BijouBlog

Hi Guys! Will Seagers here to share some more Castro Neighborhood memories from the past. The focal point is the Moby Dick Bar, which I'm glad to report is still open. Once again this comes from the perspective of having been an employee. Hope you enjoy reminiscing!

 

It is sort of strange that I wound up DJing at three of the Castro Neighborhood's most prestigious bars when I was never a bar person. I did dabble in it back in my early 20s when I lived in New York City. I enjoyed the music and sexual energy of bars like The Eagle and The Anvil in particular. This was a good thing to have in my memory banks as when you are playing at stand up bars rather than dance clubs, you are creating background music to help the guys "achieve their goals!"

Routinely, as I mentioned in a prior blog about The Badlands, I played Sunday evenings right after Timmy Rivers. I had a nice little SAAB sedan that I drove from my apartment in the South of Market area to work. Parking was always a nightmare. My first choice was always on Hartford Street... just down the block from the Moby Dick Bar and two blocks from The Badlands. Frequently I lucked out. With my smart canvas bags full of records, I would pass by Moby Dick and notice the crowd. That wonderful music that spilled out the front doors sure helped me get in the party mood to play my shift at Badlands!

Moby Dick was a popular spot. Both music and people were to be found spilling outside of the place! Physically it was charming, a converted turn of the century retail store that had been painted in very Gay Colors. It's key feature was an enormous aquarium behind the bar... hence the name. There were two levels; the main level where the bar was located and surrounded by major windows. Then up a few steps was a gaming area with pool table and pinball machines. Off to the side of this upper level was a nearly hidden DJ booth.

I think how I started there is almost a blog in itself! My dear friend Michael Goglia, Moby Dick bar manager and former bartender at the Badlands, called me in a panic on New Year's Eve 1990 in the afternoon. He said his main DJ, Vincent Carleo (who was also a friend and who I greatly admired as a DJ for decades), had taken ill and could not play that night. I hadn't played out for several years but leapt at the opportunity! Needless to say, the rest of that afternoon I spent putting together my New Year's Eve ensemble. I have always kept a fully functional mixing system in my homes including a Technics RS-1506 open reel deck upon which I recorded my ensemble.

So, I arrived at the bar which was already partying and festive with my bags of records and my New Year's Eve mix. I was slightly nervous - but ready to take on the night! I was familiar with all of the equipment. At first, I was a bit put off by the location of this booth - there was no view of the bar or main floor. Up until this point I had always gauged how and what I was going to play by watching the crowd. That all changed very abruptly! So, midnight was quickly approaching and I got my program cued up on their open reel deck. At the stroke of 12, I started with the bells and alarm clocks from "Time" from Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." As the bells faded into the heartbeats, I brought in "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copeland and followed that with a very popular disco hit by Thelma Houston - "Don't Leave Me this Way." The crowd went nuts and the cheering was even loud in my remote booth. Soon after the midnight celebration, Michael came rushing to the booth with a shot (and a line) to congratulate me on rocking the crowd. I do have my own rather unusual musical style. But, I had no idea that it would have been so well received. Michael was so happy that he was teary-eyed. He relayed to me the brilliance of using "Fanfare" followed by "Don't Leave Me this Way" - Aaron Copeland had just recently passed and I never even knew it! I know that my guardian angel was looking out for me! Michael then asked me to be a permanent member of the staff. After accepting, I enjoyed my final year and a half in San Francisco playing my heart out at Moby Dick Bar!

Moby Dick Bar's contemporary exterior
 

Previous blogs in DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO series:
The Castro Theatre - Josh Eliot
The Badlands - Will Seagers
The Midnight Sun - Josh Eliot

 

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted career and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model and film performer. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

 

 

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:
Welcome Matt/Will
What's For Dessert?
On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die
Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach
Honeymoon in the Palms
Birds of a Feather
The Stereo Maven of Castro Street
The Pass Around Boy
The Ecstasy and the Agony
Fitness and Fantasy: The Early Gyms
Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun: My Story of Sun Worship and Where It Got Me
Becoming Invisible
The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray
Pin Money
One Organ Leads to Another! Part 1
The Wheels of Steel
Feast and Famine: The 1970s to the 1980s
An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills
Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized)
Now and Then
DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands

 

This will be a rather unique addition to all of the blogs that I have written in the fact that Jules my editor, is sitting right next to me here in my home!

From the very beginning of taking on the blog, Jules has made me feel completely welcomed and comfortable joining the Bijou stable of creativity! So, in all honesty this will be a blog of dual input! Jules tone of voice and lack of immediacy eased me into wanting to become a writer and part of this project which I have embraced!

It all started with a simple question posed by blog writer "Madam Bubby," who at the time was writing for Bijou. And that question was, "Whatever happened to Will Seagers?"

Being a classic porn lover myself, I happened upon the Bijou site one night back in 2018. I brazenly responded back to that question with, "I am alive and well and living in the Southwest with my partner of 20+ years!" And to that the lovely Julia (at that time) emailed me to ask for an interview that we later did by phone.

Our 2019 attempts for communicating were soon hampered by COVID. It was a difficult time to launch a new project. But, we managed to do the phone interview. This was to be followed by the series of blogs that were delayed for two years. Unfortunately, there was a period of silence. The whole world was at the behest of this pandemic.

Rekindled! Fast forward to March of 2022 and we picked back up where we left off without missing a beat. Our communications took on the feel of two friends talking - not a distant business relationship! For me, my writing took on a new dimension of one-to-one conversation. This was mostly due to the encouragement of my (new friend) Jules... a change was in progress for the two of us!

The friendship part of this was also greatly enhanced by the fact that we were both devotees of Astrology. We had both studied this ancient Art/Science for many years. What we had to share took on a life of its own. We compliment each other in the enormous knowledge needed to converse in this specialty. Jules is great at assembling the charts and data so needed in the process. Whereas my gift is an innate ability to be able to synthesize and apply this info. This partnership is outstanding. This is a science/language with which we are both FLUENT!

How does all of this relate to a porn blog? Quite simply, we are better communicators. When you get to the point with a friend where you finish each other's sentences... that's a good pairing!

Back to work! I am primarily the writer. Jules is the assembler/editor. In my fury to get all of these story lines out of me and into a usable writing format, some shpilkes occasionally takes place! Jules puts me at ease with suggestions and compliments. So, as a duo we work quite well together. Over the past year or so we have grown close. I mandated that we needed to have an in person visit. Also, we have grown close enough to share some very personal life goals and accomplishments.

I met Julia at the beginning of this journey. It was also at this point that Jules was starting to emerge. After the "silence" of the pandemic and we got back in touch - and rolling - there were some changes. It was Jules that brought my attention to the deepening of his voice... it was deeper, quite deeper. And, then I was (finally) graced with more recent photos of him. I got to see the "Then" and "Now" pics. Keep in mind these photos were from over a year ago. Jules is still moving forward quite nicely! When I picked him up at the airport just a few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised at all of the accomplishment towards his goal.

As I already knew, my Alan and Jules would really hit it off. It has been a great visit. Also, well worth mention was the New Year's eve get together at my bestie Mac's house where everyone welcomed Jules into the fold. A great time was had by all!

I am truly blessed with meeting and working with Jules! I can feel the universe is conspiring in my favor. For, this comes at a time when I am also in a special period - one of deep retrospection. Soon to be 72, I am looking back at a life that has been blessed with some very rich experiences. I am grateful for my friend and "Co-worker" Jules!

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted career and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model and film performer. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.