The biggest, oldest queer bar in Greensboro is closing.
Literally. As I type.
It’s been here, under various names and owners, for nearly thirty-five years. I haven’t set foot in the damned place in over twenty. But I’m here tonight for the farewell as a favor to a friend. Hated the place in 1984. Hate it even more now. Enough said. I won’t miss it. Big “one size fits all” queer dance clubs like this are from another time, and I’m really okay with being on the back end of that scene.
Non-surprises:
- Crappy music.
- Annoying drag show.
- The realization that no one I still know (or would ever hope to meet) can be found in a big queer dance club in Greensboro NC.
Worst Saturday night ever. Or at least since 1984 or so…
I can’t get excited about big gay bars anymore, either. I remember back in the late 80s and into the 90s, it seemed like my friends and I were living the life going out all the time. What a total waste of time. I never went to the one up there, but I don’t care if I ever walk into Legends in Raleigh again.
Yeah, when you don’t dance and you really hate the music, there’s not much to love. One of the very few things I miss about SF is the fact that there were little corner queer bars with rock and roll and cheap beer.
I have approximately the same level of interest in most “gay culture” that you do, though I’m not nearly so bitter about it. Then again, I didn’t just spend several hours in a venue that I couldn’t stand. That might be enough to get me in a resentful mood, too.
I’m actually a mere shadow of my old, bitter self, and my outlook is comparatively positive these days. Although I may still be a bit more easily annoyed than the average person, I can shake it off much better than I used to, and people have actually started referring to me as good-natured–albeit maybe not frequently. I really define myself more in terms of what I like than what I hate nowadays.
But damn, this night was a big pile of suck. So was this bar :)