Spike's (St. Louis Gay Bar)

Spike's — St. Louis Gay Levi's Bar Tee

Spike's belonged to a particular era of gay nightlife when a Levi's bar was more than just a place to have a beer. It was a whole attitude, built around denim, masculinity, cruising, and the wonderfully uncomplicated appeal of a handsome man in a well-worn pair of 501s.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Levi's bars became fixtures of gay nightlife across America. Less formal than leather clubs and considerably less glamorous than discos, they attracted men who preferred jeans, flannel shirts, boots, and a cold beer to sequins and dance-floor theatrics.

And St. Louis had a gay nightlife scene all its own. In a Midwestern city where queer life wasn't always visible to the outside world, neighborhood bars offered places to meet other men, make friends, find romance, and enjoy a little freedom from the expectations of everyday life.

The Levi's look also carried its own unmistakable sexual appeal. Tight denim, rolled sleeves, leather belts, work boots, and a respectable mustache were practically a uniform. It was the gay clone era, when dressing like a construction worker or a cowboy could be both a fashion statement and a very effective way of getting someone's attention.

Places like Spike's represented a side of gay culture that rarely appeared in mainstream depictions of LGBTQ+ life. Not every gay man wanted a disco ball or a drag show. Some preferred a jukebox, a neighborhood crowd, and a room full of men who looked like they knew how to change a tire.