^UP

Hate techno? Pablo Gomez sure doesn’t, and neither do his buds Joe Bear or Shane Silkey. In fact, the DJ trio (also known as AreFriendsElectrik?) partnered up with .anti_space’s Justin McBee to present ^UP, their weekly Saturday dance night in the upstairs lounge of Homme, 138 West Camelback, to showcase their love for the much-maligned EDM genre. “We got the beats that will loosen up your butt cheeks,” Gomez reports on his MySpace page, and he ain’t kidding, as all four DJs dole out different flavors of techno that’ll make you want to hit the dance floor, whether it’s electro from Carl Craig, the minimal stylings of Richie Hawtin, Italo disco by Giorgio Moroder, or the Microhouse of Isolée. This quirky quartet of turntablists also shares their record decks with such weekly guests as local beat juggler Back Ted N-Ted, who just retuned from wowing crowds at SxSW and stops by on Saturday, March 31. The techno takes off at 9 p.m. and there’s no cover. Call 602-234-3023.