Hardware Bar & The Blue Collar Gay Fantasy
Located at 697 10th Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets in the heart of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen, Hardware Bar is a former electrical-supply store turned gay bar that first opened its doors in 2012. Hardware is owned and operated by Justin Buchanan and Eric Einstein, who also run both Pieces and Playhouse, two extremely popular gay bars situated in Greenwich Village. Now in operation for over a decade, the gay-owned Hardware has become well known for continuously showcasing talent from some of the most renowned drag queens in the business, many of whom have gone on to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, including Brita Filter, Monét X Change, and Kandy Muse, as well many who seem destined to appear on the popular reality TV series any day now, like Jasmine Rice Labeija, Harriet Tugsmen and Skye Walker. Hardware has also become known for hosting performances from Broadway performers, rising pop stars and burgeoning comedians, as well as to regularly feature sets from some of the best DJs in NYC.
As aforementioned, Hardware Bar’s name derived from the fact that it physically inhabits a space that was previously an electrical parts and hardware supply store, which once occupied the ground and basement levels of the building at 697 10th Ave. The Ackert Architecture firm goes into great detail on their website about how they redesigned the 1,800 S.F. space, refitting it for a gay bar while maintaining some of the original elements and integrity from the former tenant., Ackert built it out into the gay bar that we know and love today, prominently featuring its glass roll up garage door and arched half moon transom, which can open completely during the warmer months.
Thinking of Hardware’s past as a literal hardware store led me to consider the recurring trend throughout history of gay bars that have taken their names or derived their images from similarly industrial or construction-related terminology. Over the years, New York City alone has had quite its fair share of such spaces, bars and clubs with names like The Anvil, Boiler Room, Mineshaft, Rebar (a reinforcement bar used to help increase the tensile strength of concrete—had to look that one up), The Works (see below logo), Toolbox (one word), The Tool Box (two words, different bar), and plenty of others.
Sometimes, these gay bars are simply blue-collar-butch in name alone. I would hardly call the crowd or atmosphere at Hardware, for example, as anything but a room comprised of Hell’s Kitchen pretty boys and dolled up drag queens. But others commit harder to the theme—the Mineshaft, for one, once enforced a strict dress code and prominently displayed a sign in its entryway that read: “No colognes or perfumes. No suits, ties, dress pants. No rugby shirts, designer sweaters, or tuxedos. No disco drag or dresses.” Instead, patrons were expected to enter the space donning macho, often-blue collar drag: “Levis…plaid shirts…cycle leather and western gear…and action ready wear.”
The rest of the United States has also had plenty of blue collar named/themed gay bars over the years. California, for example, has had bars with names such as Basic Plumbing, Oil Can Harry's, Tradesman, Rusty Nail, and Jobsite. Georgia has had bars called Texas Drilling Company, Stud and Warehouse. Texas has been home to Studz, Loading Dock, The Mining Company, The Nail, Brick, and San Pedro Mining Co. Florida, meanwhile, has had Jackhammer, Steel, Stud, Chrome, Body Shop, Engine Room, and the list goes on…
So clearly, gay men, who historically have been stereotyped as perhaps crafty and artistic but hardly good with a monkey-wrench, have a long-standing infatuation with a tool box. And this obsession likely stems from a wide variety of places. For one, there’s the incredible opportunity for clever wordplay. Over the years, we as humans have adopted countless industrial terms into sexualized lingo. A “tool” could be used quite literally but it could also refer to a male individual’s throbbing member. A “stud” in construction vocabulary is defined as a large-headed piece of metal that pierces and projects from a surface, but it is also a word that we now colloquially use to refer to a hot guy. All sorts of plumbing phraseology has been coopted into gay sex innuendo (Do you need your pipes checked?).
Then, of course, there’s the ever popular gay slang term that often gets thrown around: “trade”. There are, in actuality, many variations as to the meaning and origin of the term, which you can read more about here. But one certainly can’t ignore that the term “trade” likely derived from referring to tradesmen, or men with a trade, in other words: electricians, woodworkers, handymen, etc. But additionally, one of the more popular usages of trade involves adding the word “rough” before it, as in “rough trade”, which in the gay world has typically been used to refer specifically to working-class laborers with perhaps less education and more physically demanding work (i.e. construction workers, etc). These men, therefore have toned, muscular bodies, which they developed naturally with hard labor rather than in a fancy Equinox gym. They also may have a less polished or clean cut style than say, an office worker or professional businessman.
