"The newest club is opening up," goes the old Nina Hagen song, her caustic anthem to 1980s New York nightlife.
This time, the neighborhood that was filmed to look like New York's East Village (for the film Rent) is the locale for 'the newest club,' the gay-owned Club OMG!
From its robin's egg retro blue d�cor to its circular dance floor and five-projector visuals, the new venue combines intimacy with a club-like ambiance.
Co-owner Rakesh Modi said that he didn't realize how difficult the whole process would be. "Getting the alcohol license transferred, getting all the permits," he said. "It was quite a challenge. But we're open, finally!"
Started in early September with a few soft openings, Modi and co-owner Paresh Shah have been putting the pieces together for what he considers the first gay-owned South Asian-focused nightclub in San Francisco, if not the entire U.S.
The club had an enthusiastic turnout even before it opened. When the bar wasn't quite ready last month, the party was moved to a neighboring bar, where South Asian lesbians, gays and pals danced and enjoyed themselves.
Now that Club OMG is open, along with the regular evening events, Modi said they'll be focusing on corporate events for nearby tech companies and other businesses. Some nights, they're be open early at 5pm or 8pm, depending on the nights and bookings, or earlier Happy Hour events.
It's at such events where new patrons can sample the club's new signature cocktails stirred up by resident mixologist Jason O'Meara. A bar stocked with quality brands, specialty ginger and saffron martinis, margaritas and other cocktails, along with a revamped d�cor, make the trip to mid-Market a worthy adventure. With weekly Saturday Bollywood nights, the popular music form will get unique takes by guest and resident DJs.
"We want to have a presence in San Francisco," said Modi, when asked about his inspiration for starting the nightclub. His business partners owned a bar in the East Bay, and wanted to bring a South Asian LGBT presence to the scene.
"We also realized there was no club that had Bollywood music," said Modi. "We wanted to see something for ourselves. There's a large growing LGBT South Asian presence in the city, yet there is no gay Bollywood dance club in the country. So we're the first. It's also popularizing the music and the culture in a fun way.
Affiliated with the South Asian LGBT group Trikone for years, "also the first organization of its kind in the country," Modi reminded me, he's made some of the club's upcoming events fundraisers for the nonprofit.
Fans of the new Club OMG at a pre-opening party. photo: Monty SuwannukulVisit Club OMG 7 days a week, 5:30pm-2am at 43 6th Street at Market.
For more info, visit www.clubomgsf.com