A local gay bar will host a new burlesque show during its grand opening in a former biker bar Friday.
Melody Club at Full Moon has been open for a month since its move from Northwest Sixth Street.
The original bar was one of the oldest-running clubs in Florida and a staple in the LGBTQ+ community, manager Justin Nelson said.
“The bar itself was beyond repair, and the owner of the building didn’t want to put any money into it,” he said. “We wanted to make the move a positive one and keep the bar alive.”
Benefits of the move, such as running water and working electricity, are already clear, he said.
Nelson upholds the bar’s theme and hosts a burlesque show once a month during the weekend of each full moon.
This weekend is a full moon, so it is a perfect time to have the grand opening, he said.
The party begins at 6 p.m. and will include a burlesque show, a male revue, the Soup to Nuts food truck and happy-hour pricing all night.
“It’s going to be a night of entertainment,” he said.
Sally B. Dash is an occasional performer in the burlesque show that plays monthly at the bar. She and Nelson co-produced the burlesque show specifically for the new location.
This show is more intimate, she said. It’s only two performers, and viewers have more of an opportunity to see the costumes up-close.
Dash created her name after mixing two costumes she had at home for a Halloween party: Sally Bowles, the main character in “Cabaret,” and Rainbow Dash, a My Little Pony character.
“It is really fun for me,” she said. “It’s how I can express my creativity. I like to be a storyteller and performer.”
Dash said she is excited about the move and thinks a new name and look is positive.
“There’s a lot of potential for the stage,” she said. “It’s set up better for performance.”
Nelson said it’s been interesting to see former customers from the original biker bar come in to a completely different demographic.
“We tell everybody we are a neighborhood bar, and everybody’s welcome if they want to come in and enjoy a drink,” he said.