There is often a lustful aspiration involved with “trade”—the men are attractive, masculine-presenting, possibly heterosexual, total objects of desire, and its’s often been drilled (no pun intended) in gay men’s heads that this is the ideal. A blue-collar fantasy has most certainly been cultivated across generations of gay culture—whether it was in the drawings of Tom of Finland, the writings of Samuel Delaney (see Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders) or just the countless pornographic magazines and videos where strapping plumbers, auto repairmen, and carpenters (NSFW) are the stars of the show.
But now getting back to Hardware, which hardly leans into this macho fantasy, and is truly only blue-collar by name and in former identity. In fact, since opening, Hardware has become known in particular for its weekly lineup of legendary drag performances, and its incredibly popular Friday night party called "Super Size Queen Fridays". Men performing in wigs, makeup and heels, calling themselves “Super Size Queens” is perhaps as far away from the tool belt as one can get. And that playful dichotomy is just how we like it. Because a queer person’s identity doesn’t need to be limited to one extreme or the other—you can be a great drag queen who’s also a pro with power tools. Think of Shea Couleé’s iconic construction worker runway look, if you must.
At Hardware, the lineup of popular recurring events includes the likes of "Skinny Brunch Sundays" with Jasmine Rice Labeija and Brita Filter, "TKO Thursdays" with Lexington Banks and Audrey Phoenix, and "Bionic Saturdays" with Stasi and Brie Bordeaux. Other recurring and one off events held there have included "Broadway Mondays", "Woman Crush Wednesdays", "The Shequida Show Thursdays" and "Slay Saturdays". There’s not a wood shop class or metalworking event in sight. Other well known drag artists to have performed at Hardware include Rosé, Jacklynn Hyde, Jasmine Kennedy, Jax, Holly Box Springs, Shequida Hall, Catrina Lovelace, Pixie Aventura, and countless others. Meanwhile, Resident DJs spinning at Hardware include DJ 2Face, DJ Ohricky, DJ Mike Borowski, DJ Brik, DJ Boombox and many more.
The patrons who frequent Hardware bar truly love it, and in their reviews particularly call out the amazing queens who perform there as well as the extremely kind bartenders who serve the drinks. There’s no “rough trade” in sight. Steve R's review perhaps said it best: "My favorite bar in the city to come to. There's always cute guys, great music, and awesome drag shows. The bartenders are always nice and sexy, Steven is the best, he's so sweet and cute.” Below are some other stellar reviews:
Kevin M: “Cool DJ Booth, a real stage, big dance floor, I like it. Surprisingly sweet staff for a Hell's Kitchen bar. There were cheap drinks as advertised, but our bartender and server really made the difference. Made us feel almost like they had a little crush on us. Great fun. We'll be back.”
Kelechi A: “Hardware is a Hell Kitchen's bar that has good drinks, a great beer selection, and plenty of entertainment during the week (esp. when RuPaul's Drag Race is on). However, what makes Hardware truly shine is its service. I would give its service a rating of 6 out of 5 stars if I could. Why? If you are looking for a bar with truly friendly bartenders, Hardware is your spot. Every single Friday that I'm there, the bartenders greet me with a smile and remember my preferred drink! Plus, they are super welcoming to all. Definitely recommend stopping by. And if you live in HK, highly recommend that you make this one of your regular bar stops.”
Ryan H: “Hardware is arguably the best gay bar in Hell's Kitchen. The staff is incredible and always takes care of my friends and myself in a timely manner. Steven Gabriel never disappoints...good looks and great drinks. If you have time for one bar while you visit, this is the place to go.”
Renae W. added: “Hardware is a staple Friday hang!! If you're in need of great music, cool drag shows and somewhere to watch Drag Race head over ASAP. If you want amazing drinks to go with the vibe, ask for Steven.”
Jason S: “I've lost myself in many of the Saturday night dance mosh pits. Both physically and emotionally.”
Amen to that. Hardware is open 7 days a week from 2PM to 4AM. From the other NYC gay bars mentioned, Toolbox, Boiler Room, and Rebar are also still alive and well while the rest are sadly part of history. Now get to work and go pay them a visit!
