Backstreet Atlanta and Blu tied for top honors. Blu has built a strong reputation
in the Southeast as the premier venue for circuit beats and popular party DJs.
The club’s spacious dance floor, buffed up crowd and convenient Midtown location
makes this an all-round favorite. Backstreet Atlanta is still “always open
and pouring” despite its recent battle with neighborhood complaints and legal
challenges. This gay entertainment complex is known in and outside of Atlanta
for its multi-level dance floor, cabaret performances and pool tables that
make Backstreet the ideal club to either finish your Saturday night or to simply
get your evening started. A strong runner-up in this category is the Heretic.
Atlanta continues to be a hotbed for DJ talent. This year’s Hotlanta circuit
event featured not only some of the best international DJs, but also some debuting
local performers. Sharing the number one spot for Best Local DJ are Eric Stecker
and Kim Crawford. These dance beat heroes have been sweeping audiences off
the floor with their uplifting anthems and pulsating beats. DJ Randy makes
a worthy contender at second place.
No wonder that John Mayer got his start at Eddie’s Attic. This Decatur joint
is a favorite hotspot for local songwriting talent. Both debuting musicians
and seasoned pros frequent the Attic with their pleasant jams and storytelling
sessions. In second place, eleven50 has done an outstanding job at presenting
Atlanta’s urban chic a groovy line-up of alternative electro and live dance
acts, including Fischerspooner, Tiesto, Deep Dish and even brat Kelly Osbourne.
The RedLight Café is an unknown gem to many, just a few doors down from the
Red Chair Restaurant & Video Longe on Amsterdam Walk. Its daring choice of
world music, folk and bluegrass is worth discovering.
 |
| Two bartenders from Red Chair Restaurant & Video Lounge— Tim
Wright and Michael Pearson — topped the balloting for ‘Best
Male Bartender.’ (Photo by R.O. Youngblood) |
Your choice for the ATL’s best male bartender was a tie between two of Red
Chair’s men — Michael Pearson, he of the dark hair, sexy eyes and friendly
personality, and Tim Wright, an Atlanta icon who has been a bartender for as
long as anyone can remember. Runner up was Vaughn Ritschel of The Oscars Atlanta.
A bartender at Red Chair since it opened, Kim Brown was your top choice here.
With a knack for remembering a face and — most importantly — for remembering
your drink of choice, Brown makes a fun place even more comfortable. Runner-up
was Andrea Pinel-Wheaton of Joe’s on Juniper with Anna Ragghianti (formerly
of Blake’s, now with “Girls Night Out” events) third.
It took a while to really catch on, but now Le Buzz is truly a happening nightspot.
Located just off on I-75 in Marietta, it doesn’t feel like a Cobb County environment
inside, with friendly bar staff, mixed crowds, nighttime shows and spirits
galore. Tied for second were the quintet of Goldfish, Val’s, Scorpio’s, American
Pie and Face’s Lounge.
With its ambience, friendly staff and bartenders, non-smoking atmosphere, and
complimentary buffet on Wednesday, Red Chair is your choice for the best place
to go unwind after a day of work and have a cocktail — or two or three. It’s
also the place to be seen locally. The runner-up was The Oscars-Atlanta with
Blake’s on the Park your next fave.
She’s everywhere! Bubba D. Licious, with her self-deprecating wit, rapid-fire
one-liners and drink perched in her hand, is your choice as the city’s pre-eminent
drag entertainer. No matter where Bubba is, or more precisely, whatever fund-raiser
she is hosting this week, it’s still the place to be for the evening. Tied
for second in the Best Drag Queen category were Alexandria Martin, Charlie
Brown and Mary Edith Pitts. Backstreet Cabaret was your second choice for Drag
Show with the Armorettes third.
With the long and colorful history of drag queens, it should be no surprise
that the new millennium has brought us drag kings — gender-bending women who
perform as comfortably onstage in a three-piece suit and tie as queens in evening
gowns. Drag king shows are raging like wildfire across the country, including
in Atlanta with My Sister’s Room and Zami playing host to some of the best
entertainment. Number one for best drag king was Justin. Second place was a
five-way tie between Toby, Kane, Zach, Al Schlong and Shase.
 |
| For the second year in a row, readers chose My
Sisters’ Room as Atlanta’s top choice for lesbian nightlife.
(Photo by R.O. Youngblood) |
The neon red “M” near the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Road in
East Atlanta Village serves as a beacon for alternative gay guys and their
laid back brethren who make Mary’s the natural choice for a neighborhood vibe
all week long. From ‘80s retro tunes and original videos to the quirky Brady
Bunch décor and get-to-know-you layout of the place, Mary’s draws an eclectic
crowd to its Tuesday night karaoke as well as its hip, happening late night
fun on Fridays and Saturdays. Readers chose Miss-Q’s and Joe’s on Juniper in
a tie for second place.
Southern women at their finest amid a welcoming atmosphere help make My Sisters’ Room
the favorite place for women who love women to meet in the Atlanta area. The
lesbian-rich suburb of Decatur is home to this “parlour and garden” with its
one-of-a-kind rustic look, including an enormous covered patio and quirky lawn.
Sisters’ offers a place to start out with a new love, spend time with a longtime
sweetie, and get to know a woman better from the dance floor to the shadowed
backyard gazebo. Coming in at second for best place to meet women is Hoedowns,
especially on Thursday nights. Tied at second for best lesbian bar are Miss
Q’s and Tower II.
