Brazos River Bottom

Last updated

Brazos River Bottom, also known as the BRB, was a gay bar located in the Midtown, Houston, Texas, United States, [1] [2] that opened in 1978. At the time of its closure in 2013, it was one of Houston's oldest gay bars, and the oldest still running at its original location.

Contents

Description

Brazos River Bottom hosted a unique cowboy atmosphere, drawing on Houston's Old Western history. BRB offered free line dancing lessons on Thursdays and included a large dance hall, a disco ball, and pool tables. [3] BRB also hosted the Houston Council of Clubs's Let Us Entertain You Weekend, which began in 1971 and consists of four days of social events hosted by the council. [4] The BRB also hosted charity fundraisers on Sunday nights, and in 2013, was a venue for several of the Texas Gay Rodeo Association's entertainment events. [5]

History

The BRB opened at 2400 Brazos Street, Houston, in February 1978 in a building that had been constructed in 1887, and continued to operate there until its closing. Before the BRB opened, at least three other bars had resided at that location, with at least one of them — The Golden Spur, which closed in May 1975 — also having been a gay bar. [6] Earlier bars at that location include the Q-1 Western and Levi's. The BRB also became the meeting place of the Colt 45's, who became activists in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis. [7] After the closure in 2009 of Mary's, another gay bar in the city, BRB was the longest-running Houston gay bar at its original location. [4] That same year, BRB was named Houston's Best Dance Club by the Houston Press in their "Best of Houston 2009" edition. [3]

The BRB closed on March 30, 2013, [5] just after its 35th anniversary, with its owners citing deteriorating building conditions as the reason for its closure. The owners also stated that they hoped to open BRB again at a different location, [8] [9] but as of June 2016, the BRB has not been reopened. However, several of the BRB's former patrons opened the Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon elsewhere in Houston. [6]

Reception

Brazos River Bottom was hailed as a fixture of LGBT culture in Houston during the time it remained open, and after its closure, LGBT Houstonians were hard-pressed to find another hangout location. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay bar</span> Drinking establishment catered to LGBT clientele

A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montrose, Houston</span> Neighborhood of Houston in Harris, Texas, United States

Montrose is a neighborhood located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States. Montrose is a 7.5-square-mile (19 km2) area roughly bounded by Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, South Shepherd Drive to the west, and Taft to Fairview to Bagby to Highway 59 to Main to the east. The area is also referred to as Neartown or Neartown / Montrose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Beach (nightclub)</span> Nightclub in Houston, Texas, U.S.

South Beach is a nightclub with after hours located in Houston, Texas within the Neartown area which opened in 2001 on the former site of Club Heaven. The 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) dance club located at 810 Pacific Street was popular among the city's gay community. Among South Beach’s many features was a full-color water-cooled matrix laser light show utilizing Kryogen Ifex liquid ice jets that spray out a thick cloud of liquid Ice. The ice jets had the ability to reduce the temperature of the club by 20 °F (−7 °C) in a few seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CC Slaughters</span> Pair of gay bars and nightclubs in Portland, Oregon and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

CC Slaughters is a gay bar and nightclub located in Portland, Oregon, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Portland bar is located in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, and the Puerto Vallarta bar is located in Zona Romántica.

Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon is a Country and Western bar/honky tonk that was founded as the Esquire Ballroom in 1955 by Raymond Proske in Houston, Texas, at 11410 Hempstead northwest of downtown Houston. In the 1970s and 1980s the club was considered the main rival to Gilley's Club across town in Pasadena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture in Houston</span>

Houston has a large and diverse LGBT population and is home to the 4th largest gay pride parade in the nation. Houston has the largest LGBT population of any city in the state of Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture in Portland, Oregon</span>

LGBT culture in Portland, Oregon is an important part of Pacific Northwest culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture in New York City</span>

New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ populations. Brian Silverman, the author of Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day, wrote the city has "one of the world's largest, loudest, and most powerful LGBT communities", and "Gay and lesbian culture is as much a part of New York's basic identity as yellow cabs, high-rise buildings, and Broadway theatre". LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". LGBT advocate and entertainer Madonna stated metaphorically, "Anyways, not only is New York City the best place in the world because of the queer people here. Let me tell you something, if you can make it here, then you must be queer."

The city of Shanghai, China, a global center for finance, technology, manufacturing, and transportation, has a presence of LGBT people.

Rich's Houston' or simply Rich's, is a LGBT+ restaurant, lounge, and day/nightclub in Neartown, Houston, Texas, in the United States.

Austin, Texas, has one of the most prominent and active LGBT populations in the United States. Austin was acclaimed by The Advocate in 2012 as part of its Gayest Cities in America, and was recognized by Travel and Leisure as one of America's Best Cities for Gay Travel. Much of Austin's gay nightlife scene is clustered around 4th Street. LGBT activism groups Atticus Circle and Equality Texas are headquartered in Austin.

