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A Night at Queen Out[side Lands] feat. umru, Gaszia, Jane Don't & More 

As you may know, Outside Lands came to SF this week. With prices soaring and wristbands becoming scarce, I couldn't help feeling a profound fear of missing out. Yet, I ended up having a fantastic night out and still hearing some awesome music mixed live at the Queen Out[side Lands] DJ sets at Public Works SF. I learned an important lesson; to still have a festive (and way less expensive) time when there's a major festival in town, check the local venues and find the afterparties!


Queen Out is a SF event series featuring "hyperpop and beyond for diverse friend groups ✨" that intentionally carves space for queer audiences and underrepresented artists. The DJ sets initially grabbed my attention by headlining umru and featuring performances by Gaszia, event cofounders Mama San b2b Tson, and a "secret guest" appearance by Jane Don't of Drag Race fame.



umru has produced for the likes of underscores and Charli XCX, after making a name for himself in the world of hyperpop remixes on Soundcloud and being recruited to PC Music by A.G. Cook. The party was dubbed the "unofficial Charli OSL afters" and sold out in advance. 


Public Works SF is a two-tiered warehouse style nightclub and community space in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District known for its live electronic music and quality sound system. Neon graphics representing the various artists blazoned the walls, while a disco ball and colorful overhead laser-lighting illuminated the scene. 



The night opened with local DJs Mama San and Tson warming up the crowd as folks trickled in. They did a fantastic job engaging the audience with clever and nostalgic pairings, even using elements of the iconic Kim Possible theme song over a club beat at one point. 


One of my favorite early moments featured an amped up, dance-floor-ready version of Oklou's "blade bird" that introduced a backing drum while preserving the lucid feeling of the original.


I love seeing DJ sets to hear new afterlives of my favorite songs that create novel experiences and memories with them. By the time they incorporated original remixes of Charli XCX's "Trophy," "Club classics," "Von Dutch," and "Rock Music," there was a full house dancing alongside them. 



Gaszia, formerly of X&G, took the stage next. He is a Salt Lake City-based remixer and producer renowned for progressive and genre-defying dance music. He opened his set with recently-released summer favorites, mixing tracks such as "On Your Mind" by FKA Twigs (feat. Lil Yachty) and "Let Me See Ya" by Big Freedia and SOPHIE (feat. MUNA).



His set consistently surprised and elicited cheers from the audience by mixing instantly recognizable EDM hits,  such as Frost Children's "Falling," with chopped up, bass-driven, and trance-style production elements.


He debuted a remix of Ninajirachi and Porter Robinson's newly-dropped collaboration "WannaCry" crossed with ThaiBoy Digital's "Destiny" that he mashed up he in his hotel room the day prior. You can check out the full version on his Soundcloud here.



Jane Don't was a fan-favorite on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 and mixed an eclectic catalogue of techno and pop, ranging from MGMT to Britney Spears.



She also incorporated queer anthems, such as The Blessed Madonna and Kylie Minogue's "Edge of Saturday Night" to create a set that bridged electronica and classic club fare.



"Start again, shut the blinds / I swear the rhythm 'bout to save my life / Now it's 11:59 / We're on the edge of a Saturday night"

As the night went on and umru took the platform a little before 2 am, the room had gotten noticeably darker and his signature headlamp became the clear focal point of the space. He sported a San Francisco Football Club jersey with the Muni logo stamped across the front and liberally interwove his tag "he's the best producer I've every worked with" amidst industrial-tinged instrumentals.


He remains one of the most engaging and hands-on DJs to see perform live, incorporating everything from trap, to the bassline and bouncy synth of his remix for MGNA Crrrta and Ninajirachi's "Angel Music," to a distorted, haunting version of the chorus of Dua Lipa's "Don't Start Now." I loved hearing a new mix of his breakthrough 2025 single "Pop Life" that he created with underscores.


"I want that pop life, walk right, talk nice / I want that pop life, all mine, all the time / I'm beggin' on my knees (Put your back into it) / And you got what I need (Let me see you prove it)"

The event was extended to last until 4 am; the audience was raging even as I stepped out to call a ride home and take a moment to reflect on the night. In hindsight, I probably should have grabbed an espresso martini rather than spiked slushies to better keep myself aware and dancing into the next morning. However, I have every intention of heading back to Public Works soon and making sure I'm in attendance the next time any of these exceptional artists are in town.


While I took some video for this article, I tried to use my phone at a minimum over the five hours or so I was in the space. It was refreshing to be in a club setting where the focus was on the music and the people around you, rather than how things might appear on social media. The crowd was consistently energized and everyone was dancing, which was a testament to the talent of the DJs as many partygoers had been out at the festival all day. I love finding local venues and community-led events to explore, and, in a city like San Francisco, there are always opportunities to explore new music and support quality artists if you seek them out. The following night Angel and Lulu Prost, the siblings behind Frost Children, performed at  Public Works under the names DJ Woe and DJ Hoes Mad before playing the Panhandle stage the next day. When a huge amount of talent is gathered in one city for a week or weekend, they are likely to not sit around waiting for their festival set. Even if you couldn't swing for a day pass, make sure to keep an eye out for unique opportunities to engage with live music!


What do you want to see covered on Enharmonic Magazine next? Let us know.





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