Buzzby's

Fantastica barra disctoteca donde baile muchas veces. Es muy agradeble ver esta pagina sobre el ''Buzzby's''. Hace mucho tiempo de esto, para los finales de los 70. En estos dias me dare el gusto de pasar por la ''Polk Street'' y ver el lugar donde estaba este lugar.

Buzzby's took up much of my life from 1975-1976. I remember you, Christine, I have a picture of you and Les and Ronny Hoyt.

hung out 1984-1988 on Polk underage and Intouch, Polk Gulch, Buzzby's was still around but really it was always empty in 1985 except for the bar tender...these were the worst and best of times and often think of the various characters which were what i thought my friends at the time....remember John, Tracy, Tony, still know Brett and keep in touch and also Amanda from Intouch....always wonder what happened to everyone

Ok...so does anybody remember the "Poppers Man" in the mid 1970's? He used ride a bicycle between bars selling poppers. I know he did Polk St. and the End-up. It was very cool, we'd buy poppers and keep dancing all nite long.

Oh great memories. I too went to Buzzbys and remember the sawdust on the ground. I remember that other bar that was around the corner from it with 2 geese as the bars emblem ... was it called the Wild Goose or something like that? I remember seeing Sylvester at the End Up and The Trocadero, Dreamland dance bars. I remember when I first moved to SF in 1982 that Mexicans and Samoans weren't all the welcomed in the Castro, only in the Polk Area did you see lots of ppl of color. Take care.

I remember seeing the black transvestite hostess on Otis Street collecting foodstamps, welfare ? while I would assume she was working under the table there. Others had to work like a dog for their LaCoste tees. Me, I was the doorperson at The STud for a while. I never had to resort to such petty means. I always did well providing drugs. Futhermore, that meretricious, common drag queen Peaches Christ stole my name. She isn't even funny.

Just found this site searching for info for my upcoming Disco Halloween Party. I love the Disco Club History, My lover in the early 80's used to travel all over the country going to clubs. In the late 80's we seperated, but are best friends to this day. When I was packing up to move out of our home, I came across his collection of matchbooks he had collected along his travels....Looking at he clubs I remembered I had saved them all these years. There is one from BUZZBY'S, TWIN PEAKS TAVERN, on Castro, and ON THE O.J. on Polk....I can't wait to call him and tell him about this site. I would like to keep the matchbooks until my Halloween Party this fall of 2010, but I would love to pass them on to someone who has greater memories.

Thanks for uploading those incredible photos to my thread, simply awesome. Please, if anyone has anymore, feel free to add, but these photo pics are historic. God I wish I had a time machine.

God, I never went to any food shops except pizza joints and that one famous cafe for breakfast. Totally forgot the name of that cafe, but it had jukebox, tables, booths, and counter. There was also another hole in the wall gay drinking bar down the road on the same side of Buzzby's closer to Market, that was around the area of that murel of whales.

hey everyone, i was on polk st. in 1978 until 1981 i was only 13 years old then, i loved to dance and would watch everyone go in the clubs back then i recall hanging outside in front of busbys , i was too young too get in , i always wanted to go in there until a group of friends put on all this make-up and got into oil can harrys on larkin, they were not checking I.D"S there and the door men liked us, my girlfriend had a tatoo, so they thought we were old enough, wild disco nites those were, exept i had this drunk and high friend who was spinning me around the dance floor and he slammed my leg into a huge speaker that was there on the side , i had to go to the hostpital that night, my gay guy friend took me, not my dance partner, but i had to get stitches on my lower leg and still have the scar from it, i have a permenant reminder of that club and those days, it s my tatoo. sort of, but i miss those days and all the people, that made it fun. i always wanted to write a book on polk st, back then and all the characters on that street.i met my first boyfriend out there. does anyone remember the food shops Papa joes? or soup de'jour or bagels? we would go there after club hopping.