Just Marion & Lynn's, stylized "Just" Marion & Lynn's, was a gay bar that was opened in 1973 by Marion Pantzer and Lynn Hornaday in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States. It was one of the first lesbian-oriented bars to open in Houston. The bar closed in 1987, one year after Pantzer was murdered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesbian bar</span> Drinking establishment catering to lesbians

A lesbian bar is a drinking establishment that caters exclusively or predominantly to lesbian women. While often conflated, the lesbian bar has a history distinct from that of the gay bar.

LGBT culture in Leeds, England, involves an active community of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender/transsexual. A BBC News Online article published in 2012 stated that, while Leeds City Council has not published statistics relating to the number of LGBT residents, the figure can be estimated at 10% of the overall population, which currently suggests a total of at least 77,000. The tenth year of the Leeds Pride march and celebration, held in 2016, was attended by over 40,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LGBT community</span> Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ+ community

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequities experienced by marginalized populations, and has had a significant impact on the LGBT community. Gay pride events were cancelled or postponed worldwide. More than 220 gay pride celebrations around the world were canceled or postponed in 2020, and in response a Global Pride event was hosted online. LGBTQ+ people also tend to be more likely to have pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma, HIV/AIDS, cancer, or obesity, that would worsen their chances of survival if they became infected with COVID-19. They are also more likely to smoke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradise (nightclub)</span> Gay nightclub in Asbury Park, New Jersey

Paradise is a gay nightclub in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It is known for its fundraisers and drag shows, most notable of which is the annual Miss Paradise pageant. The club is integrated with the Empress Hotel; both are owned by record producer Shep Pettibone. Paradise's 1999 opening is credited as one factor that improved Asbury Park's struggling economy and drew the LGBTQ community back to the city after a period of local unrest. The venue is a popular Jersey Shore destination in the summer, and it has received praise for its welcoming atmosphere. After several months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paradise reopened its outdoor pool and bar area in summer 2020.

Club Feathers is a gay nightclub in River Edge, New Jersey. Opened in 1978, it is the oldest in the state and the only one left in North Jersey. It is known for its live entertainment, its familial atmosphere, and its assistance to vulnerable LGBTQ youth and the local poor. The club was ordered to close in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it was able to reopen for limited outdoor service several months later, its owner, Paul Binetti, announced in June of that year that the venue was experiencing severe financial hardship, and he launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to secure enough funds to remain in business. Feathers survived its pandemic setbacks and resumed normal indoor operation in May 2021. Critics have called it a rite of passage for young LGBT New Jerseyans to visit the establishment, which is noted for its high-quality entertainment selection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local Lounge</span> Defunct gay bar in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Local Lounge was a gay bar in Portland, Oregon, operating from 2010 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JR's Bar and Grill</span> Gay bar in Houston, Texas, U.S.

JR's Bar and Grill is a gay bar in Neartown, Houston, in the U.S. state of Texas. Charles Armstrong is the owner.

The Village Station police raid was a police raid that targeted the Village Station, a gay bar in Dallas, Texas, United States. The raid occurred on October 25, 1979, and saw several bar patrons arrested for public lewdness while performing a bunny hop dance. The raid and the subsequent court cases involving those arrested are considered an important moment in the LGBT history of Dallas, with the impact it had on the city compared to that of the Stonewall riots of 1969.

References

  1. "Contact Us Location". Brazos River Bottom. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2022-10-02. 2400 Brazos Street Houston, TX 77006
  2. "No. 62 Midtown Super Neighborhood" (PDF). City of Houston. p. 2/2. Retrieved 2022-10-02. - Compare with F Bar's address.
  3. 1 2 "Best Dance Club: Brazos River Bottom". Houston Press. No. Best of Houston 2009. Houston Press. 2009. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Gray, Chris (February 7, 2013). "Brazos River Bottom Bids Happy Trails After More Than 30 Years". Houston Press. Houston Press. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Maines, Don (March 28, 2013). "Last round up for BRB? Gay country-western club closing at longtime location". Chron. Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Brazos River Bottom, BRB". Houston LGBT History. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  7. Riedel, Brian. "Further Research". Mapping Houston History. Mapping Houston History. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  8. Radley, Whitney (February 7, 2013). "Historic Montrose gay bar to close — right after celebrating its 35th anniversary". CultureMap. CultureMap. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  9. Maines, Donalevan (February 5, 2013). "Brazos River Bottom Club to Close". OutSmart Magazine. OutSmart Media Company. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  10. Mistretta, A.J. (July 9, 2013). "New Gay Bars Joining the Houston Scene". My Gay Houston. Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2016.

29°44′57″N95°22′40″W / 29.749140°N 95.377831°W / 29.749140; -95.377831