HOTBOD’S ABOUND

Thursday Mens Night

Phoenix - Was there anyone in Phoenix who was not at Hotbod’s last Thurdsay nite for their third anniversary? Judging by the vacuum packed and sealed dance floor we can only answer no.   The energy level was at a peak not seen in Phoenix since the old days of His Co. Disco. The good vibrations flowed as freely as the traditional champagne fountain.  We haven’t seen as many beautiful people in one place in a long time.   A few more nights like that and we’ll be ready to sell the paper and move into Hotbod’s.

Dance

• - District or Area: Central Phoenix
• - Owners: ?
• - Dates of Operation: 1980 – 1986
• - Previous Incarnations: Unknown
• - Later Incarnations: Bulk
• - Some images and / or text provided by: Observer & M. Kouts
  

  Hotbod's Desert Dance Palace

• - Do you remember this establishment?
• - Did you / have you owned or managed this business?
  • - Please contribute your story or corrections to our shared history by posting today

Hotbod’s Untimely Death

Christopher McPherson, Tucson Observer

Issue 110, August 27, 1986

Hotbod's Disco Neon Stars

If you weren’t at the new TOMMY’s beer-bust last night (Aug. 18, 1986) you weren’t one of the ‘in’ crowd. TOMMY’s — Located at 921 West Camelback Road in Phoenix — initiated a welcomed alternative to the otherwise dreary Monday nights many of us have had to suffer since the untimely death of Hotbod’s earlier this year.

Luckily for those of us who appreciate the best in dance music, HUBERT has come back from the closing of HB’s to practically flawless showing last night.

My First Gay Bar

Mark S. Suever, az | gays.com

It was right next to Liquor Wheel on Mcdowell, 3437 E. McDowell Road in Phoenix.  It was an address I knew well.

Hotbod’s was an 80’s era disco/dance club, very young and trendy crowd. Hotbod’s will always hold a very special place in my heart since it was the first gay bar I had ever been to.

Hotbod's Neon Planets

I was so impressed with the squares on the dance floor flashing in sync with the music. Remember those rotating police lights that came down at each corner and the cocoa scented disco fog?

Of course what disco is complete without a disco ball. Hotbod’s had about three of varying sizes. The orbited dance-floor like planet, one with neon rings like Saturn.

DJ Hubert

One of the most awkward things at Hotbod’s for me was the erotic artwork throughout. Around the dance floor were semi-nude photgraphs of muscled men in Speedo’s, or a studly shirtless cop with mirrored sunglasses. How I wanted to just gawk at them, really take in their hotness. But for some silly reason I didn’t want anyone to catch me looking. “Uh, Hello? We’re in a GAY BAR!”

Hotbod’s is where I met my first “trick”. I didn’t even know what a trick was at the time! This guy Gary, the chicken hawk spotted me right away.

DJ Steve

I think my age made me a trinket of sorts, I didn’t mind. Invites behind the scenes made me feel like VIP. Hanging out with Donny and Hubert up in the DJ’s sky box. How I wanted everyone down on the floor to see me up there. How easily impressed I was.

I’m not sure of the details of its demise. Rumor was that they lost their dance license due to neighbors’ complaints. Another rumor was that Trinity Broadcasting two doors down had much to do with it.

After a brief stint as a straight latino club, the space re-opened as BULK. They had rearranged the whole place and the new configuration just didn’t work. Bulk didn’t last long. Currently I think the property houses Inventory Adjusters, Inc.

Hotbod's Dance Floor

If anyone knows of Hubert, Donnie’s or any other employee’s whereabouts, please send them my way. I’d like to catch up.

marky@azgays.com

Mark (Admin)

http://azgays.com

The club AREA Phoenix has reopened under the name of Stratus just in time to host the 2009 Adonis party.

AREA closed its doors amid scandal during 2008.   AREA was a joint venture between Michael Keener and Kevin Andrews.  Kevin Andrews  was a club promoter and owner of Andrews Lighting for clubs and events.   Prior to the AREA venture, Andrews  produced many successful  events at another venue in downtown Phoenix called Ice House.

Business partner Michael Keener (aka Jessica) is a Phoenix icon, well connected and respected in the community.    Many may recall her from door duties at the dance club “Preston’s“, in which she was partial owner. 

According to Keener, Andrews disappeared in 2008 without notice.    AREA’s were doors locked, leaving Jessica out in the cold.   Jessica commented that she never expected Andrews, then a long-time friend to just run out on her like this.  Having no other alternative, Jessica filed for and was awarded a civil judgment against Andrews in October of 2008 in the amount of $318,000.