Well I originally held this idea for Fresno, Ca. for several reasons. 1.) A bullit train is currently planned to run through the growing town as a central California station. 2.) Fresno has not many competitors in the gay club market, there are currently three gay bars, none spectacular. 3.) Not many people I know that live here recall Buzzby's in SF.
I would change the name to something like Iron Zebra with a real sculpture of a spiral iron zebra behind the bar. The bar itself would not be a duplicate of Buzzby's in material, it would be more wooden in the dance floor, and the bar area would be more art deco. The DJ booth would not be like the old Buzzby's at all. Instead, it would be a room in the wall next to the dance floor with a red tainted window to view out. Multi video monitors would be installed in the opposite wall from the DJ booth. If anyone remembered Buzzby's as well as I do, they would immediately feel a sense of Deja Vu.
And yes, the bathrooms would be thru the dance floor on the far side. There would be that Buzzby's divider between dance floor and bar area, and the sitting area, like Buzzby's would be built the way it had originally been built like stadium seating with a few platforms. I would put round tables between the platform sitting area and the bar though, which Buzzby's didnt have. I would also put the cigerette machine by the door entrance just like Buzzby's with magazines on top. I told you people I remembered quite well. My first drink at Buzzby's was a screwdriver since I was too nervous to think of a beer. I was that young at the time, and actually underage.
Yes, I would call it THE IRON ZEBRA, because Im a Fresno Zoo member. I would incorporate a needed disco night. Oil Can Harry's in Studio City LA is doing this on regular Saturday nights, but I would also encourage Trance, Electronica, Hip-Hop. I dont see how it could possibly fail, but Im an artist with vision and not an investor, and quite frankly, dont have experiance other that being a DJ with some of my local bars. By the way, I have several clubs in mind besides this one, some original and not based on previous clubs.

Well I helped open Buzzby,s What a great time that was. I can not see why opening one just like it could not be a complete succes. It really would be cool to program the old playlist and hip hop some of the old hits to todays style. It might even be fantastic as a much larger club. Not a bad idea! I know how to do this. I was one of the first DJs at Buzzbys and also opened Uncle Sams, Oil Can Harrys The City The Park Exchange and worked at the End UP for four years. If your from San Francisco you most likely have run into me somewere.
Rusty Nails

Here is one famous disco cut I heard at the incredible Buzzby's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6AU_7MiD4I&feature=email

And if anyone wants to open another Buzzby's, let me know.

Billboard magazine & Data Boy were two of my disco charts must haves. I went to the library, checked out the current Billboard, went to disco charts and photocopied the entire article page, lots and lots of times back then. It still gives me chills to think of Grace Jones That's The Trouble/ Sorry in the top ten, and I always glanced at the bottom of the list for the climbing hits. T-Connection's Do What You Wanna Do didnt take long to become top of the list. Donna Summer was always on top for a long period of time. When I was doing this, that Billboard list always gave me the chills. I was as excited as having sex, really. I havent read Billboard mag in ages if it still exits. I wish I kept those photocopies, but the recent post from Jim Hopkins has some interesting dated lists from the DJ. When I went to the clubs, I basically knew them because I read all about em, even if I havent heard them before.
Then one time, I passed a SF music shop back in late 70s, off of Market, and heard a great song. Went in to ask attendant, and they showed me the album cover. I already had the album at home and didnt recognize it. It was the middle of Get On The Funk Train. That was really funny. OMGD, I already have that!

Memory is not all that dim...sure do! What have you been doing for the past 30 years or so? cm

Hi Christine,
Do you remember Rusty Nails?

Had just arrived in SF from NY and by chance spoke to Don Berry who liked my phone voice - and when I told him I was student and needed a p/t job he had me meet him at Buzzbys! I went from the coatroom - to day bartender - to suddenly (baptism by fire)Friday night. From there, my good friend Edd Mendez taught me to spin records which I did for several years before being asked to do the disco chart at Billboard Magazine. Buzzbys was full of wonderful people many who have past but are not forgotten. It was a wonderful opportunity for me and I am forever thankful. cm

iN THE 60S i WORKED AT THE 4STAR AND AT THE FACTORY,BEFORE IT BECAME STUDIO ONE. THEY WERE BOTH IN WEST HOLLYWOOD. IVE BEEN BACK SEVERAL TIMES. EVEN IN THE YEAR 2009,IT MAY NOT BE CALLED A DISCO....BUT THE BEAT GOES ON..A DISCO IS A DISCO IS A DISCO...NOW MATTER WHAT THEY CHANGE THE NAME TO..

TOM BOYES AKRON OHIO

True, I just visited West Hollywood for halloween week, and I love club beats. Some bars, even in my hometown have those modern jukeboxes with keyboard in the system selection, AWESOME!
Just tell the cordial bartender to turn off the house music and become your own disco DJ right there and then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu_0AmZyeT0

"I havent stopped dancin, YET!!!!"

Disco is not dead and never will be. Im 60 yrs old. I worked many gay clubs. We started the disco era. It has been here since its start, just under new names. They are called Clubs, Dance Clubs, Raves, Venues. Doesnt matter how you change the name.....Its still a DISCO. The Gays and Blacks Started the era. The straights Called it something else. But we made it FABULOUSSSSSSSSSSS. Others just ruined a good idea. Wasnt it Grand? Yes it was.KEPP ON DANCIN.

