This year has brought about abrupt endings and new beginnings, but perhaps the one goodbye that's particularly kick in the old nostalgia pants is the upcoming closing of Pittsburgh's oldest surviving gay bar—and my '90s haunt—Pegasus.
I was a bit sad to hear that after 29 years that dive's shutting its doors for good on December 6. Interestingly, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review notes that "the nightclub also was where Wexford native Christina Aguilera entered 'teen night' talent contests." That would have been around the time of my hanging out there regularly—she must've blended in with all the other skanked-out drag queens/hookers.The first time I ever climbed down the dark stairwell to the underground (literally!) club was in December 1994—nearly 15 years ago—when I was home on Christmas Break during my first year away at university.
I wasn't quite "gay" then. I was in that brief gray area in-between or something. A group my fellow co-eds who lived within about a half hour drive from each other all got together, and our 18-year-old friend Todd wanted to go to Pegasus to meet up with some guy he had just started seeing. So off we went!
Todd had the cassette single for Corona's "The Rhythm Of The Night," and we played it about 10 times on repeat on the way there.
I think the thing I remember most is getting the worst case of butterflies in the gut that felt like they were flying up my throat as we walked in the Liberty Avenue entrance and descended the stairs into Pegasus. It's the type of feeling you only ever get when you're young and 20 and slowly but surely walking into something you know there's never going to be any return from.At first, I kind of took shelter at the underage bar as soon as we got there. It took about 45 minutes before I ventured onto the dancefloor. But venture I did. And it was great!
My old Pegasus jams:
