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Disco Music > Discotheques and Clubs Index > Buzzby's
Buzzby's
Polk St., San Francisco, CA
Buzzby's was actually the very first gay club I had ever entered in San Francisco back in 1976. It was the kind of club that opened early in the afternoon, and stayed fairly busy until main party time closing at 2:00AM. I still liked the club design being able to listen to alluring dance music from outside sidewalk, where the one door was usually propped open. Once you walked in, the big bar was located on the immediate right hand side, and several dark platforms were across from it so people could sit. Further down was a semi-glass barrier with bar stools along the side, and beyond the glass, was the chrome steel dance floor, usually covered randomly by sawdust to make dancing slick. The DJ booth was braced at the top corner overlooking the dance floor, and had many neon strips around the booth that went to the sound of the music. I would go here in the early afternoon (around 3 0' Clock),and listen to the pre-recorded disco jams. They usually played the mainstream latest hits, and it's where I first heard T-Connections "Do What You Wanna Do", and also Shalimar's "Uptown Festival." Other hits they played were: "Which Way Is Up", "Victim", "Work That Body", and "I Love America." The glitter ball in the center of the smallish club threw a dazzling light show around the club, and a very exotic dark complected drag queen was the main cocktail waitress. The very first song I heard upon entering this club was Ramsey Lewis's "Sun Goddess!"
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COMMENTS ON THIS DISCO / DISCOTHEQUE / NIGHTCLUB
sure was fun, but the dance floor used to fill up fast. We used to stop at the Giraffe first to get a buzz on. Once Buzzby's was too crowded, we'd walk up to 'NTouch, but it was frequently just as crowded. As a last resort, when the crowds at both places were a bit too much, Oil Can Harry's always had more space. Horrible parking in the area, especially on weekends. And if you just wanted to socialize, you could be entertained sitting in one of the area's cocktail lounges (like Kimos) and watch the male prostitutes, drug dealers and homeless people on the street.
That's why I used Buzzby's as my regular starting point before venturing out in other area. I never made it to Oil Can Harry's, although I had heard about it. So, it seemed my gay bar travels began at Polk St., then to Castro (after 5), and then to Folsom or the End Up (after 9). The End Up was great also for early morning weekends, to be sure! I also liked the Polk Gulch Saloon that was the open corner bar, and the N'Touch (wasn't that the place with Saturday Night Fever dance floor?), and shopped for disco records at Gramaphone. -Those were the days!!
Yes those were the days. Buzzby's was the second gay bar I went to. After reading the previous comments it brings back great memories. Does anyone know if there are photos of Buzzby's around? I have been looking all over the net.
The only reason I made this post concerning my favorite "coming "out" Buzzby's was because I could not find a trace myself. Fortunitely, I am a sketch artist, and can pretty much draw what I experianced-but that's as far as the visuals end up (End Up?) on hard copy. My memory, however, beams (I-Beam?) like it happened last month. Extremely vivid. . .thank God. (Thank God It's Friday??)
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