Soco Club (Closed Permanently)

New Locations

Soco Club recently moved downtown to the district of Columbia. location is close to campus and other bars.

Not Worth Your Time or Money

I've been going to SoCo long enough to write a pretty exhaustive review, and its time to get some things out in the open: Positives: 1) SoCo has fantastic drag shows, filled with humor and performers dedicated to the craft, though they tend to be repetitive and the same thing week after week. Negatives: 1) SoCo's management runs the club as if its a failing bank rather than a club. When you enter SoCo for the first time, you are likely not to be greeted, but interrupt the (not happy or polite) door person watching their favorite TV show when they SHOULD be greeting each person with a huge smiling face, making them feel welcome. 2) Speaking of making patrons feel welcome, NONE of the staff is friendly. Dont even expect a "Hi" from any of them. If any of them speak to you, it will probably be to kick you out of the club for breaking one of their 500 rules. While the owner is there most nights, he probably wont talk to you as he is most of the time pouring himself drinks behind the bar getting drunk. 3) The club is expensive. Expect a cover charge any night there is actually a crowd there. On top of this, expect some of the most expensive drink prices in Columbia. 4) On top of paying just to enter the club, and then paying AGAIN to get your drink (which may come in a plastic cup), you aren't allowed to take drinks on the dance floor and will IMMEDIATELY be kicked out if you do it. Which brings me to: 5) Rules. The worst thing about SoCo. SoCo has more rules than an Iranian labor camp. You can get kicked out for taking your drink on the dance floor, taking your shirt off, leaning in your chair, being too loud, dancing on the floor during a drag number, etc. The list goes on and on. I can't believe bridal parties are still going to this bar, almost every time they get in trouble for breaking one of the many, many rules. SoCo's management puts every rule and law in place to ensure you aren't having any fun. 6) SoCo likes to pride itself on its dancing, and while yes, it is the only gay bar in Columbia that actually has dancing, my gay friends and I usually go to DejaVu or another club for dancing for the following reasons: SoCo's dance floor is very small, and while permissible, the music is 90% ghetto hip hop. That would be fine if SoCo's majority clientele was black, but this isn't the case. You'll hear the same songs every time you go, and its basically played off of someone's iPod with lots of awkward pauses in between each song. Its bad. Expect to hear zero current pop music. 7) Regulars that patronize SoCo frequently, instead of being treated preferably, are basically treated as more of an annoyance than the non-frequent customers which are also treated as an annoyance. Regulars have to pay the same cover every night as every other person. There are no free passes, or memberships, or VIP cards. Regulars are punished for going frequently. If you plan on being a regular to this bar, expect to start throwing down a lot of money. A lot. 8) Drink specials? Whats that? SoCo has none, ever, unless you count Cinnamon Vodka, Birthday Cake Vodka, Bacardi Strawberry, or other drinks that nobody is ever drinking. You'll never see Vodka & Cranberry or Long Islands or other popular drinks on special. Drink specials are supposed to draw people INTO the bar. Cinnamon Vodka, really? Conclusion: SoCo is badly mismanaged, and if they don't change their act soon there will soon be no gay bar in Columbia at all. The sad thing is I would be willing to invest in this bar to help change it, but I just have the feeling the management won't change until they go out of business. Are you from out of town or new to Columbia? Just go hit the bars downtown and skip the gay bar scene in Columbia, because there is not a good time to be had.

fun times

Had a good tome the first time I was here but the second time was much better we plan on going back!