SAN FRANCISCO—Perry Mann’s 31st Annual Exotic Erotic Ball and Expo, the internationally acclaimed Celebration of Flesh, Fetish, and Fantasy, and—according to E! Entertainment TV—“The World’s No. 1 Wildest and Sexiest Party,” proudly announces its ultra-chic, beautifully scenic, and brand-spanking-new waterside home: The Craneway Pavilion.
The dates of this year’s event are Oct. 22 and 23, the weekend before Halloween.
“I am very excited,” said Mann. “We’d grown bigger, and our 30th anniversary was a milestone. Now my focus is on ‘better’, as in more exotic and erotic. The Craneway Pavilion is, by far, the nicest venue in our 31-year history and we are proud to be one of its flagship events. Our 2010 show is going to be the sexiest and most scenically beautiful show we’ve ever had.”
Through its combination of live mainstream music, burlesque, fetish, and circus performances, sexy adult-themed exhibits, political irreverence, humorous hijinks, and the bizarre, the Exotic Erotic Ball is one of the world’s most unique events. It has stood the test of time for more than three decades, regaling more than half a million attendees and attracting a plethora of celebrity guests. It champions freedom of expression, making it a favorite of sexually liberated souls throughout the world. But it’s the participation of its crowd—adorned in costumes and outfits that are colorful, creative, captivating, and often over the top—that make the show truly unrivaled; hence the Ball’s credo, “It’s the Ultimate Fantasy, and You’re the Star!”
In honor of its new waterside location, the Ball has made arrangements with two nearby waterside hotels—the Doubletree in the Berkeley Marina and the Hilton by the Bay Bridge in Emeryville—to block entire floors for Ball attendees. The Ball website offers low-cost ticket/hotel packages including taxes, transfers, shuttles, and special gifts.
The Craneway Pavilion is a state-of-the-art, industrial-chic facility at the Ford Point section of the San Francisco Bay Trail, in the Richmond Marina. It offers breathtaking waterfront views of San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, and classic western sunsets over Angel Island and Mt. Tamalpais. On the evening of the Ball, revelers will witness a full moon through the Craneway’s towering glass walls or on its adjoining 20,000 square-foot open-air patio that seamlessly blends indoors and outdoors. The Craneway is 10 minutes from Berkeley, five minutes from the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge, and it offers plenty of parking.
The 2010 Ball welcomes the revered and reviled Jim Rose, who will shock and amaze the crowd with his antics and bizarre sideshow, a perfect complement to Paul Nathan, the sinister emcee and ringleader who invented the oft-imitated Spin the Wheel of Depravity. The Ball has announced an encore performance by 2009 favorites Super Geek League, the outlandish indie band from Seattle that won the Ball’s 2009 Sonicbids competition.
Other returning favorites include the Asian Diva Girls, and acclaimed burlesque artist Shay Lynn. Among the featured performers will be The Family Stone, featuring Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famers Jerry Martini and Cynthia Robinson, who are sure to play all their fun and funky mega-hits. As always, $10,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to winners of the Ball’s three costume contests.
The 2010 Ball will also feature a “floating VIP area” that promises to be spectacular. And plans are under way for a cruise departing the Craneway Pavilion Pier as the official After Party.
The Oct. 23 full moon is also termed a “hunter’s moon,” leading Mann to comment: “Those attending the Ball this year should decide – are they the hunter, or are they the hunted? Knowing our crowd … perhaps both.”
Expo Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. Admission for those 18 and older to the Expo is $20. Ball Hours are 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday. General admission tickets for those 21 and older are $69, and VIP tickets start at $150. Ball attendees also are welcome to attend the Expo.
The Festival Hotline is (415) 567-BALL (2255). The website is ExoticEroticBall.com.
