It's time to two-step: Top 10 Gay C&W Bars

Hightail it to the country’s coolest country bars.

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Aefa Mulholland

Posted on Advocate.com March 27, 2009

Queer country cool moseyed into the spotlight with the runaway success of Brokeback Mountain, but gay country bars had been steering us through their doors for decades before Ennis and Jack hit the big screen. We tip our hats to the fabulous herd of country bars that rope us back in over and over again; from the East Coast to the midst of the Big D, we present the country's Top 10 country bars.

1. THE ROUND UP SALOON, DALLAS
www.roundupsaloon.com
The best country bar in the nation, hands down, the Round Up is all you can ask for in a C&W bar. Hot cowgirls and cowboys swirl the floor of this country-western dance delight nightly. Karaoke stars in the Victorian Parlor Bar. Shots hit the spot at the rowdy Tequila Bar. Six bars with different characters attract a hot crowd of local good ol’ boys and girls.

2. HOEDOWN’S, ATLANTA
The Daisy Duke of country bars, Hoedown's is a sassy Southern stop. A friendly atmosphere and free two-step lessons help newcomers feel at home. Located in the Midtown Promenade shopping center across from Piedmont Park, Hoedown's has been doing the do-si-do for over 10 years. It's one of the only truly 100 percent country-and-western gay bars in the country.

3. BRAZOS RIVER BOTTOM, HOUSTON
www.brbhouston.com
The BRB is a sizzling-hot haven of behatted hotties. Three bars, a packed dance floor, friendly bartenders, and even a boot-shine stand lure the boys in for a Houston hoedown. The jukebox bar is a quieter option. Excellent shows are scheduled, and Saturday nights are crammed with friendly folks who are light on their feet.

4. THE FINISHLINE, OKLAHOMA CITY
www.habanainn.com
Open daily (at high noon, of course,) the Finishline at the Habana Inn is the place to kick up your heels on Friday and Saturday nights -- with a large dance floor, big screen TV, darts, and two pool tables. On special events weekends, such as Rodeo Weekend, the entire hotel is crammed with cowboys.

5. CHARLIE’S, DENVER
www.charliesdenver.com
Catch a Broncos game or kick up some dust during an IGRA Bust and Show night at this "straight-friendly" gay country-western and pop dance club located in the heart of Denver, within walking distance of the Colorado State Capitol and just minutes from downtown. Careful which part of the bar you go into; Charlie’s offers a pair of deuces -- there’s a techno and R&B side to the bar, too. 

6. REMINGTON’S, D.C.
www.remingtonswdc.com

A two-level partner and line-dancing palace on Capitol Hill, theme nights also star on Remington’s country-saturated calendar. Four bars and dance lessons on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays add to the allure.


7. BADLANDS SALOON, LAS VEGAS
Badlands takes the bovine theme to a whole new level. Beyond the faux-log-cabin frontage and lassoed sign, cows adorn every available surface. A cow-painted pool table and the over-30 crowd await in this predominantly male neighborhood bar. The jukebox is crammed to the rafters with all the hits, both country and Western.


8. CHARLIE’S, CHICAGO
www.charlieschicago.com
It’s hard not to love a bar with a sparkling saddle disco ball, but look beyond the sparkle and you’ll find plenty more to make you stay awhile. Hot bartenders, a crowd of friendly cowpokes, and country music till 2 a.m. (after which time it heads over to house music) make this one a winner.

9. CASH COUNTRY INN, PHOENIX
www.cashinncountry.net
The best and largest lesbian country-western dance club in Phoenix boasts a fine stable of hot, hot, hot women roped in by darts, football, and Tuesday- and Wednesday-night dance lessons to prepare you to stampede on Saturday, when the place fills up with careering cowgirls.

