San Francisco LovEvolution 2009 on October 3rd was a weekend of many firsts like my first MUNI ride and first time saying, "Can you see me? I'm by the drunken coma guy." The festivities began at noon with a parade of many themed floats put together by DJs and their friends. These floats would later be a key element in the actual LovEvolution grounds.

I arrived and parted with $10 for admission. It was crowded with people of all ages. Why would anyone bring his/her child to an event where public nudity is abundant and the possibility of being trampled is high? I was pretty skittish upon first entering as I am not used to so many people in one place. My first 15 minutes were spent adjusting to the massive amounts of people and the rest of the day was spent trying not to be squished. However, I had a good time and it was worth the $10.

Around the square you could partake in dancing, eating, purchasing souvenirs, and most importantly DRINKING. Of course, you had to go to a special booth and have your ID verified. I did not bother getting in the massive booze line. There were only a few local vendor booths with an urban hippie theme. The food booths were amazing and bountiful and mostly a variety of BBQ. Water wasn't too difficult to acquire, which was good because it was a workout dancing and walking. Most attendees seemed to prefer the mixed drinks and Red Bull as I stepped over a few people who overindulged in the drinking. I tended to favor a pirate themed booth, which I believed was called Love and Crossbones. As a cosplayer I was looking at the assortment of costumes and themed outfits. The apparent trend was bright colors with minimal fabric.

The official festivities ended at 8:00PM and everyone went to their individual after parties. I did not attend as the closest ones were incredibly pricey at $80. Instead I took a MUNI-ficent adventure and got lost about 49 streets away from my intended destination. I ended the night with a small party and woke up with a large headache. Overall if asked whether or not the event was worth attending I would have to give it a strong yes. Even if the theory of evolution or love seems to escape you, I recommend checking out LovEvolution. Just remember to carry as little as possible, keep hydrated, and bring cash.

Raving my way to the muscle cream,

Photographs provided courtesy of Ryan Cho.