Ed Grunewald kept it real with Club 5

April 29, 2008

4:41 PM

I was never much into leather. But that never stopped me from appreciating the Barracks, the leather-bar component of the south-side gay bar

For the Barracks, and for the entire Club 5 complex, Madison gays can thank late owner Ed Grunewald. He died last week, at age 58, of pancreatic cancer. At last report, Club 5 will go on.

It's a funny thing about Madison's gay nightlife. In a city touted as lavishly gay-friendly, there are relatively few gay bars. That was especially true before Woof's opened a few months ago. What with the closing in recent years of downtown's Rainbow Room and the east-side queer redoubts Ray's and Ce's, Madison was down to just two gay venues: the Shamrock, which is Irish-themed -- appealing in a gay bar, if unusual -- and Club 5.

But although the Shamrock is a fine neighborhood hangout, Club 5 is something different. Actually, it is many things. Certainly if gay-bar standbys like thumping techno and male strippers are your thing, Club 5 has them. But the large, multipurpose space also functions as a kind of a community center. There is gay country line dancing. There are Latin dances for women. There are drag shows, leather pageants, charity events. There is a salad bar.

Certainly the bar has its detractors. Snarky denizens of the local

in his honor.