Monday, September 12, 2011

Maxie's (Gay Bar)

Maxie's was located in a strip mall at I-96 and Telegraph Rd. It was not open for very long. I was a large bar I remember. The interior I would describe as "Upper scale white trash nightclub decor" I never really liked it but a lot of people did. Post your stories....

13 comments:

  1. Maxie's was open between 1993 and 1995 but I think prior to 1993 they had certain nights when it was gay. During their heydey, RuPaul performed there once. I remember going there for Halloween one year and there were cages up high where people could dance. At one point they had this "ride" that was a big circular tube that you strapped your feet into and held on with your hands at the top while it spun randomly in all directions. I remember the floor being littered with loose change and cigarette lighters that flew out of people's pockets. Very short lived, but fun while it lasted.

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    1. I believe you have your dates wrong. Maxie's opened in mid 1991 and closed in early 1993.

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  2. BRING MAXIES BACK! It was where REAL dancing was done.

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  3. I remember the gyroscope thing too. Unfortunately, that was (and probably still is) a bad neighborhood. I've heard, but can't substantiate, that a robbery took place in the parking lot one night, and a patron/victim lost an arm to a shotgun. The "white trash" crowd label is pretty accurate, but it was fun at first.

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  4. I worked at Maxie's as the DJ on the weekends from the beginning when it was a gay club. We had RuPaul and Martha Wash perform live on two separate weekends. And ah, yes.. the gyroscope. I'm surprised no one ever got sick on that thing - especially after throwing back a few! The individual that got robbed and shot is a dear friend of mine - he and I worked at Popper's in Pontiac together and he was one of the bartenders at Maxie's that stayed on after they went back to a straight black club. It was at that point that he was robbed and lost his arm (he is doing well and is now a history professor). I went on to work at Club Flamingo and (nearly 16 years ago now) hung up my headphones for a 'real' job at Ford Motor Company. I loved the staff at Maxie's and have many, many fond memories of those days. Thanks to all of you who came to dance in the go-go cages and party. We had a lot of fun back then!!

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    1. ONCE IT GOES BLACK YOU DON'T WANNA GO BACK!

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  5. p.s. Last I heard they were teaching ballroom dancing there. That was several years ago.

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  6. This place was a dump. It always smelled like puke and the neighborhood was the most unsafe. You took your life in your hands walking from your car to the front doors. The blacks were mad that the club was turned into a gay club when it was formerly a black straight club.

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  7. I don't remember Maxie's smelling like puke at all. It is unfortunate that the owner of the club was a cheapskate and refused to hire security for the parking lot. The owner of Maxie's also owned Harpo's - a straight rock venue on the east side well known for fights and all sorts of other business drama. Maxie's was his first venture into the gay scene and he had no clue as to what he needed to do to cater to the gay crowd so he hired Michael Foreman to manage the place. I worked with Michael at Popper's in Pontiac for a few years prior to him getting the Maxie's offer and he asked me to come and DJ at Maxie's. Popper's was about to close and I was chomping at the bit to spin in a large club, so I accepted his offer. I was nominated for "Best New DJ" by Metro Times during my tenure at Maxie's.

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  8. I saw RuPaul perform there, and a week later it was back to a straight bar and Public Enemy was performing. I kinda wish I had gone back to see PE--RuPaul and Public Enemy in the same place a week or so apart would have been surreal. And for anyone who thinks that neighborhood was shit, what do you call the neighborhood around the Eagle?

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  9. I used to live in the townhouses behind it I could jump the wall and be right there. I was young like between 12 and 15 so would have been early 90s or so. Me and all my friends from Detroit used to go on Friday nights it was high school night. Got to be pretty bad in the parking lot after I remember somebody started shooting and helicopters and state troopers were there.

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