Thank you so much for that incredible ounce of disco history. I loved the disco era, its a vast shame the way the gay party found its way to close, but the bouncing memories are still worthwhile for those who lived it.

For those who are interested. I just acquired a huge collection of reel-to-reel audio tapes recorded live at Buzzby's and Bones, by DJ MICHAEL LEE, in San Francisco, 1976-1979! I have been archiving the tapes to digital and have set up a page to hear them. Check it out! Some great DJ history here!

http://twitchrecordings.com/page23/page23.html

http://www.youtube.com/user/supermandisco

Buzzby's Forever!

Buzzbys,
The Hottest San Francisco Disco in its time. Everyone came to see the new thing in town The Disco. The Club concept was created By a cool guy Named Barry my boss. Barry was a skater and a very good person.
He gave me a seconded chance at becoming the DJ at Buzzbys when it first opened. I will always remember the wonderful experience of being apart of the Disco scene as the DJ at Buzzbys, Uncle Sams, Oil Can Harry's, The City, The End Up,
Park Exchange,Rathskeller and many many more.
Bay Area Disco DJ Rusty Nails still rocks on.
I sure do miss all the other guys like Peter Struve, John Hedges, Mike Web, Steve Newman,John Randazo to name a few.

I loved Buzzbys. I worked at the stallion on Polk and liked to go to Buzzbys to dance. and hang out in the afternoon. Polk St.was a lotta fun. I was in SF from 84 till 92. Then my partner and I went back in November 4 of 08, to be married.

The White Swallow, Polk Gulch Saloon, Giraffe, Kemo's, Buzzby's, The New Bell Saloon. Great places and great times. Polkstrasse was such a nice place to be.

Every Sunday for 10 years, we all went to the New Bell Saloon to listen to Pure Trash play until it finally closed in the 1980s. There was a great, talented drag queen who played organ and piano with Pure Trash and later played at a hotel on Van Ness. Supper was at The P.S.

The Castro had Toad Hall (later The Phoenix), The Badlands, The Midnight Sun (18th. St. and then Castro St.), Castro Station, The Pendulum, The Elephant Walk, Twin Peaks and Moby d***. Bob Sanders played piano at The Galleon.

SOMA had The Oasis, Febe's, The End Up, Trocadero Transfer.

Hey Kathleen........I was having a nostalgic moment of my san francisco past and to end up at this site and read your posting..I mean I knew it was you.....and it was so exciting to see your post was so current.....our fabulous buzzby days,dancing to mighty real and victim........and that is just the least of it(the stud, oil can harry's, white swallow and whatever was on polk street back in those days)........damn, I can't remember the name of that cabaret right across from cala foods...........
What great/crazy memories we have.............I love you and miss you..........

linda

I spent many nights at Buzzby's; I lived and worked in the neighborhood and I was quite a party girl. I went with my gay male friends, my girlfriends and a drag queen or two. We would drink, take quaaludes and snort amyl nitrate. What a rush! And dance ALL night. I knew everyone in there. Ginger was the beautiful black tall transgendered woman who was the mistress of ceremonies. (I think this is who dancer 56 is referring to.) I also had a friend, Spider, who would shake his tamborine. Ginger would get out her cymbals. You really knew the night was in full swing when that happenned. It's been said that the Tubes wrote "White Punks on Dope" about the scene on Polk St. at that time.

I began going there in 74' and pretty much stopped by '79. In the mid-70's Polk street was much more happenning than the Castro initially. The Gay Day Parade used to go down Polk St. I would always see Sylvester at the N'touch.

The great thing about Buzzby's was that women were very welcome- gay, trangendered or straight. N'touch was much more exclusively male. One guy even spit in my face there........

There was a bar/restaurant on the corner of Polk and Clay that had a wonderful brunch on Sundays with cabaret-style entertainment. Does anyone remember the name?

I also spent a lot of time at the Palms. Remember the Blue Moons? I'd start there during the day and work myself up to an evening at Buzzby's with something to eat beforehand at the Raven (Haven?) or afterward at the Grubstake.

That lifestyle almost killed me and I had to give it up but was it fun!

I worked a couple of blocks from Buzzby's and a group of us would sometimes go down and dance after work. At that time there was as much gay activity on Polk street as there was in The Castro and South of Market. For a while I lived on Larkin and also on Bush street which were both in the neighborhood. After dancing late into the night, you could get the best burgers at The Grubsteak.

dude, your site misled me to think you were promoting an actual, now-a-days disco musik club. bah. no one disco bootie shakes it likes to move it move it nowadays? off of your computers and into the disotheques!

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??)

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.

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!!

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.