Ain't Nobody's Bizness
Clubbers make gay bar their Bizness
By Jennifer Duffy
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.30.2004
It Ain't Nobody's Bizness if you're there - but "the Biz" has plenty to offer gay and lesbian nightclubbers.
Originally planned as an upscale women's club, the bar now attracts an equal crowd of gay and lesbian nightcrawlers, and, of course, some straight people looking for a place to dance.
"Now it's just a gay bar," said bartender Megan O'Brien, who sported a hot-pink short Mohawk that matched her hot-pink T-shirt, "but really it's a nightclub.
"There's a solid hip-hop crowd and a solid Latin crowd," she added.
DJ Shorty plays hip-hop on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and Latin nights are on Sundays.
"I like it because it plays hip- hop and it's really different than the techno music typically associated with the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) community," said Matthew Adams, a 24-year-old who works in sales.
On Wednesday nights, the building is split with a chain-link fence to let in the 18- to 20-year-old crowd. This summer, business for that group was booming, but Wednesday nights have tapered off since school started in August.
"We're hoping it picks up again," O'Brien said.
If it doesn't, they'll have to cancel the 18-and-over night, the general manager said.
The 21-and-over crowd likes to sip the house special, a tidal wave ($6) - but don't bring it onto the dance floor. When you walk in the door, the dance floor is on the right (no drinks allowed), surrounded by high-top tables for onlookers.
Others prefer to chug Bud Light and shoot pool on the two tables that sit atop the Vegas-style print carpet. There's free pool on Monday nights; otherwise it's 50 cents a game.
On Thursday nights, there's a drag show - be sure to bring singles to tip the queens. The night we caught the show, the performances varied from a hot Whitney Houston to a blond and bodacious Jessica Simpson.
Adams, a regular at the Biz, likes the drag show, especially the drag queen who calls herself Miss Leading. She sometimes performs as Lil' Kim.
Adams also prefers the Biz to other gay bars in town because it's cleaner and the music is different.
If you're not into clubbing but you want a clean and cool atmosphere, try happy hour from 2 to 8 p.m. weekdays. It's $1 off you-call-it drinks, and you can play NTN interactive trivia, which the happy hour crowd loves, O'Brien said.
