ALL PARTY SYSTEMS GO
Bar news compiled by Spacegirl Spiff
Oh Jack! Oh Jack! Sweet adieu, my most fabuloso mentor! You remain the party boy of the ages, despite the fact that you no longer pen this column. Instead, you have headed for greener pastures— and I don't mean Disney, for once. It’s now my honor to keep Watermark readers abreast of all the most recent goings on in gay and lesbian bars and nightclubs throughout Tampa Bay, Orlando and Daytona.
Everyone in Orlando is resting up for Gay Days the first weekend in June, and for the rest of the fun but exhauting Pride Month, but a few quiet events have shared the local spotlight. That’s, of course, not counting a police raid at one bar and a neo-Nazi assault at another. But more on those later, so chill for now.
CACTUS CLUB celebrated its seventh year in business, which leaves no one surprised because Stan knows how to run a bar right. Treat the patrons with respect, keep the place classy and clean, and have hunky, friendly bartenders serve mad alcohol. It works, we know it, and we love it. Even a buzzing girl such as myself loves to stop in and just chill with the crowd. And the crowd, for a Monday night, was pretty thick. Lots of people were out in force to help celebrate the maturation of an institution. (And not one of them could say "maturation of an institution" three times without dropping their 7&7s.)
THE CLUB AT FIRESTONE is, of course, just packing the pre-Gay Days parties in. The Circus Party on Saturday, May 9 will get fuller coverage in our next issue (space! I need space!), but in the mean time make plans to swing your be-boppin ass down to The Club on Saturday, May 16, for the PINK RIBBON BALL. Yes, a fundraiser for breast cancer. But this is not your usual, stiff-upper-tie event; Swingerhead will be playing to the crowd, along with Amy Steinberg, and if those two can't get you on the dance floor, you're dead. The whole shebang goes off at 7 PM, and if you are too late to buy your tickets from Ticketmaster, you can still get them at the door for — get this — the same price! Does The Club treat you right, or what? The ball is to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Ride for Life next March — brothers, this is a prime time to show us sisters that you care.
And if swing is really your thing (don't fool yourself, it is just the country line dancing of the polyester set), you might want to check out the revamped Sunset Strip, now named RAT PACKS. This huge downtown bar now serves up a swinging lounge-type atmosphere. Martinis are encouraged. I’ll withhold judgement on the family-friendliness of the new establishment until it can be checked out in person, but the Strip's "Swing Night" on Thursdays had a good gay following for a while.
A good way to start out any weekend is with great food and live music on Friday night. RANDALL BRANHAM and LUCIANO'S TERRACE fill the bill. Randall plays at the charming Thornton Park restaurant on Fridays from 6:30 to 10 PM. This is the most recent stop in Randall's never-ending quest for a venue with a grand piano, so stop by and get hooked on his unique solo work and even more unique cover tunes (hint: think lounge disco). He mixes it up, and his CD is available at the gigs. Randall is looking for his gay following. (Don’t we all want a following of hunky gay groupies?)
Recently, there has been a lot of official activity in Waterfront land: the O-Town Men in Black (Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation) raided CREWS, which had quite openly— and some would say foolishly— taken to hosting sex orgies. Hey… where else could you go for a good game of nude darts. A few patrons were arrested, generally those en flagrante or wearing white sneakers (go figure), and the place was given a stern warning by authorities. Crews is in Orlando, people— where you’re not allowed to scare the tourists! Crews remains open, though, so drop by and help restore it's reputation as a cruise bar, not a sex club.
ROMANZ, where the Galleria used to be, is now gone. Despite spending lots of dough to make the place upscale, it had its occupancy permit revoked due to building code violations. Whatever. For more on Crews and Romanz see a more detailed story on page 5 of the main section of the paper.
And everyone just put a lid on the rumors, would ya? WYLDES— next door to Romanz— is still open and busy as hell!
Sadly, though, the rumor about UNION shutting its doors for good is true as blue. Owner Joe inherited a lot of problems, and the curse that rides that property jumped on his back big time. You will hear that, you will hear this, but all you really need to know is: the place is for sale. Know any good restauranteurs looking for a home? Union needs to be revived; the idea was perfect, the food was great, and even when it was amok with problems we all loved it. A firm but loving and experienced hand is needed to guide it to glory. But then, I say that about a lot of my friends…….
