Trannyshack

Came here last night to watch Sex & the City and it’s hilarious! It’s hosted @ Rebel on Market St. Darcy D. who played Samantha was AWESOME and Heklina and everyone else was great too. Limited seating and 15 min walk from BART. The bathroom lines during intermission got super long. Would def come back to watch another skit.

Trannyshack’s Sex in the City shows are hilarious. My male friend who happens to be straight and African American took me, after he took his mom and sister (and they LOVED it)
They rotate their Sex in the City shows and every few months have a new line up. A great time, and a great deal. Rebel, the Club that hosts Sex in the City is walking distance from Hayes Valley Restaurants as well as the Castro. Add this to your list of places to take and entertain your «out of town» guests! Only in San Francisco…

As a self-​described drag hag, I can’t get enough of drag, and have seen just about every show in San Francisco, in addition to shows all around the world. Trannyshack is the gold standard that everyone else wants to achieve. Although I generally prefer grittier, off-​the-​radar venues with smaller crowds, you can’t clock Trannyshack for being too big or too popular or DNA lounge for being too nice. Love the queens, the the concepts, love the execution. I’m devoted to Trannyshack and never miss a show!

I flew up from Los Angeles to see the Kate Bush vs. Bjork night. They’re my two favorite musicians and I was really excited to see what Trannyshack was going to do with the night (I’d never seen a Trannyshack show before). I was definitely not disappointed; every number was amazing. I’ll never hear Kate Bush’s «Love and Anger» again without thinking of Cousin Wonderlette. The crowd was definitely pumped up to see interpretations of songs by these two geniuses; the hostess for the night polled the crowd to see who was there for which artist and everyone was really loud and into both artists it seemed.
My only complaint, and the reason this isn’t a five star review, is the DJ who was spinning. After the show was done, the hostess of the night said to stick around for dancing and that there would be music by both Bjork and Kate Bush played. And with that, the DJ, Omar, played «Big Time Sensuality.» After that, he just started playing typical gay club music (Britney, Ke$ha, etc– yawn). After about 45 minutes, my friend and I went up to the DJ booth to ask if he was going to play any more music by Bjork or Kate, to which he replied, «If I did that, I’d clear the dance floor.»
Erk. Isn’t that what the packed room paid to see/​hear? To say that Bjork doesn’t have any danceable songs is laughable and if he did his homework, there are tons of white label remixes of Kate Bush out there. At that point, we decided to leave. So, fail on the part of the DJ, but the actual show was wonderful.
The hostess also announced that there would be an upcoming Annie Lennox/​Morrissey night coming up. Hopefully the DJ does a better job then since between the two of them they have a couple dozen dance hits.

Just throw a little glitter on it honey and go out dancing.
I attended my first Trannyshack last night and it was so much fun. I like drag shows and all… but this was all that and a bag of glitter confetti.
Pregnant dragqueen preforming choreographed dancing to «Papa don’t preach»… I mean… who could ask for a more entertaining show… really. Who?
And then a dance party afterward with DepecheMode/​Madonna mash-​ups… it was too much fun.
It was really crowded though, and some guy told my boyfriend, «hey– you’re standing in front of me.» Um, yes sir. someone is standing in front of you. If you’re not up against the stage there will certainly be someone standing in front of you.
Oh, and buy your tickets ahead of time because entry is $ 20 at the door or $ 15 online. It’s a pretty pricey cover for a drag show.

Unbelievable drag performances. Pyrotechnics! I was astonished, laughing incessantly, and also kind of dizzy.

I really really really wanted this show to be good, and it simply wasn’t. My boyfriend and I went to the DNA Lounge on NYE 2010 to watch the Trannyshack show as it was hyped to be the shit. Well, it was less of «the shit» and well, you know.
It very well could have been the venue wasn’t right, or things weren’t clicking for the performers — I’m just not sure why it was so bad.
The drag queens were not up to par. I expected SF to deliver, but I would go for a random Wednesday night drag show in the one-​block gay district of Sacramento anyday. This was just sad.
The performers were poorly choreographed, the acts were more suitable for a terrible gag show. Very few people seemed to be genuinely enjoying the show and the applause were quite possibly sympathetic rather than congratulatory.
I spent $ 48 for the two of us to get into this venue for the show, and I really want that money back.
My hope is that this performance was a fluke flop, and that in all reality they are MUCH better than I witnessed. Sorry ladies, just being honest.

