Silverado (gay bar)

Last updated
Silverado
Silverado (Portland, Oregon) logo.png
Logo
Silverado exterior, Portland, Oregon (2019) - 4.jpg
The bar's front exterior in 2019
Downtown Portland.png
Red pog.svg
Silverado
Location in Portland, Oregon
Former namesFlossie's
Address610 Northwest Couch Street
Location Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates 45°31′13″N122°40′26″W / 45.52028°N 122.67389°W / 45.52028; -122.67389
Type
Website
www.silveradopdx.com

Silverado, formerly known as Flossie's, is a gay bar and strip club in Portland, Oregon's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, in the United States.

Contents

Description and history

Silverado, Portland's only gay strip club, after the closure of Three Sisters Tavern in 2004 and prior to Stag PDX's opening in 2015, [1] [2] has existed for nearly 30 years. Formerly called Flossie's, it was originally located below a gay bathhouse in what is now the Crystal Hotel. This was in the area of downtown Portland known as Burnside Triangle, or "Gay Triangle", for its many gay and gay-friendly businesses. The club relocated to 318 Southwest 3rd Avenue, in January 2008.[ citation needed ]

In March 2018, Silverado confirmed the business would leave its location at 3rd Avenue on March 31, after ten years. [3] The bar relocated to 610 Northwest Couch Street, in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, in December 2018.[ citation needed ]

In his 2019 "overview of Portland's LGBTQ+ nightlife for the newcomer", Andrew Jankowski of the Portland Mercury wrote: "The Pacific Northwest's longest-operating male strip club moved last winter, setting up shop next to the Star Theater in a former sports bar. It doesn't look like much on the surface, because the real party is in the basement. There aren't as many poles as the previous location, but there's no shortage of sexy male dancers." [4]

Policies

Exterior of the bar at its former location on 3rd Avenue (2013) Silverado, Portland, Oregon (2013) - 2.JPG
Exterior of the bar at its former location on 3rd Avenue (2013)

In 2012, Silverado attracted attention for enforcing unequal cover charges every Friday and Saturday, charging male patrons $3 and female patrons $5. A spokesman for the company compared the difference in price to similar "ladies' night" events in which men pay more to enter a club than women. Furthermore, he said in an interview published by The Portland Mercury : "Every other day of the week, the entry price is the same for everyone. We require a nominal fee because we don't want people just coming in to oogle and leave. We need to make a profit!" [1]

The bar does not allow bachelorette parties due to complaints from male patrons who "don't like groups of screaming and giggling women", even posting signage which specifically reads, "No Bachelorette Parties". [1] The entrance to Silverado also has a sign that reads, "If you're here, you're queer", informing heterosexual men that they "aren't welcome". [1] The same spokesman said of the policy, "This isn't a discrimination issue, it's different. We're just trying to create a comfortable environment for our customers." [1]

Reception

Thomas Lauderdale, known for his work with the Portland-based band Pink Martini, has shared his affinity for the club and keeps a collection of photographs of guests who accompanied him to the venue, including Gus Van Sant and Rufus Wainwright. [5]

See also

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">Burnside Triangle</span> Human settlement in Portland, Oregon, United States of America

The Burnside Triangle, also known as Pink Triangle or Vaseline Alley, was a triangular district in Portland, Oregon, United States, known for its relatively higher density of LGBTQ and gay-friendly businesses.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embers Avenue</span> Defunct gay bar and nightclub in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Embers Avenue, also known as Embers, was a gay bar and nightclub located in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Embers hosted a variety of events, including comedy and drag shows, karaoke, and live music. The club opened in 1969, and closed in late 2017. The Oregonian reported in late November 2017 that the building owner has intentions to fill the space with a similar venue. It was speculated in January 2018 that Badlands was expected to open that year.

