One of the first drag bars in the Atlanta area was Sweet Gum Head, which opened sometime in the 1970s.Some of its top performers were Rachel Wells and Lavita Allen.

History of Drag Bars in Atlanta

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However, even now, there are still some who believe that the height of drag was between the 1980's and 1990's because a live drag show in those days could be watched any day of the week, however, nowadays, although still available, they are only live 3-4 times a week.

The year 2004 shook the drag world when Armory and Backstreet closed shortly after each other.

After the Armory and Backstreet closed down, new clubs come on the scene to try to fill the void left by the closure of these 2 main drag hubs.

One of the first drag bars in the Atlanta area was Sweet Gum Head, which opened sometime in the 1970s.

Although the Armoury had closed down, the Amorette's found a new home at a club called Burkhart's.

Some of its top performers were Rachel Wells and Lavita Allen.

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Now, new doors have opened for the next generation of performers such as RuPaul and Violet Chachki.

The Locker Room was the punk rock sister of Sweet Gum Head. It was one of the first 24-hour bars in Atlanta and it was a great deal raunchier than SGH. Lily White was one the Great queens of the Locker Room. 

This essentially marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new generation of performers.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the Armory, home of the Amorettes, and Backstreet became the main hubs for drag and drag shows.

The Armorette's still perform at Midtown Moon weekly and at Heretic Atlanta monthly.

Other bars that had drag performances at that time were Weekends and Illusions where young RuPaul performed alongside Lady Bunny, Numbers, The Core, The Answer, Hollywood Hots, as well as The Onyx Bar and Tallulah's.

Clubs such as Blakes on the Park, My Sister's Room, Friends on Ponce, Heretic Atlanta, and Jungle all provide drag events.