I went to the Halloween show (2010) and had a blast. Heklinka was hilarious (and so was the person dressed in the Heklinka costume). The performances were original, funny and disturbing-​as they should be.
This was my first time back after a previous visit a few years ago that was so crowded that fights were breaking out in the crowd and we left-​so I was really glad to see they have moved to a much bigger space.

Trannyshack means one thing to me, and that is HEKLINA, the amazing creator and producer for 12 years of a vibrant, world recognized, much copied performance art drag extraganza that encourages and presents avant garde events that symbolize 21^st century San Francisco bohemia. Many of today’s well known drag stars and performance artists like Peaches Christ, Prescious Moments, Putanesca, Pollo Del Mar and almost all the club personalities and parties of the last decade can trace their roots to the creative bomb that Heklina has produced all these years. Like all long running special events, there is a strong personality that shapes, forms, drives and nurtures it in their own vision, and that has largely been Heklina with lots of inspiration and assistance from the flourishing scene she played such a huge part in creating.
Since 2009 Trannyshack has morphed into much larger venues and spread around the globe almost like a plague, some might say, but it’s a plague of creativity, fun, freedom and explosive talent and imagery that seems to attract an ever growing audience and influence that all successful art movements do. Like a school of art that represents periods in history, this cultural phenomena generates a force much like rock and roll did that reaches across all borders and boundaries and gathers momentum and becomes an artistic industry for good or bad. Currently producing large scale events at locations like DNA Lounge and even The Regency Ballroom, and The 1400 seat Castro Theater as well as venues across the country and in other major cities in other countries, Heklina and Peaches Christ fill these like an off broadway hit that moves to Broadway and runs for years.
All leaders attract controversy and dispute, but what is indisputable is the power of what they offer as legacy, and Trannyshack is the core and backbone of the San Francisco Drag Performance scene revered and copied in almost every corner of the globe, thank you Heklina.

When I was still teetering on the prospect of moving to San Francisco, I stumbled into Trannyshack while visiting a friend.
I made the move 3 months later. It was the essential SF experience.

Trannyshack was legendary.
period.
There will never be another Trannyshack.

Oh, Trannyshack. How I will miss thee. And although I only knew you for 4.5 years, I will miss thee…
Allow me to quote the Australians:
«Let’s dance in style let’s dance for a while,
Heaven can wait we’re only watching the skies,
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst,
Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?
Let us die on let us live forever,
Don’t have the power but we never say never,
Sitting in the sandpit life is a short trip,
Music’s for the sad man
Can you imagine when this race is run,
Turning up our faces into the sun,
Praising our leaders getting in tune,
Music’s played by the mad man
Forever young, I want to be forever young,
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever forever,
Forever young, I want to be forever young,
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever, forever
Some are like water Some are like the heat,
Some are melodies Some are the beat,
Sooner or later they’ll all be gone,
Why don’t they stay on?
It’s hard to get without a cause,
I don’t want to perish like a fading voice,
Youth is like diamonds in the sun,
And diamonds are forever,
So many adventures couldn’t happened today,
So many songs that we forgot to play,
So many dreams swimming out in the blue,
Let them come true
Forever young I want to be forever young,
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever, forever
Forever young, I want to be forever young,
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever, forever
Forever young, I want to be forever young,
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever, forever
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever, forever…»

As an update, there are only 3 more performance nights scheduled at The Stud. Trannyshack is doing a retrospective of all their best material from the past 12 years. It’s a great way to see legendary performances from years past done by famous local trannies, many of whom have come out of ‘tranny retirement’ to support Heklina.
My friend and I saw some fun stuff Tuesday night. I went home with a package of bologna affixed with an umbilical cord made out of redvines. It was birthed by a laboring lion during Circle of Life. The bologna almost took me out but hey, free sandwich.

