Big Gay Frat House Blog

The rebirth of Toad Hall

In the 1970s, Toad Hall was more than a gay bar. It was an institution, despite burning down four times in less than a decade. It became so popular amongst the gays that it helped establish the Castro as the gay Mecca, not just in San Francisco but worldwide.

"TOAD HALL was the first dance bar in the Castro and was one of the first bars anywhere to use taped music instead of a jukebox, not just taped music but well-planned programs of songs that flowed into each other seamlessly. When the other bars began to catch up, TOAD HALL installed a booth and hired a DJ; another major step in providing the best entertainment for the patrons. At that time, most gay bars were governed by greed. Gays were happy to have ANY place to meet and were at the mercy of slumlords who would accept them. We learned to put up with rundown places in seedy locations, run by people who didn't care about us and were unwilling to make repairs and improvements. TOAD HALL welcomed us with a warm friendly smile into a clean, well-decorated establishment. So it is not unrealistic to think that gays would flock to the Castro from all over the City (and beyond) to visit TOAD HALL, and in doing so would become charmed by the beauty of the neighborhood."

-- Uncle Donald's Castro Street

At the time, Toad Hall was located on Castro Street near the corner of 18th Street, which would later become The Phoenix but was eventually annexed by Walgreen's (which is now the upstairs area).

But now Toad Hall is back. Sort of.

A few years ago, Les Natali purchased the Pendulum, a largely African American bar across the street from his own bar Badlands. After closing it for what was expected to be a brief remodel, it remained closed for a few years, almost re-opening as the 18th Street Bar. But then Gus Van Sant came to town to film Milk, temporarily remodeling 440 Castro (formerly known as Daddy's) into the bar that had become an icon for the neighborhood:

Toad Hall pops up again (11423) during the filming of Milk, originally uploaded by ehoyer.

Natali decided to capitalize on the 70s sentiment -- as well as the free marketing Milk would provide -- and acquired the rights to the name.

And now the new Toad Hall, located at 4146 18th Street, re-opened yesterday after years of delay.

It may be too early to tell what the new bar will bring. It has a DJ booth but -- like the original Toad Hall -- doesn't have a dance license, which means it won't exactly be like Natali's other bar, Badlands, across the street. It has a red-drenched back patio so smokers won't have to be forced onto the sidewalk, so in that sense it's almost like a more polished version of The Mix. And in fact, when we went it was mostly regulars from The Mix who were there.

The Castro bars are undergoing waves of renovations at the moment (more on that in a future post), so right now the neighborhood's nightlife regulars are a bit in flux. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

More photos from Toad Hall's opening:

And more....

Dolls

It's December 26th at Frank's house, and that means he's returned to work, allowing Top Shelf (his bisque porcelain oldest doll) to conduct orientation day for the new dolls in Frank's collection.

Thus begins Dolls, actor/playwright Michael Phillis' newest one-man play at the New Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. The newest dolls are instructed in the rules for being a doll:

1. Never let them see you move.
2. Never let them hear you speak.
3. Always end up where they left you.
4. Even if you don't like the game, you still have to play.

With the simplest of sets and costuming, Phillis successfully portrays an array of dolls in Frank's carefully arranged collection. On the top shelf: the fragile porcelain dolls that rule the collection. On the second, the action figures where the good guys and bad guys have forged a truce now that Frank is all grown up and doesn't play "war" any longer. Which doesn't mean that peace reigns among the shelves: on the third, war rages between the brand name snobs (like Barb--- oh, can't say her name) and the off-brand knock-offs (like the surfer boy Ben dolls, with a B). And on the fourth, the mish-mash collection of chotchkes, fast food and cereal give-aways, and now-worthless mass-produced "limited edition" furbies and the like.

Without changing costume, Phillis' voice and animated style easily convey which doll is speaking. Though the premise has been touched upon before (Toy Story, most notably), Phillis (who also wrote the play) gives new life and substance by making Frank an aging, lonely gay man. The end is somewhat ambiguous, sparking debate amongst our group -- but really, the hallmark of any good show is one that provokes discussion and analysis.

See more about the show in Phillis' teaser trailer for it:

"Dolls": A one-man show by Michael Phillis from Alfredo Casuso on Vimeo.

Michael Phillis is a long friend of the BGFH. Kevin interviewed him for Gay.com almost three years ago about his play D*Face, then playing at the New Conservatory. And in August 2006, he performed at our Midsummer Night's Dream fundraiser with this delightful number:

Dolls continues at the New Conservatory Theatre through February 22, 2009, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm.

All Fired Up!

Our dear friend Charisma Glitterati, the reigning Miss Gay SF, just lost her home in a terrible fire. She's fine, fortunately, but the wigs, heels, and H&M jewels were scorched. The American Red Cross stepped in to help with basic necessities but apparently they don't have a drag couture budget.

 

So now it's our turn to help! Please just us at LookOut with former Mr. and Miss Gay SF, Johnathan and BeBe Sweetbriar, as we present All Fired Up, a sizzling fundraiser for both Charisma and the American Red Cross.

 

What:  All Fired Up

For Whom:  Charisma Glitterati and the American Red Cross

Where:  LookOut, 16th & Market, San Francisco

When:  Monday, February 9th from 4pm til 8pm

 

 

The event features:

• DJ Stef spinning hits of fire
• giftbags for the first 50 guests
• four upscale raffle items
• red hot drink special
• go-go "fire fighter" boyz

If you can, bring old gowns and other drag items to help replenish Charisma's closet. Raffle proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross. At the LookOut,16th & Market, on Monday, February 9th during happy hour, 4pm to 8pm.

Sponsored by: Johnathan, The Big Gay Frat House, Redbull, Gay.com, Lookout, and Thick n Thin Pizza.