Best Gay Bar 2024 | Charlie's Phoenix | Nightlife | Phoenix
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Best Gay Bar

Charlie's Phoenix

Matt Hennie

It's tough to be a gay bar in 2024. LGBTQ+ people are welcomed in most nightlife spots, even celebrated as drag shows — once the domain of gay bars — make their way into brunch joints across the Valley. So the demand for queer-only safe spaces isn't what it used to be. And that demand further eroded thanks to apps, which meant the gays no longer needed a bar to make friends and cruise for romance. But there's a reason Charlie's has thrived since its opening in 1984 — giving the people what they can't find anywhere else. There's a massive dance floor, multiple bars and a spacious outdoor area. When it's not summer, that massive patio space makes for a packed Sunday Funday. Guys in thongs gyrating on boxes don't hurt, either. Neither does Charlie's Tacos, a food truck that serves tasty bites to the public who approach it from Camelback Road or patrons on the patio, who line up on the weekend before its 7 p.m. opening to order tacos, quesadillas, nachos and more. To be sure, Charlie's offers the traditional gay bar staples, including show tunes, drag shows, karaoke and an underwear night. But it shines by hosting special events. Big gay sports tournament in town? Charlie's will welcome those jocks. A tamale and salsa competition? Yep, they offer that, too.

Best New Gay Bar That's Really Not

The Royale

Plop down a redo of dilapidated auto repair and body shops in the Melrose District, add not one but two bars offering Golden Girl Margs and some kitschy shops, and complete the look with some midcentury flair, and what did you think would happen? You can't swing a rosemary and black pepper fry from Yum Bar around The Royale and not hit a gaggle of well-appointed gay men arriving for drag brunch. This place brings the boys to the yard. Literally — there's a cute courtyard with artificial turf. Yum Bar, which opened in January, is the heart of the development, hosting charity fundraisers, tea dances and Pride events when it's not serving up its eponymous burger, Melrose Bowls and specialty cocktails. The project is the work of Mark Howard and Rocco Menaguale, the same creative force behind Fez, which continues to attract an LGBTQ+ crowd after nearly 20 years, and queer-friendly Bliss ReBAR, which closed in 2022.

Best Drag Shows

Kobalt Bar

Lauren Cusimano

Almost every single cast member of the current season of "RuPaul's Drag Race" performs at Kobalt Bar during the season, and the bar's viewing parties of the show are hosted by local drag legend Barbra Seville. Former "Drag Race" competitors and winners stop here often, and Kobalt's weekly shows — "Cirque du so Trey," "The 4Some Revue" and "The Queer Arcana" — feature Phoenix's best local drag queens, some of whom have made international names for themselves on shows. These shows are late, loud and frequently sell out, even on weeknights, so if you're looking for a high-energy atmosphere, free-flowing drinks and some top-shelf lip-syncing, Kobalt is the move.

Best Drag Bingo

The Hot Chick

Steve Lueder

"It's Bingo B*+#%!" makes hump days so much better. Every Wednesday night, the always hilarious Barbra Seville hosts this bingo bash, which consists of 10 rounds with fun prizes in each round. Winners could take home T-shirts, gift cards, appliances like vacuum cleaners and mini fridges, cookware like grills and air fryers, a Pilates starter kit, smart TVs or maybe some new sex toys. Drink specials like half-off bottles of wine and $8 cans of High Noon seltzer keep the winning vibe alive. Want more drink deals? Arrive early to catch happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. Seeking more socializing? Stay after bingo and dance to jams by DJ MJ.

Best Gambling with Gay Men

Nu-Towne Saloon

Benjamin Leatherman

Gay men have been packing the parking lot and raising the roof since 1971 at Nu-Towne Saloon, Phoenix's oldest gay bar. Some of them pack their pockets, too, if they happen to get lucky at the bar's Monday night Pokeno games. It's free to play, and the jackpots vary — they're usually $100 to $200 but have been as high as $800. The games start at 8 p.m. sharp and late arrivals aren't allowed to play, so get there early to secure your spot and take advantage of reverse happy hour. Nu-Towne is known for its frozen drinks and hot men, so gay men looking for new friends could still get lucky even if they don't win Pokeno.

