Trikkx officially closed after business on Sunday January 28, 2007.

For images, including video, visit: www.trikkx.com

A Reflection -

A time past.  Trikkx (and the institution formerly known as Rumours and The Grand Finale) closed it's doors forever on Sunday January 28, 2007.

It's March 10, 2007 now, not quite 2am.  Barely 6 weeks since we lost our home at 490 North Robert.  I haven't been out much since.  A few visits here and there.  I filled in as DJ at the Brass Rail on a few occasions (another bar that is for sale).  But working, and going out are 2 different things.  Then, Friday night, March 9, I finally did venture out - to the Bolt-Underground-Eagle.  It was fun, and it hurt like hell.  I saw several faces from the past.  People still searching for a new place to call home and "hang their hat".  A new place where everyone will know their name.  Most of the former Trikkx patrons are not going out --- there is no where to go - nothing that even comes close to the place we called home on Robert Street in St Paul.  No offense to the Saloon, or the Bolt, or anywhere else - none at all.  They're friendly places - they're just not "ours".  Though I knew a few people, I longed for feeling like I knew everyone.  We were there for about 3 hours, even danced our asses off for a bit in the Underground.  FYI - The Twin Cities GLBT community has one of the hottest nightspots - the Underground.  How sad and pathetic that the place is empty.  I haven't seen the space in years, since I was working at Trikkx every weekend.

Shortly after Midnight, we took off, and hopped on 94 East towards St Paul.  And that's when it hit me like a ton of bricks ... Trikkx was gone.  My eyes filled with tears as the impact of the loss tore through me.  How could it be gone?  Certainly Jim and Pat would be waiting at the door.  Certainly Jesse and Jason and Cory and the whole gang would be waiting with a drink for me.  Certainly Jason M would be buzzing around making sure everyone was having a good time.  Certainly the dancers would come over and show me some love.  Certainly I would see so many familiar friendly faces waiting at the bar - so many I wouldn't know who to stop by and say Hello to first. 

But no, it's gone...a place I called home for nearly 10 years of my life, and for others, even longer.  I drove down Robert Street and stopped outside.  Plenty of parking on the street now.  Spots once full until 2 or 3 in the morning, all empty.  The space, dark.  No "thumpa thumpa" coming from inside.  No people.  No smokers.  No one to say hello to.  It was an eerie sad darkness, a reminder of something that will never be again. 

I miss the people so much, you have no idea.  They were my friends, my extended family.  I didn't lose a job, I lost part of me.  And I know so many feel the same loss.  We're grieving it inside.  And for me, keeping busy these last few weeks has been a cover-up for the pain I feel inside.  Believing "making music at home" would ever come close to "making music for the people".    In some sense, I was an artist, and the collective group of people inside that space were my inspiration.