They’re a renowned Calgary business that has been around for years. After signing an agreement with the Calgary Stampede, Cowboys nightclub has finally returned better, bigger, and hopefully a tad gayer than it was before.
While the disbelievers roll their jaw up from the floor from this last comment, perhaps a bit of background is in order. GayCalgary Magazine spoke to Paul Vickers, president of Penny Lane Entertainment (PLE), who recently re-opened Cowboys in the huge 125,000 square-foot space - originally the Stampede Casino. He and PLE are gambling that, with all the changes to the East Village and the long term plans for the expansion/remodelling of the Stampede grounds, Cowboys will become even more of a destination for night-clubbers of all types.
PLE recently invited a small group of individuals representing event-based LGBT organizations, to take a look at the new Cowboys – or rather, Cowboys Casino. The Cowboys nightclub has two levels with a capacity of 1200, an on-site restaurant (with plans for maybe two more), not to mention the casino itself. Furthermore, we are told they have started work on a 2000-3000 seat live music venue.
Critics might say Cowboys doesn’t exactly have a gay-friendly atmosphere. This is something Paul Vickers disputes. "As the owner of that business...we are open to everyone - that I can promise you. We’re not going to be prejudiced to anyone for any reason."
In recent years PLE has hosted Pride Dances and other LGBT events at several of their venues such as Belgo, Wild Ginger, Coyotes, and even the old incarnation of Cowboys. During our interview, I recalled a gay dance held in the early 1990s at Club Malibu – formerly a PLE property. "I can’t count the number of [LGBT] events we’ve had over the years," Vickers admits.
He also wanted it known both he and PLE have always been open and friendly to our community – even at times when maybe it wasn’t the popular thing to do. "In 1991 I hired gay people to work for me. In 1991 in Alberta it wasn’t a very socially smart thing to do but I didn’t [care]. And of course, it came back to me where people - for years – haunted me by challenging me that I’m gay and saying mean derogatory statements about me: Oh he’s gay and of course the nastier versions of that." In essence, Vickers experienced bullying because he wouldn’t discriminate. In his mind, an employee’s sexuality was irrelevant, as long as they were good at their job.
Furthermore, we discussed how Cowboys patrons themselves are not a monolithic stereotype of interchangeable vapid pretty girls and "big dumb dogs". According to him, Cowboys is a wide cross-section of the population: men and women of every race, sexuality, and social strata. "That’s why we want to encourage a wide spectrum of people, of characters," he explains, likening it to the idea of NYC’s legendary Studio 54 – a wide variety of gay, straight, odd, and beautiful people from every walk of life. That is what Vickers says Cowboys is today, and that’s what he especially wants the new Wednesday Industry Night and Gay Night to become.
Wednesday nights have been Industry nights at Cowboys currently, but "...every third week – we’d like to see a drag show for entertainment. We think the public would like to see this. It’s a really fun thing to go watch." He explained that his wife has been to the popular drag show put on in Inglewood, presumably at the Village Cantina, and thinks that there are a lot of talented drag performers in this city who could provide fresh entertainment under the Cowboy’s roof. It would offer performers the opportunity to showcase their talents to a new and wider audience.
As for teaming it up with Industry night, his experiences in other clubs as Vickers has travelled Canada and the United States is that the two make a good match. "Those Industry nights cater to a very strong gay and heterosexual crowd at the same time. That entails the tolerant kind of people who prefer that kind of room." In his opinion it’s a great crowd with usually little headache – just people who want to have a good time. This was evident when, after the tour, the invited LGBT representatives had animated discussions brainstormed about the events that could work at Cowboys in tandem with, or in addition to, the Wednesday nights.
The potential is huge, especially when discussing the future plans for Cowboys. "We have this big entertainment place that we’re opening upstairs," Vickers explained. According to him, it will be a live venue and convention facility with an estimated capacity of up to 3000 patrons. At the moment, he says, they are working out some engineering issues, but, "our hopes are to shortly start construction..."
And as a live venue, expect to see a wide variety of artists. "Expect Brazilian Rock N’Roll one day to Alice Cooper the next to Country to Cirque du Soleil, whatever goes on..." This is in addition to the other aforementioned on-site attractions: Cowboys, the casino and restaurants. Melrose has already partnered with PLE to offer a restaurant inside the casino, and soon a Zen8 sushi bar will follow.
The exciting part is that Cowboys is on the leading edge of long term plans for the future development of Stampede Park. The area beside Cowboys is slated for more restaurants and bars to be built over the next several years. "Basically the City of Calgary and the Stampede would like to see this become the entertainment row for Calgary, and I love the idea."
Yet having a nightclub teamed with a casino has unique rules, one which may impact those showing up in drag or otherwise in costume. As the entrance for Cowboys is through the casino, there are very strict legalities about being able to match a person with 100% certainty to their ID. This is not unique to Cowboys, as Vickers tells us. "You cannot come into any casino in North America with your identity concealed." This rule exists to protect establishments from robberies or other illegal activities - much like a bank would have a major problem with you walking in wearing a mask or disguise. So even during Halloween, masks and/or makeup may need to be removed before entering.
Happily, Cowboys can compensate by being accommodating in other ways: "...we’re going to give [performers] access to specific dressing rooms to dress up...and [if] we’ve got a customer...we can make special access to go and get dressed up there as well." Drag performers and patrons can walk around inside of Cowboys, and can leave in drag when they are ready. However, if in drag, they must leave directly out of Cowboys and not stop in the casino. Unfortunately, this also means smoke breaks could be a hassle, as the same rules apply for re-entry.
Some members of the LGBT community may worry about their safety in a place like Cowboys because of "straight bar" stereotypes. Cowboys, and even Vickers to a certain degree, have a larger than life reputation here in Calgary, not all of which is necessarily based in fact.
Vickers wants to reassure us that we are as welcome and respected as any other customers. His basic rules for both patrons and staff are, "...no bad behaviour, no drugs, no organized crime. We don’t let any of those three things go on in our business. Our temperament, our tolerance is for everyone. Anybody who would try to harm, disrespect – from a staff or customer standpoint – is not tolerated." He stresses, "We don’t allow anybody to single out any person because of their ethnicity, their social stature, their personal tastes, dislikes...that’s not something we’re going to be accepting of."
So often we forget it’s not just us standing up for ourselves - we are also supported by our straight allies. From what Vickers tells us, he has been an ally to LGBT people for many years, and working with the LGBT community continues to be a goal of his. Even if that doesn’t sway you, then hopefully you can be reassured that as the owner of a high profile nightclub/casino in a new facility; as a businessman working in corporate Calgary and serving corporate clientele (including interests besides PLE); as a person working for over 25 years in an industry where a large portion of workers tend to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender; Vickers knows that estranging customers for trivial reasons is poor business in the long run.
"Dancing and having fun...that’s pretty much what we’re selling," he says, with the door to Cowboys and other PLE venues open. The question is now, what can Calgary’s LGBT community make of these opportunities?