PRINTIt takes more than two
LGBT bars SoCo and Arch and Column stand alone at night
Photo by John Hook
Jada Kiss, a special guest from St. Louis, closes out the drag show at SoCo. The show occurs every Thursday night and features performers from around Missouri.
April 24, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Columbia has a wide range of bars and restaurants, and finding nightlife activities never seems like too much of a challenge. That’s because, for most, there are an array of nighttime atmospheres to choose from.
But the options are much more limited for members of the LGBT community, who find themselves with only two spots that cater to them, SoCo Club and Arch and Column Pub.
SoCo Club
When: Tues. - Sat., 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Call: 499-9483
Arch and Column Pub
When: Mon. - Sat., 5 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Call: 441-8088
SoCo maintains a dance club/cabaret vibe and is known for its weekly Thursday night drag show, “Divas by Design.”
Although it is most welcoming to members of the LGBT population, SoCo invites anyone and everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. It is also one of the few Columbia bars that allow patrons to enter at age 18 instead of 21.
“We do something no other bar can,” says owner Marty Newman. “We’ve been open for eight years, and there is never a dull moment. We have a lot of drama but not bad drama. Half the staff here is straight.”
Newman also believes there are a significant number of nightlifers who have the wrong idea about gay bars. Regardless of the predominant sexual orientation of SoCo’s patrons, the club is a fun alternative for Columbians of all stripes.
“I think there is a common misconception of a gay bar if you’re straight,” says Newman. “Just because you’re a guy, you’re not going to come here and be chased.”
The Arch and Column Pub provides a more relaxed bar atmosphere for those less interested in the drag and the flash. Before becoming Arch and Column five years ago, the building was a restaurant and bar, the most recent being Mario’s. The bar was never a self-proclaimed gay establishment but tended to attract a largely gay crowd. “Mario’s really tried to downplay the clientele,” says owner Pitt Potter. “When we opened, we just said ‘Well, here we are.’”
Arch and Column offers karaoke and theme nights, but unlike SoCo, patrons under 21 should prepare for a rejection at the door after 10 p.m. When Potter first opened the pub, the focus was primarily on people in their late 20s and beyond. Arch and Column has since grown to attract a potpourri of patrons not limited by age or orientation.
“We have every imaginable person here,” says Potter. “Cross-dressers, swingers, the people that wear leather. It’s a place people can feel welcome. People just can come and socialize without judgment.”
Although both SoCo and Arch and Column offer different nightlife environments and do their best to have a wide variety of entertainment, it is up for debate whether they are enough as far as the LGBT population is concerned. Newman thinks the options for Columbia’s gay community based on its size is appropriate and says he knows of comparable towns such as Lawrence, Kan. that have only one bar or club.
However, MU sophomore Jeramy Sewer would like to see more changes regarding the LGBT bar scene. “A couple more gay bars would be amazing,” he says. “I think that would really help with the nightlife.”
Matt Williams, 31, has partied in Columbia since 1998 and has had his share of experiences with the current gay nightlife scene. Williams has spent time at both spots, but he says it would be nice if there were more to choose from. “Both seem to cater to particular niches,” he says. “If you’re not in one of those niches, then there are no options.”
