When asked to create a nightlife spinoff mini-magazine for the Bay Area Reporter, it took me only a few seconds to devise the title, BARtab. Production designer Kurt Thomas took a little more time to develop the intricate beer coaster logo. BARtab premiered on May 6, 2010, with a photo by Georg Lester of nightlife notable Cip Cipriano at the much-missed Cockfight at Underground SF.
Some cover shoots by Lester, as well as Steven Underhill, were more intricate, with extensive setups, and even costumes. BARtab also introduced our BARchive LGBTQ nightlife history column, and ran for three and a half years until we folded it back into the newspaper as a third weekly section.
By early 2020, as the pandemic hit, BARtab was absorbed back into the arts section. As nightlife continues to recover, we look forward to offering more features on nightlife events.
To view vintage issues, visit issuu.com/bayareareporter.
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