p
together with their straight friends.” One thriving example is Society in Los Angeles, an “alt-gay-mixed night” held once a month at Bordello. Promoter Billy Burgess began running Society two years ago in L.A.’s Art District and aims to attract all kinds of patrons. “Everyone focuses on going to their little social space,” he notes. “This is why I got into promoting: I was tired of all the segregation and wanted an all-inclu- sive event.” Bordello is a more intimate space, with a capacity of 300 people. When Society steps in, Bordello is almost at capacity, with all the patrons dressed to the nines: evening wear freely mixes with cabaret camp, gender-bending get- ups and guyliner. And because Burgess realizes straight men may be uncomfortable at clubs with
go-go boys or dudes in leather, he wants
Success in a down econo-
my can happen, especially
if a predominantly gay or
straight bar makes the leap
to become a mixed venue,
according to Scott Seitz of
SPI Marketing.
to offer a venue where everyone can feel
at ease. The dress-up scene at Society,
in which both polished clothes and fun
costumes are the norm for attendees,
creates a relaxed, fun-loving atmosphere
for all. Recently, Burgess was pleasantly surprised when a busload of 40
well-dressed men came for a bachelor
party — although it isn’t too surprising,
considering the many straight women
who frequent Society. Burgess is proud
that Society is nearly reaching a balance
between gays and straights: “There is
something for every sexual persuasion.”
In Las Vegas, Krave, the only alternative venue to rank among the Nightclub
& Bar 2009 Top 100, has had similar
success with melding the gay-straight
bar. Krave bills itself as the city’s straight-friendly gay club. General manager
Michael Palmer notes that people come
for more than drinking and dancing: the 17,000-square-foot club’s stage is the centerpiece for the evening’s entertainment. Krave attracts traight women, who come because the club is fun and they feel safe — and Palmer’s mostly straight staff loves to have the beautiful women to flirt with (he notes that, besides himself, only one bartender and one server are gay). “People feel comfortable here,” Palmer says. “No one pushes them- selves on anyone. It’s a fun atmosphere.” And that atmosphere helps pack crowds into Krave, even as the recession
debilitates the rest of Vegas. “One of my
bartenders said the other day, ‘It doesn’t
feel like we’re in a recession.’”
Go Team!
Success in a down economy can happen, especially if a predominantly gay or
straight bar makes the leap to become a
mixed venue, according to Seitz.
“They do it by making intelligence
choices: They do something that everyone can enjoy, like an ’80s night,” he explains. Plus, he points out, neighborhood
bars have actually benefited from the
pullback in consumer spending. Instead
of buying pricey season tickets, people
can watch a game with friends at their
local gay sports bar.
“There are tons of gay sports fans.
Tons!” declares Doug Schantz, owner of
When Bordello turns into Society one night a month, patrons dress to the nines; American Idol ’s Adam Lambert visits Society.
Nellie’s
Sports Bar in Washington, D.C. Sports — and only sports
— are on the bar’s 10 televisions.
Located in a newly revitalized community,
the gay sports bar attracts locals of all
stripes who just want to hang out and
watch a game. “They began cohabitating
together,” he says of the evolution of the
crowd at Nellie’s.
People stop by Nellie’s for dinner — including many straight people
who live in the area — so Schantz has
introduced theme nights as a draw and
to keep the dinner crowd in their seats
after their meal. The crowd for Smartass
Trivia on Wednesdays is half straight and
half gay, while Drag Bingo brings in a big
contingent of straight women, and it has
become a popular event for women to
celebrate their birthdays.