Interestingly, Andrews re-appeared in March 2009, re-opening the club as Stratus just in time for the annual Adonis Party during Phoenix’s gay pride weekend. 

Jessica pleaded with Phoenix’s gay community not to attend the event, “The thief, Kevin Andrews, crawled out of his hole. Please, do not support anything associated with him.”

Andrews could not be reached for comment.

I was just thinking, somebody needs to open a leather bar in Phoenix.

“You could make a killing, if done right“, I thought to myself. There’s a huge vacuum left after the Eagle and then the Padlock/Cell Block closed. Now where we ever gonna find another Aztec themed gay leather bar?

I miss the Sunday night shirtless thing at Cell Block and the music. That was the ONLY place in Phoenix where I didn’t whine about the music sucking. You know, their website is still up!. What a tease, “CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION” the site proclaims. Its been over a year, hasn’t it? Time to move on.

So with Cell Block off the block, where does that leave the scene? I’ve always thought gay leather has suffered from a couple too many leather… uh, what’s the nice word… ummm… trolls? What is up with that? If we could only nurture the hot, muscular leather daddies and boys, the Phoenix scene would be HOT!

Before I could offer my advice to some leather clad gay entrepreneur, I discover that Velocity (formerly Harley’s 155 ) has taken the leather reins, the scene finally has a home once again.

Was kinda hoping the new place would be closer to Central’s Queer Corridor, at least on Phoenix’ new light rail line… but it IS much closer than Eagle was.

Location(3):   “You expected me to drunk drive from my home near Central and Camelback to a “leather bar” at Cactus and 32nd Street? Uh… no.”

You may recall, Harley’s 155 (formerly J Bee’s) had to be relocated due to the Uptown light rail station construction.  The tracks go right over where the dance floor used to be.

They purchased a straight bar called Mason Jar and moved everything from 155 w. Camelback to 2303 E. Indian School Rd.

Side Note:  They also purchased Roman Table restaurant and renamed it Harley’s Bistro over on the M7 Curve.

I think the owners are straight but are really cool and let the gay employees do what they do best, be gay.

With the designation of being the local leather bar, they can now sponsor Mr Phoenix Leather and then send him off to IML!

The local preliminary to International Mr. Leather, will take place January 9, 2010 at Velocity.

Know a leather hunk?  PLEASE enter contest here.

Sister Spotting at Park Central is the first in a series of posts on where the gays are in Phoenix.

Park Central is located at Central Avenue @ Earll.  On the light rail, exit at Midtown Station and walk south from Osborn to Earll.  Alternately, there’s another station at Thomas and Central on the southern side of the property.

Originally known as Park Central Mall, now simply as “Park Central” served as the city’s first outdoor shopping mall.

Major anchor stores like Goldwaters and Diamonds disappeared in the subsequent years to later house business offices and form what is now a mixed-use property.

A typical stroll starts at Starbucks on the south east corner of the property. You’ll undoubtedly notice an occasional nod of sister-spotting-sister, yes, there’s tons-o-gay-family.

Moving north past the Qdoba (great fast Mexican food) over past the outdoor dining at Good Egg. At this point you may wonder if there may have been a leather bear convention nearby. Then, if its not too early, stroll down the open-air mall, just past the Green Woodpecker gift shop you’ll find  a hidden little gem of a bar: Kobalt Let’s not forget in the very back, there is a gay owned store called Cinnabear. Mmmm… ask them to pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds!

marky – az | gays

TRAX
1724 E. McDowell Road
Phoenix, AZ

Neighborhood

Cruise Bar

Dance

Country Western

Video

Levi-Leather

Event Space

Food / Restaurant

Sports

• - District or Area:  Coronado / Central Phoenix
  
• - Owners: 
• - Dates of Operation: 19?? ~
  
• - Previous Incarnations:  Bullwinkle
• - Later Incarnations:  BOOM, Karamba
  
• - Images and / or text provided by: Tucson Observer
  
• - Do you remember this establishment?
• - Did you / have you owned or managed this business?
  • - Please contribute your story or corrections to our shared history by posting today

On McDowell Road, Near 17th Street – Now Karamba after it was Boom.
Trax used to be Bullwinkle.  Trax was a Levi / leather bar, more Levi than leather though.  Dance floor, seemed to be around forever.

During 2000 it closed for a remodel.  I think it changed owners then.  It re-opened in 2001 as Boom.  Boom had a more disco-diva kind of feel.  It lost its Trax Levi feel.  In late 2004 Boom reopened as Karamba, catering to Latin gay boys.

Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness

Phoenix, AZ

- Owners:  Unknown

19?? ~ 19??

Women’s Dance / Neighborhood Bar

Later Became:  Club Vibe

——————-

Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness enjoyed a great run as one of Phoenix’s favorite lesbian bars. Its sister bar survives in Tucson under the same name. The Phoenix location was primarily a lesbian unlike the mixed Tucson counterpart. In 2008, managment at The Biz changed the name to Club Vibe.

Best Women’s Bar / The New Times
Best Lesbian Club / The Echo ‘93 – ‘02
Best DJ / The Echo
Best Dance Bar / Arizona Republic

Yelp Reviews:
Bonnie G. – Tempe, AZ
9/2/2006 Had a great time here! Had only two problems-1) No purse allowed? How am I supposed to dress sexy and have pockets at the same time? Taking away a femme’s purse is a federal crime!-2) Really hard to find if you don’t know it is in a SHOPPING CENTER! I had never seen a club before in like a supermarket shopping center….but the space is actually quite big!

Cher T. – Laveen, AZ
3/4/2008 I’ve only been to this place twice. But both experiences were pretty cool. I had fun, we went on a sunday night because we had a couple of people who were 18 – 21 with us and on that night… 21 and over get in for FREE!! whoo – hoo!! and the youngsters get in for like 5 bucks or so… i really can’t remember when.

There’s a 2 drink minimum i think but I didn’t really drink anything. It was ackward dancing around their big ol’ fence. It was like… keep the jail bait away!! ha ha ha!! but it was cool, I got to cross the dreaded fence and I even fell while doing so! I missed a step and face planted infront of a bunch of trannys. not cute.

It was alright though, it didn’t have all the drama like straight clubs. I haven’t been to another gay club, but I’d definatly go back. This time, I’ll be sure to watch out for those steps!!

I’m always worried about how to label people, especially “my” people.  Homosexual is much to clinical.  “Gay” worked for me, for a while at least.  Then the lesbians were confused, some wanted to be gay, some opted for “dyke”.  Along came GLB, and we forgot a few people… GLBT.

Some of the more… angry “womyn” decided they should be first, before the us oppressing white gay myn, so we moved the “L” to the beginning and that made it LGBT

Whoops, we forgot another group.  Those on the fence.  Those not ready for a label.   

QUESTIONING

“Q” was added, for “questioning“.  Questioning their sexuality, questioning how to label themselves. Questioning if their friends and parents will disown them, or say… DUH!

Let’s not forget the queers,  just tell them the Q is really for them.

LGBTQ?

Doesn’t exactly roll off your lips, huh?

That’s why I’m proposing, are you ready?

GLESBITRANSIAN

For those still “questioning”, use an asterisk*

GLESBITRANSIAN*

For the angry womyn, **

GLESBITRANSIAN**

For the angry myn, ***

Here is another personality type list I found online.  If you don’t know by now, personality typing is my obsession.  It explains just about everyone I come in contact with, well, almost everyone.

Click on the platypus to discover which animal you are most like.   Can you guess my type?

• INTP
  • Orangutan
    • solitary, slothlike and prone to ponder questions
• ENTP
  • Chimp
    • they like to throw feces at you
• ENTJ
  • German Shephard
    • they like to bark orders
• INTJ
  • Panther
    • solitary, silent and deadly
• ENFJ
  • Prairie Dog
    • they talk a lot and are always busy, and are as cute button
• INFJ
  • Owl
    • they gaze upon others while analyzing their every action
• INFP
  • Platypus
    • mysterious and misunderstood
• ENFP
  • Hyena
    • they like to travel in packs and laugh a lot
• ESTP
  • Wolf
    • also like to travel in packs and laugh, but are more likely bite
• ESFP
  • Rabbit
    • they love reproducing as frequently as possible
• ISTP
  • Snake
    • predators that can bite if handled improperly
• ISFP
  • Panda
    • cute, lovable, lazy and harmless
• ESFJ
  • Magpie
    • loves gossiping, high on their moral perch
• ISFJ
  • Beaver
    • cute hardworking mammals that love a comfortable home
• ISTJ
  • Oxen
    • stubborn but handles a heavy workload without complaining
• ESTJ
  • Border Collie
    • good at mobilizing disorganized hordes

Bronco’s
3015 North 16th Street
Phoenix, AZ?

- Owners:  Ken and Glenn

1981 ~ 19??

Country Western Neighborhood Bar