It’s true, two of SF’s fabulous drag queens and personalities, Heklina (TrannyShack) and D’Arcy Drollinger, have taken over the long-closed OASIS in SoMa (most recently Caliente), and will be reopening the 6,000-square-foot venue back under the Oasis name, with their target set for New Year’s Eve (hopefully the project won’t run on drag queen time and be late, because they want to get it open!). Additional partners in the venture are Geoff Benjamin and Jason Beebout (of Samiam).
Heklina and D’Arcy have been doing shows and events together the past couple of years, and have been searching for and looking at numerous venues to claim as their own (Heklina says, “I wanted my own little birdcage!”). With so many venues in the performance world closing, these two are excited to offer, as Heklina puts it, “an oasis of performance, drag, and glamour to keep the flag flying!” Acts will be hosted from around the world, ranging from drag to theater to cabaret. Heklina adds there will be some nightclub and promoter nights to pay the bills, but they want it to be different, and not yet another space with flyers of shirtless boys.
The space is currently being gutted, with the floors being made even (can’t have anyone falling in their heels), the stage being built, the walls getting painted, the space getting zhooshed, and many more improvements. Alas, the old swimming pool was filled in long ago. The space also include the neighboring VSF, which will be transformed into the Fez Room (it already has a Moroccan vibe to it) and has its own bar. Stand by for an update before we hop into 2015. You can follow along on their Facebook page, which is where they’re posting updates (along with fun pics of the space when it was the Leatherneck bar). 298 11th St. at Folsom.
