Georgetown dc gay bars
Now, students and residents of the neighborhood unknowingly walk the halls of the historic concert venue each time they take a trip to the movies. The club was nationally renowned, attracting attention from far beyond the boundaries of the DMV, reported CNN in 1999.īut in that same year, the Bayou was closed and purchased by Millennium Partners and Eastbanc Inc., with plans to build a residential complex and theater. With college students and young professionals from around the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area eager to have a good time, all the necessary ingredients for a fantastic concert experience were present.Įven in that period, Georgetown was relatively upscale, but the Bayou learned to survive as a friendly hole-in-the-wall. Music was changing rapidly, and artists needed to perform at popular but not overly expensive venues. As the years went by, the club changed hands, and in 1953 it was re-established as the Bayou, a jazz spot run by Michael and Bobby Tramante.Īs “The Bayou: D.C.’s Killer Joint,” a documentary produced by Dave Lilling, chronicles, the Bayou has a special place in the history of music in the United States. KARLA LEYJA/THE HOYAĪ display ad from The Washington Post in 1939 features a snapshot of the founding of a pirate-themed bar called the Pirate’s Den, founded by a man who believed he was a reincarnated pirate. Situated right under the bridge on K Street, where an AMC theater now operates, the club and bar was a mecca for the musical trends of the period.
Throughout the 1980s and ’ ‘90s, the most popular venue in Georgetown was the now-defunct Bayou. A number of these venues stand out in Georgetown’s storied history. It was grittier, and it was less glitzy, but some residents find that it had more character.ĭance bars are largely located in downtown Washington, D.C., and Georgetown has been left with college bars and several prominent music venues.
There was a time, not long ago, whe Georgetown was home to a thriving ecosystem of clubs and bars. Looking back through the archives of The Washington Post and local papers and talking to longtime residents, one finds that Georgetown was once a very different neighborhood. However, increasing gentrification and rising property prices in the now-expensive neighborhood have affected the nightlife industry. Stores have come and gone and generations have dawned and passed, but nightclubs, bars and music venues have always been constants in the Georgetown neighborhood. Here, at the Bayou nightclub, concerts had the power to transform crowds of eager students into passionate lovers of music and to uplift small musical acts into global phenomena. Although its stage has since been retired, it is here where Jimi Hendrix once played, where U2 made its American debut and where big names in rock music, from Mick Jagger to the Dire Straits, performed to cheering crowds. We would have loved nothing more than to remain in operation for another decade if we had been given the chance.Unbeknownst to most Georgetown students, just a 10-minute walk from the front gates sits a building filled with rich musical history. Our landlord sold the building to a new entity who terminated Town's lease and we were forced out so that the location could be developed into apartments. (Because there seems to be some confusion, we would like to state unequivocally that Town did not in any way choose to close. In addition, we combined the hottest current lighting and special effects that, when added to our enormous video installation, provided spectacular visual excitement all night. Your club experience at Town consisted of multiple performance oriented productions.Extensive drag shows that featured big production numbers, comedy sketches and amazing outfits…Our own in house dance troupe performing multiple choreographed routines…The Friday night go-go boys…Surprise performance artists.and nationally recognized performers and djs. There were two floors, multiple rooms, multiple outside smoking areas, an amazing video installation, state of the art LED lighting, and multiple dancefloors and seating areas. It was a combination of a cabaret performance space, a plush lounge, a massive outdoor patio, and a high energy danceclub. Town Danceboutique opened on November 17th, 2007 and was the largest gay danceclub in Washington, D.C. Town Danceboutique - DC's Largest Gay Nightclub