Best Drag Queen in Denim

Evita Peroxide

This queen came rodeo ready when she arrived at the 38th annual Arizona Gay Rodeo in February. There were wigs and sashes aplenty at the Corona Ranch and Rodeo Grounds in Laveen. But she pulled on her best jeans and got her hands dirty inside the ring. She mingled with the cowboys, of course, but when it was time to compete, she jumped into action without messing up her makeup or wig. The goat dressing competition includes putting a diaper on a goat and sprinting in the dirt. For this drag queen, it also meant running in full rodeo regalia. That's boots, tight jeans, a long sleeve shirt and wig that gave new meaning to the phrase Dolly Parton popularized — "the higher the hair, the closer to God."

Best Burlesque

Spellbound Burlesque

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be titillated in a variety of ways by this troupe of body positive and inclusive group of sexy humans in Phoenix. With your Phoenix faves and some national headliners rolling through, Spellbound Burlesque boasts almost monthly shows at The Grand Ballroom or you can sneak a peak of the guys and gals dressed — and undressed — to the nines at at Century Grand every second Wednesday. Learn the art of seduction and amazing costume design through these sizzling performances, including skills such as how to remove a glove with your teeth. Take that energy home and shimmy.

Best Hip-Hop Event

AZ Hip Hop Fest

Experience the dope pulse of metro Phoenix's underground hip-hop scene at the Arizona Hip Hop Festival, hosted by JustUs, the Mayor of the Underground. Usually held at Evolutions, upstairs from the Monarch Theatre, this festival features three stages running simultaneously with 100 performers, from emerging rappers to seasoned freestylers, all taking part in the ultimate open mic experience. Occurring three to four times a year, the festival also highlights live art, tattoo artists, vendors and a diverse selection of food trucks (we're partial to Mr. Wonderful Chicken and Waffles). Enjoy freestyle rap battles and dance competitions, with the most recent dance-off judged by three of the state's top choreographers and bearing a $1,000 prize. Guests can savor free prerolls, edibles and dabs from local canna-businesses while immersing themselves in a world of self-expression and music. The festival champions the "Respect The Underground" way of life, providing artists with a platform to showcase their talent, whether they're rappers or beatmakers. Awards for Best Performer and Best Crowd come with cash prizes and access to the Underground Academy, designed to help artists build their brands. The Arizona Hip Hop Festival is your gateway to experiencing Arizona's hip-hop community's raw, authentic spirit.

Best Hip-Hop Artist

The Lord's

We may not be the Bronx or Queens, but the Valley still has a solid hip-hop scene. Names like Mega Ran and MC Magic might dominate that resulting conversation, but you must give the appropriate nod to the "little guys," including The Lord's. The outfit, which includes vocalist Preston Dobbins and mixer/producer Richard Lam, has this distinctly '90s approach to hip-hop, where it's all about the minimalist beats that rumble with force and purpose and lyricism that's all about wordplay as much as it is deeply engaging storytelling. They are a throwback to rap's underground heyday, when the genre was more interested in spinning yarns about the real glories and troubles of everyday life. Yet there's no denying The Lords' modern sheen, and they intriguingly filter ideas, sounds and energies for songs that comment on and add to the framework of life in 2024. They may not be the undisputed champs of Phoenix, but The Lord's bring us hip-hop with the purity, deliberateness and emotion as it was once intended. And for their endless bounty, we are truly blessed.

Best Band

Snailmate

Admittedly, Snailmate aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea. That's because the band — keyboardist/vocalist Kalen Lander and singer/drummer Bentley Monet — purposefully make difficult music. They cheekily call it "genre-fluid" so they can shapeshift from song to song, blending hardcore, rap, electro and whatever other shiny bits they glom onto to continually confront listeners. But as they proved with last year's "Stress Sandwich," Snailmate's poking and prodding fosters a deep emotional understanding. Under all that chaos and noise are two people just trying to get through life, and there's heaps to relate to and apply to our own personal journeys. It would explain how Snailmate have garnered shows across the world: Theirs is a catharsis that crosses borders and languages to help everyone feel things more deeply and thoroughly. Plus, they continue to evolve on record and on the stage, becoming a fun and frenetic musical creature who generates parties wherever they might go. So, no, Snailmate are not for everyone, but they're often everything to those who have consumed their neon-colored brand of musical moonshine.

Best Of Phoenix®

Best of Phoenix 2024

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