<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">Stag PDX</span> Nightclub and strip club in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Stag PDX, or simply Stag, is a gay-owned nightclub and strip club in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District, in the United States. The club opened in May 2015 as the second all-nude gay strip club on the West Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Sisters Tavern</span> Defunct gay bar and strip club in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Three Sisters Tavern, sometimes abridged as Three Sisters and nicknamed "Six Tits", was a gay bar and strip club in Portland, Oregon, United States. The bar was founded in 1964 and began catering to Portland's gay community in 1997 following the deaths of the original owners. The business evolved into a strip club featuring an all-male revue. Also frequented by women, sometimes for bachelorette parties, Three Sisters was considered a hub of Portland's nightlife before closing in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle Portland</span> Gay bar in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Eagle Portland is a gay bar catering to bears and leather enthusiasts, located in north Portland, Oregon, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scandals (gay bar)</span> Gay bar in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Scandals, or sometimes Scandals PDX, is a gay bar in Portland, Oregon, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blow Pony</span> Queer event

"Blow Pony" is a popular queer event based in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crush Bar</span> Gay bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Crush Bar is a gay bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Buckman neighborhood, in the United States. Established in 2001, the bar was scheduled to permanently close at the end of 2023, until an employee's investment kept Crush open into 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Roxy (Portland, Oregon)</span> Defunct diner in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Roxy was a diner serving American cuisine in Portland, Oregon. Located on downtown Portland's Southwest Harvey Milk Street, the restaurant was established in 1994. The Roxy was popular as a late-night food destination and had a diverse clientele. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the diner operated 24 hours a day, except on Mondays. The Roxy has been described as "iconic" and a "landmark", and was known for being an LGBTQ-friendly establishment because of its employees' community involvement and its location within the historic hub of LGBT culture and nightlife. Following a forced six-month closure due to the pandemic, the diner opened under new public health and safety guidelines in November 2020. The diner closed in March 2022.

<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">Santé Bar</span> Bar in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Santé Bar is an LGBTQ-friendly bar in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flawless Shade</span> American drag queen and make-up artist

Flawless Shade is the stage name of Tajh Jordan, an American drag performer and make-up artist based in Portland, Oregon. A former Miss Gay Oregon, Flawless Shade has been featured in campaigns by Adidas, GLAAD, and Top Level Design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dixie Tavern</span> Bar in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Dixie Tavern is a bar in Portland, Oregon, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolivia Carmichaels</span> American drag performer

Daniel P. Elliott, known professionally as Bolivia Carmichaels, is an American drag performer based in Portland, Oregon. Since 1995, she has performed at LGBTQ establishments such as CC Slaughters, Darcelle XV Showplace, and the defunct Embers Avenue, and has also participated in many community events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Queen's Head (Portland, Oregon)</span> Defunct LGBT pub and lounge in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Queen's Head was an LGBTQ-friendly pub and lounge in Portland, Oregon, United States. Daniel Bund opened the restaurant in late 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Described as an inclusive drag bar and gay club, The Queen's Head hosted burlesque and talent shows, karaoke, poetry slams, trivia competitions, and other events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back 2 Earth</span> LGBT drinking establishment in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Back 2 Earth is an LGBTQ-friendly bar in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Owner Dan Henderson opened the bar in northeast Portland's King neighborhood in June 2023, in the space that previously housed Local Lounge. Back 2 Earth hosts a variety of activities and events such as dance parties, drag shows, karaoke, and open mics, and has a collection of board games and tabletop role-playing games.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Zielinski, Alex (March 22, 2012). "Silverado's Take on Inequal Entry Fees". The Portland Mercury . Portland, Oregon. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  2. "LGBT nightlife". Travel Portland. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  3. "Gay strip club Silverado moving from downtown Portland | Vanguard". psuvanguard.com. 26 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  4. Jankowski, Andrew (June 6, 2019). "An Overview of Portland's LGBTQ+ Nightlife for the Newcomer". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  5. Scott, Aaron (October 4, 2012). "Exclusive Interview: Grizzly Bear's Edward Droste". Portland Monthly . Portland, Oregon: Sagacity Media. ISSN   1546-2765. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.