Greetings!
I am so happy to announce we have a meeting place and I will be out handing out fliers as soon as they are printed. This week very soon, I hope.
Just so you know...
Meetings will be held every Thursday
at The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast
3050  1st Ave South
St Petersburg, FL
and will be starting the first Thursday in July.
Time - 1:2:00p We have the meeting room until 2:30 in case it runs over, etc.
My number will be on the fliers for people to call.
The first and third Thursdays will be gay groups and the second and fourth will be straight groups.
We are hoping that this is a huge success and believe if we keep it positive, it will be.
HealthStat Rx and ASAP, Inc are copartnering in this adventure.
I will be the primary facilitator and we will have educational, positive groups.
If anyone is interested in participating, please feel free to email me or, if you have input, that is great.
I wanted to please everyone but unfortunately, for now, the group has to be during the day.
Please feel free to share this info or my email or phone with others.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
See you soon!
Cathy Lammers
727-278-4605
HealthStat Rx

Gypsy Productions Inc.

“The Theatrical Alternative”

Artistic Director Trevor Keller

At

The Crown Theatre

Club Nautico

3 Guys In Drag Selling Their Stuff

By Edward Crosby Wells

Directed by Daniel Harris

Gypsy Productions Inc. at The Crown Theatre, Club Nautico will open 3 Guys In Drag Selling Their Stuff by Edward Crosby Wells on Friday June 19, 2009 at 7:30 P.M.

3 Guys In Drag Selling Their Stuff will run June 19, 2009 thru July 19, 2009 with performances Thursday (2-4-1), Friday, Saturday at 7:30 P.M. and Sundays Matinees at 3:00 P.M. In celebration of St. Pete Gay Pride there will be no show Saturday June 27, 2009. Monday June 29, 2009 will be Hospitality Night; show time is 7:30 with Tickets for those in the Hospitality field, $10.00.

Diva (Gregory P. Milton), Lillian (Brent Ballard), and Tink (Miss Kitty Meow), are having a yard sale to raise funds for a Faberge egg in which to place the ashes of Diva's dead husband. Diva bosses Lillian, whose principal expertise is making punch with ingredients that could fuel a rocket. Tink is confined to a wheelchair, mostly comatose, but when she does try to make herself heard, the others invariably misunderstand, causing dire consequences. The miscommunications of this misfit trio cause a friend to be run over by a pickup truck while trying to cross the street with her walker. We meet an entire neighborhood of characters through the eyes of the "ladies" during the course of their yard sale, including Diva's mother who has the yard wired with eavesdropping devices and is listening in from her room in a nursing home across the street. Finally, in an explosive climax, the day's shenanigans result in a police shootout when someone plays with a starter pistol filled with blanks.

"3 Guys in Drag Selling Their Stuff is side-splitting, to say the least . .. . wicked wit. . . hilarious. Wells' script is silly, but structured and sprinkled with sensitive moments that further endear his characters to audience members."
—Elias Stimac, New York Off-Off Broadway Review

                “3 Guys' provides color coordinated joys and sorrows . . . a surreal but touching comedy by Edward Crosby Wells. Whether you call them drag queens or cross-dressers, whether or not you admire their heightened appreciation for the extra dimensions of style in female clothing, these males have all the human emotions of everyone else. Just because their joys and sorrows are more color coordinated doesn't mean they are different . . . a quickly moving production that puts the emphasis on heart. These three guys may be in drag but they aren't flouncing around or calling up all the gay stereotypes. They know firsthand that going through life in a dress is tough enough when you're a gal. Much more, when you're not. So what if they feel more comfortable in heels. They are still willing to take out the garbage, to do their part. Ultimately, you have to admit that courage in any gender is a quality to be admired.”
—Chuck Graham, Tucson Citizen

Theatre tickets are $20.00 General Admission.  Tickets may be purchased with a MasterCard or Visa by calling 727-644-7077 or by e-mail to Trevor@gypsyproductions.org or info@gypsyproductions.org . Tickets will be sold one hour prior to each show or by reservation. The Theatre will open one hour prior to show time. Club Nautico offers happy hour beginning at 2:00 P.M. Reservations are strongly recommended.

The Crown Theatre is located at Club Nautico, 4900 66^th Street N., St. Petersburg Florida, 33709. F.M.I. on Club Nautico visit www.nauticostpete.com.  ALL ARE WELCOME!  The Crown Theater and Club Nautico are Handicap Accessible.