Barracuda gay bar

Barracuda was the home to countless drag icons and introduced many of them for the first time. This included the movie theater that shares our entire East wall and apartments on 23rd street that share our stage. Another one bites the dust… The end of an era.

Unfortunately leaving the too many great artists out here for lack of space. Barracuda. I have sooooo many amazing memories and made many lasting friendships with staff and customers and other performers over gay years. Sadly, after 30 years, Barracuda will close its doors on Sunday, March It is with the most profound gratitude that I thank all of the performers, managers, bartenders, DJs, coatchecks, bar backs, and the literally hundreds of thousands of guests that have come through our doors and partied with us.

As of March 23, it joins the ranks of other belated local watering holes including Splash, Rawhide, and Champs whose combined presence made Chelsea the go-to, bar-hopping gayborhood of its day. It was at our 25th anniversary party, where it became clear to me that Barracuda meant so much to so many: the place they snuck in to have their first gay bar experience, where they met their boyfriend or husband, or made an indelible memory of one outrageous night or another.

Opened inthe bar was known for its nightly drag shows. I helped organize and produce 2 epic reunion events celebrating 20 and 25 years. Legendary queer venue barracudaloungenyc is closing. Now, with the impact of the construction and the structural effects, I have had to make a heartbreaking decision.

New York City gay nightclub Chelsea’s Barracuda Lounge is barracuda in March after 30 years in Manhattan. I continued working there on Sundays when I moved back from Berlin. Fitting tributes have benn flooding social media since word of the closure came via a March 17 Facebook posting from co-founder Bob Pontarelli.

Contestants at a “Star Search” night at Barracuda in March (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain) One of New York City’s best-loved queer venues has announced its closure. The memories live forever. The damage from the construction has significantly affected the interior and overall operation of the bar.

Barracuda Lounge, or simply Barracuda, was a gay bar in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It has been a true joy. This sucks. Huge careers were bar on that tiny stage. We just did a major re-rehab at Elmo … A Chelsea institution for now 23 years.

This demolition is the first step of a huge condo project. Drag queens are A LOT! In the past few months, a major demolition of the buildings surrounding Barracuda was undertaken.

Iconic Chelsea Gay Bar : An iconic bar that's been beloved by MANY in New York City is closing after THREE decades

Fueled by the success of our first bar, Crowbar, in the East Village, Barracuda also launched a brand new concept of nightly drag entertainment— and hosted the original weekly drag competition, Star Search, headlined by the great, late Mona Foot.

First Crowbar then Cuda then Industry. I worked for Bob Pontarelli and the team for 35 years! Posted on March 20, 1 Comment.