The Stud became a melting pot for San Francisco counterculture: hippies in the ’60s, disco in the ’70s, punk in the ’80s, club kids in the ’90s, and hipsters in the 2000s. The club became an inspiration to generations of musicians, artists, and designers, both queer and straight. Its ethos is summed up by a hand-painted sign that hangs in the front window: “Everyone is welcome here”—a motto the bar stuck by for five-and-a-half decades. In 2016, The Stud was purchased by The Stud Collective, a group of bartenders, drag queens, DJs, and other people involved in San Francisco’s queer nightlife, and turned into a worker-owned cooperative. After a three-year closure during the pandemic, The Stud has announced exciting news: it has recently reopened back on Folsom Street!
About the Artists
Nina Sol
Nina Sol, a nod to her Afro and Latina heritage and warm, sunshiny disposition, delivers a genre-bending soulful sound. A vinyl enthusiast who traverses time and texture, Sol’s insatiable curiosity for music discovery keeps her sets fresh and unexpected. She brings a profound energy to dance floors while spreading messages of justice, freedom, and love. Currently based in Oakland, she holds residencies at Fault Radio and at Elements.
Jillian Gnarling
Jillian Gnarling is a Bay Area-born-and-raised MC, drag performer, and longtime fan of The Stud. Known for her lowbrow humor and highbrow forehead, she is one of the beloved talking heads of The Stud’s weekly drag show, DRAG ALIVE, every Friday at 7 p.m.
Natalie Ray
Natalie Ray is a San Fracisco native with Russian and Ukrainian heritage. She is an extravagant, beautiful yet funny drag artist, and performs all over California and in the U.S. Her drag persona is inspired by her mom and sister, and beauty runs in the family. She is also a professionally trained actor and singer.
Die Anna
Die Anna is a local drag artist currently based in San Francisco and Los Angeles. You won’t be able to miss her bold personality, striking stature, and left-of-center aesthetic. In her self-proclaimed “elf era,” she dabbles in many genres of drag, including punk, glam, and camp, proving to the world that you don’t have to check one box when you can check them all at once.
Curveball
Curveball has called San Francisco home for two years now since moving here from San Luis Obispo, CA. She’s got big hair, big smiles, and big kicks! Her long legs strut in venues across the city and every Monday night for Curvy Karaoke at Beaux in the Castro.
DJ Ducky
Influenced by Jersey club, Latin dance, and queer electronic music, DJ Ducky is the queen of cuntcore.
Sicaria
Sicaria Contract Killa began her drag career in San Francisco over a year ago, and it has quickly taken control of her life and wardrobe. Sicaria was born and raised in Puerto Rico and often highlights her Latinness in her performances. Her dedication to her craft and enthusiasm for collaborating with other artists showcase her commitment to growing and thriving within SF’s vibrant drag community. You’ll often find her performing in the Castro, bringing fire acts, choreography, and revelations to stun her audience.
Mela Pelas
Mela Pelas has captivated audiences with her unique blend of humor, glamour, and theatrical flair. Originating from New Orleans’s eclectic and lively drag scene, she quickly made a name for herself after her participation in the New Orleans Drag Workshop. Her performances harness the power of storytelling to create unforgettable experiences for all who attend her shows. Her style draws inspiration from classic Hollywood glamour, Latinx pop culture icons, and avant-garde fashion, making her a standout figure.
Militia Scunt
Militia Scunt, aka Xavier Johnson, is a San Francisco–based singer-songwriter, drag queen, dancer, and actress. She appeared in Season 2 of Queen of the Universe on Paramount+ and won the Alaska ThunderF*ck and Lola LeCroix’s Drag Queen of the Year 2022 award.
DJ Edge Slayer
Atlanta-based DJ Edge Slayer, aka Zarina Crockett, takes listeners through lurid sexcapades, speculation, and affirmation as she weaves together pop, R&B, electronic, and noise traditions. A classically trained vocalist, she has been playing music since childhood — her grandfather led a nondenominational church in Louisiana where she learned music before beginning private voice lessons at nine. She moved to New Orleans and soon fell into the realm of electronic music, pivoting to DJing.