Thank you, Trannyshack, for one of the worst bar experiences ever.
I came to see you. I paid my $ 8 cover. I was happy to be there, had looked forward to it for weeks, came early so I could get a good place for the show. But waiting for it, packed like pigs in a slaughterhouse, every surface sticky (although I didn’t mind for the moment), you turned the volume up to 11 and forgot about it. I had my fingers in my ears and they still rang afterwards. I kept my hopes up – even though assholes all around me were smashing glasses and pushing their way forward and picking fights and the music sucked and the stage was too small and too low and it started late and well, eventually my hopes started flagging I suppose. And then the show started, and the speakers still blared painfully, and I could see nothing of the stage, and I said to myself «nope, I don’t think this’ll work.»
Thanks for understanding. I didn’t think I was gonna get my money back, but I asked about the sound anyways so that, you know, you might fix it. «We don’t have a ‘sound guy,’» said the Tranny at the door. Who does the sound then? «We have a DJ or something. I don’t know. Go ask the bartender.» Oh yes, the bartender, who is trying to serve drinks to a crowd twice what the fire marshall says is a good idea. He’ll know what to do. Well, I’m leaving because the event you put on isn’t well-​planned, isn’t worth the money, isn’t safe, isn’t in a good location, and doesn’t have cheap drinks which might make up for all the other stuff. I want my money back.
Thanks for looking me up and down, giving me a derogatory look that probably meant «strait, drunk, or stupid,» so that I knew exactly what the game was. As soon as you did that I knew never to come back. And I decided to give the worst review for a bar ever.

Pete J., how dare you dis on Lady Bunny.
A group of coworkers and I dragged our asses to Trannyshack recently. and when I say dragged I mean yes we had to convince ourselves all day that we were making the right decision… to go out on a Tuesday night at midnight… all in the name of transvestite fabulousness.
We got to the Stud (which I loved) at about 11. 11:15ish. We grabbed some drinks, got the lay of the land and started to scout out a spot to enjoy «the show.»
I must say the crowd started out very nice when we got there. All sorts of good looking boys. (This seemed to digress throughout the night, however. At around 2am as the dance floor was clearing out, we did all gawk at a pair of very large men making out on the dance floor. Power to the big boys.)
Anyway, I thought the show was pretty funny but I must admit… after hearing Pete J.‘s reaction as well as the two straight girls in my party … I came to the conclusion that I don’t think heteros can appreciate Trannyshack to it’s fullest. I’m sure some of you heteros will disagree which I welcome… but the gay humor sung by Lady Bunny was raunchy, gross, a bit over the top (and so true for the most part). The two other gay boys in my party, on the other hand, loved it as much as I did.
So I don’t know… I think true fag hags will definitely be down with tranny-​humor. I wouldn’t tell anyone to not take their fabulous gay-​friendly straights friends to Trannyshack… just don’t be offended and feel the need to defend the tranny establishment if they don’t love it all as much as you.
Ok, this review is ridiculous.
Seeya.
Oh p. s… minus one star because we only had one tranny for our show. Is that normal? I wanted more tranny.

One of the things I’d yet to do in my three years in San Francisco is see show at Trannyshack. But last night… that all changed.
*cue the dark music*
No no, seriously, that was just comedic melodrama. Anyway, I was incredibly tired last night (it’s been a long week at work), but my lady dragged me out to meet up with her co-​workers. I didn’t know what to expect, but I had high hopes for hilarity & showmanship.
We met her friends outside & we all went in & had a few drinks. Before long, the place was packed. Sardines-​in-​a-​tin-​can packed. It was nearly impossible to move, & the show hadn’t even begun. When the show DID begin, what we were treated to was a Singing, Dancing Don Rickels in Drag cutting up the audience with 3^rd grade bathroom humor-​style gay jokes in a Bob-​Hope-​entertaining-​the-​troops type atmosphere.
It was truly bizarre.
Seriously…if we’re talking Trannies, give me Asia SF over this place any day of the week. Maybe I was just tired, but it went south during the lipsynched versions of Cher songs in which she switched the regular lyrics to homoerotic ones.
Wow…I think I just came to the frightening realization that I’m a tranny snob. And that is sign #472 that you’ve been living in San Francsico for way too long.

