Dugan S Bistro And The Legend Of The Bearded Lady Looks Back At A Time When River North Was Full Of Drag Queens And Glitter

Though it opened in 1973, four years before the iconic New York club, Dugan’s Bistro in River North became known as the Studio 54 of the midwest, attracting appearances from Bette Midler, Diana Ross, John Waters, Andy Warhol, among many others, and often as a surprise to the bar’s patrons. But the one star they were almost guaranteed to see was Bob Theiss, better known as the Bearded Lady.

While he was writing about Renslow’s bar, many people asked Keehnen what day-to-day life must have been like for these 1970s club kids. As he asked around, the people who danced at the extravagant parties sent him their memories.

After disco died due to racism and homophobia, redevelopment began in River North. In 1982, the newspaper GayLife eulogized the Bistro as BL’s home “succumbed to the wrecking ball and ‘progress.’” There remains nothing quite like the Bistro today.   v

By Owen Keehnen. (OutTales) Reading Thu 3/7, 7 PM, Unabridged Bookstore, 3251 N. Broadway, 773-883-9119, unabridgedbookstore.com.  F