And have you heard about that institution in east Winter Park that got broken up by the Neo Nazi Youth of Today? No? Well, dears, Spacegirl had the dubious honor of being at the scene when the shit went down at this WELL-KNOWN TWO-CLUBS-IN-ONE establishment. I was even bruised by one of the storm troopers while trying to extract a young girl from the fracas. (That's the chivalrous side of me; don't get used to it!) Suggestion: do not own a bar without paying for adequate security, unless you want to invite Nazi's and underage drinkers to hang out!
Lately the nightlife scene in Tampa Bay has been hopping! Hardly a night goes by when there isn't a bar or two packed with dream dates and party kidz. And things are getting even more festive with the onset of warmer weather…..
Clearwater now has a great new watering hole: CLUB MERCEDES. This Greco-Roman paradise features a friendly staff, affordable cocktails, and smiling patrons. Monday nights are already renowned for the Amateur Wet Strip Contest. A must see! And with a $100 prize plus bartab going to the winner, who can resist entering?
A long-time Pinellas landmark— the Lighted Tree in Pass-A-Grille Beach— recently reopened under the new name PEPPER TREE ITALIAN GRILL. Kim and Rose have spruced the place up, added two happy hours, and offer faaaaaabulous (two snaps a booty call!) food and affordable gay lodging. (They are closed on Tuesdays, but hey, we all need a break from the party sometimes.)
FACTORY continued their one-year anniversary celebration with the incomparable South Beach DJ ABEL from Salvation. The club was filled with hot bods and hotter sounds. Even nearby METROPOLIS loaned a couple of their strippers to add to the festivities. But the most memorable moment of the evening was undeniably the overhead drag show (here's to bettin' you won't miss the next one!). Continuing their history of fabulous Fridays, Factory brought in guest DJ Richard David (The Copa in Ft. Lauderdale) to wow the crowd on May 1, while the Bindlestiff Family Circus performed a very interesting show.
The Panty Party at CHROME on April 25 was another head-turning event at Tampa Bay's hottest Saturday night venue. When was the last time you could check your clothes at the door, instead of waiting to do that after the ride home?
As a follow up, a TAP DOGS extravaganza on May 9 gave partiers a chance to "taste" the hot Australian dance show and win tickets! The all-new CHROME dancers worked that crowd, since working it is what they do best!
As always, happy hour at THE JUNGLE brought in a packed house of party-ready revelers. The past few Mondays at CITYSIDE have also been a rewarding experience… it's always easy to meet someone new at this friendly neighborhood bar. And now the ladies have their own night at The Jungle too, called THE KIT-KAT CLUB. It's every Thursday. And speaking of The Jungle, get ready for their anniversary party this weekend! Three days of celebration, May 15, 16, and 17. Expect drink specials, Sunday BBQ, and waaaaaay too much fun.
For those looking for a little more adventurous experience, the TAMPA EAGLE recently offered up its usual array of bare-chested, leather-and-levi clad men for "Oil Wrestling and More." And affordable cocktails, too! What more could you ask for? (How about some bare-chested leather clad women oil wrestling?) With its great outdoor patio area, Sunday T-dance is just waiting to explode at this hot bar. It’s worked at Orlando’s Full Moon; there’s no reason it shouldn’t also work at the Eagle.
Those of us who still yearn for the long-gone days of Traxx can still find refuge in the fact that MECCA (Thursday and Sunday nights) and the PLEASURE DOME (Tuesday night) offeri a chance to relive the old days in Ybor City. With an "all you can drink" special every Thursday night, Mecca is sure to become the place to be. With local DJ John Carpenter spinning great tunes, it's bound to be a big success! This scpacious, second-floor bar offers velvet sofas and great music, not to mention more than a handful of hot men!
Nearby, local institution CHEROKEE CLUB continued to rock the womyn's world with the Original Halcyon and SOSUMI. If you missed that, don't fret, they will return for Memorial Day.
And look for a few new clubs to open: FICTION in Ybor City (1812 N. 17th) promises dancing and drag shows; and TEASE (at the former Tongue and Groove in Ybor) is open for Sunday T-dance.
Last but not least, for a change of pace a brief weekend junket to Sarasota proved quite a festive adventure, too. ROWDY's hosted the local AOLer's with a creative awards program — kudos to Tampa's Adrezeel for his well-deserved award! Later, at BUMPERS, the crowd was partying hardy. Lots of pretty boyz and girlz dancing the night away! Who was that tall blond in the Adidas t-shirt? Bartender Wayne was quite a treat too, and makes a mean Long Island Iced Tea!
All right, my precious little club hounds, that is all the news that is fit to print for this issue. Try to stay out of touble, and for heavens sake, let me know what you're up to!