Damn this place is hot! And I mean hotter than Hades hott! I haven’t been in years and decided, what the heck. God knows I’ve stayed up ’til 2 or later for work on plenty a school night. Course the crowd and the drinks — super strong, cheap drinks, helped cool it off.
Last night was Bjork night. Heklina, Raya Light… you name it… put on an awesome show! The getups were over the top with smoke and glitter and effects! Drag has definitely evolved into performance art! I suck at names but the tranny who did the number with her head poked through a scrim with moving images projected on it was surreal. Course I was hoping to see a suprise appearance by Bjork since she was in town on Saturday. Oh well… was worth it nonetheless.
This place is an SF institution. I highly HIGHLY recommend it!

Just go. I mean it. Now.
So much fun to be had at Trannyshack! I waited a long time before checking it out, in part because of the night that it’s on (Tuesday), but if you can afford to be sleepy on Wednesday morning then you have got to go!
I got there at around 11:30pm, as the show starts at midnight, and I was shocked to see how full the Stud was (even on weekend nights it’s not nearly this crowded). So get there early if you want to be close to the stage. The drag show was by very far the best I’ve ever seen: amazing costumes and great great great performances… I was cracking up the whole time, and that had nothing to do with the gigantic reefer that one of the drags lit up on stage and passed around the crowd!
Very fun crowd too… and pretty mixed. I’ll have to go back on my next visit to SF.

Oh. My. GOD!
This is my new favorite place on earth, and I am so not kidding when I say that. Its the most fun anyone can ever have on a Tuesday. Or, well, most days. I just can’t get enough!
Edit: I know I told you NOT to eat the hot dogs outside… but I changed my mind. They’re the PERFECT addition to a night of Trannyshack fun.

Trannyshack is simply one of the best entertainment experiences you will have in San Francisco and possibly anywhere in the world. Over the years it’s evolved into an anti-​glam Beach Blanket Babylon for a hipster crowd of all ages, orientations, and creeds and the show starts at Midnight every Tuesday night at Stud Bar. This of course is difficult for those of us who have jobs. But if you can muster up the strength, get there early to avoid the potential lines around the block, because it’s the only show in the city that is completely packed every single Tuesday night.
As with any long running venue, some nights are better than others. Surprise guest appearances include big name stars such as Pink, Gwen Stefani, Michael Stipe, and Woody Harrelson — and the rumor is that a few of them have joined in and got on stage for an improptu performance. You never know who may show up, but the best bet is always to check the homepage at
and see who is performing and on what day. Clicking through the links and reading about the performers is a treat in and of itself, and should give you an idea of who is going to bring the house down with an over-​the-​top trashy performance and if there are any rumors circulating about who is in town and may show up…
Most importantly, is that there are annual events put on by the Trannyshack folks that tend to be bigger, better, and *not* on Tuesday nights. Keep your eyes peeled for the Easter Rino Trip in the spring (whats better than driving to Rino with a busload of Trannys? A busload of out-​of-​control drunk Trannies!!!); Trannyshack’s 3-​Hour Tour in the Fall (the show leaves shore on a boat and is performed on the Bay after passing under the Golden Gate Bridge), and the Miss Trannyshack Pageant in early Winter (this year we were all blessed with Varla Jean Merman and both Gina Schock & Jane Wiedlinand of the GoGos as judges). The Russian River Massacre for Halloween (dress up and bar hop with the whole gang and scare the Guernville locals. Then head to the show at Club Fab). And much, much, more
But even if you have to drag your sorry butt into work the next day, it’s totally worth checking out the main Tuesday nights venue at least once in a while. It’s an unforgettable experience that is almost guaranteed to make you feel like you’re a part of something big.