BARtab :: Bars
The Raid on Tommy's Place - a case of Cold War anti-queer crackdowns
Paranoia, red-baiting and homophobia swept across the United States in the early 1950s like a cold fire, and San Francisco was not exempt from its reach. The vile Joseph McCarthy and his toady Roy Cohn engaged the country in the Army-McCarthy hearings.
Fickle Fox's founder, Don Cavallo - The multi-talent also created community
Don Cavallo, a multi-talented restaurateur, actor and singer was also one of the first writers for the Bay Area Reporter. He seized the scene in San Francisco and made it his own from his 20s on, including opening the Fickle Fox.
Hole in the Wall's 25th - Celebrating a quarter century of beer, bikers and rock & roll
On Saturday April 13, the Hole in the Wall Saloon will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a party. The bar is best known for its colorful (some say surreal) decor, and for its rock music.
Best Bars and nightclubs - 2019's reader favorites
The Besties give us an opportunity to visit some longtime favorite watering holes, to visit some of the newer venues in town and unfortunately to note the passing of one venue.
Bestie Peeps - Your favorite singers, MCs, dragsters and DJs
They love the nightlife, they love to boogie. And this year, our creatures of the night like to mix it up. We've got all new winners in the bartending category, a ladies rout in the comedy club, and a wake-up call in the gogo guys competition.
Best Events - Weekly, monthly and one-off parties rock
From drag shows to dancing bears, game nights and beer busts, cubcakes, mangos and other treats, your choices for Best Nightlife Events truly represents a diverse menu of options.
Divas' denouement: Historic bar to shutter this week
Divas, the Polk district bar and nightclub that had long been a safe haven for the transgender community, will be closing its doors on March 30. The bar will celebrate its many years of service to the community with a closing night party.
Divas bar to close March 30
Divas nightclub, one of the last vestiges from the days when Polk Street was a major gay and transgender hangout, will close its doors at the end of March.
Ann and Maxine Weldon – allies from before Stonewall to the AIDS era
Ann and Maxine Weldon from Bakersfield, performed in clubs beginning in the 1950s, and developed relationships with their gay audiences that came to benefit both the audience and the performers.
Boy Division @ Cat Club
Boy Division, the monthly New Wave, goth, queer pop night, included groovy retro sounds, plus drag queens and puppets! The diverse crowd enjoyed a Dark Room drag show, and grooving to The Cure, Depeche Mode and other faves with DJ Xander at the Cat Club.
Lenny Mollet – The Godfather of Chez Mollet and other bars
Lenny Mollet was a Grand Duke of the Ducal Court, the president of the Tavern Guild, and one of a generation of gay men who fought for a place of their own in the city. He owned a gay bar in San Francisco a decade and a half before the Stonewall riots.
Ministers, homophiles and raging cops - How a raucous New Year's Day ball changed San Francisco
History sometimes seems ruled by events with unintended consequences. That certainly is the case with the Mardi Gras Ball at California Hall, which happened on January 1, 1965. It's an event that's been called 'San Francisco's Stonewall.'
Grand Opening @ Jolene's
Jolene's, the new queer bar in SoMa, opened last weekend to much local appreciation. A soft opening on Dec. 15 included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and the return of Uhaul, now each Friday, marked the first week of events.
A Celebration of Streetbar - How the first gay bar in Palm Springs signaled a change
Palm Springs has been associated with the gay community for a very long time. But it wasn't always friendly. Streetbar became a pioneering business by breaking new gay ground in 1991.