Promoter Spotlight

Search Articles

Back Issues

San Fran’s Magnitude Man
Sandy Sachs & Robin Gans
Tom Whitman
Alexander Catala
Hilton Wolman
Adam Gill
Rich Campbell

Sandy Sachs & Robin Gans

Written by Steve Kleine

In the fast-paced world of gay nightlife, lesbians typically get a raw deal. In the prevailing stereotype, gay men play the role of freewheeling party monsters, while the girls are relegated to a small cabin in the woods of Oregon tending to their golden retrievers. Venture outside our male-dominated spaces, however, and you'll discover a world of lesbian revelers paryting as hard as the circuit boyz. Hip-hop dykes or disco divas, gay nightlife has a healthy dose of girl power. Just ask Sandy Sachs and Dr. Robin Gans, the impresarios of the scene.

The power couple fell in love in the '80s, at popular lesbian event SheScape in New York. After moving to L.A., they opened Girl Bar in 1990, which remains the largest lesbian dance club in the U.S. The long-running Girl Bar parties, now in four cities across the country (with more on the way), set a new standard for lesbian nightlife.

They also produce Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, the largest lesbian event in the world. They managed the White Party Palm Springs for ten years; kept the Factory Event Space in L.A. fresh for the past nine years; opened the elegant and popular West Hollywood restaurant Murano; created The Fitness Factory, one of L.A.'s top-rated gyms; and run GirlBarMatch, an online lesbian dating service.

On top of that, Robin is a successful Beverly Hills psychologist, and Sandy will sometimes man the turntables at Girl Bar. Somehow they still find time to give back to the community, working with notable organizations such as The Trevor Project, Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing, Human Rights Campaign, L.A.'s Gay & Lesbian Center, AIDS Project Los Angeles and PAWS. It's no wonder they were named "2005 Women of the Year" by Christopher Street West.

They started by managing Revolver, a popular WeHo bar now East/West. At the time, only The Palms was catering to L.A.'s lesbian population. Word got out that these two women were managing this fun video bar, and the gals started showing up. Seeing an opportunity, they created a weekly event that took over the back bar. They turned an exit into the entrance so patrons could enter without having to walk through the main bar. The comfortable and elegant environment became an instant hit and eventually packed the whole bar.

Scott Forbes, owner of Studio One, the über-exclusive WeHo dance club, saw their success and offered to host Girl Bar in a room at his club. Things took off from there.

Eighteen years later the event is still going strong in the same space, now called Ultra Suede, part of the Factory Event Space owned by Sandy. It's interesting to note that in those days gay male dance clubs were famously selective at the door-but Robin and Sandy knew that would never fly in the women's community and made sure that everyone was welcome.

In 2004, the duo took the show on the road and opened up Girl Bar events in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Chicago. They are opening in Long Beach, and plan on San Francisco and Seattle as well. Chicago in particular has been very successful. Opening night was 20 degrees below zero, and the girls were still lined up down the block.

The Big One: Dinah Shore

In terms of attendees alone, Dinah Shore Weekend is their crown jewel. Originally, the weekend was a loose series of events surrounding the Dinah Shore LPGA Golf Tournament that attracted a Southern California crowd. The gals started by improving sound, lights and décor, bringing to the table ten years working with Jeffrey Sanker on the White Party. The result was a high-quality weekend with a wide range of activities that now attracts over 10,000 women to Palm Springs each year. And the girls don't just want to dance. They can choose from concerts, comedy shows, VIP brunches and pool parties.

There are some differences between the girls and the boys with this event. Dance parties end at 3 a.m., with most attendees leaving by 2. The intoxicant of choice is alcohol. By far the most popular events are the pool parties, which start at 8 a.m.! The girls just don't do after-hours. "They literally line up the hallway with pillows and blankets," Sandy says. "It is all about getting a coveted pool chair."

The music differs as well. Pool parties start with Ibiza-style chill music, and as the day moves on the pace of the music picks up. But the volume never reaches the level of an average Circuit party.

At evening events, the space is brightly lit with tables and chairs everywhere. The tempo of the music varies, and is sexy without being hard and driving. It is less fist-in-the-air, and more high-energy groove. The mood sets the stage for conversation. It's true: Lesbians actually like to talk before they hook up. The probably even know each other's last names.

From Promoters to Becoming a Brand

Sandy and Robin know how to take care of the boys as well. A few years ago, they noticed a drop in attendance at Circuit-themed dance events at the Factory and at other clubs. One night Sandy overheard two guys lamenting that they didn't know any of the songs the DJ was spinning. She realized there needed to be a change, so she created POPStarZ, a weekly event playing all the Top-40 hits the boys love.

"It's the antithesis of the Circuit," Sandy says. "Everybody has to keep their shirts on. The DJs know that if you can't hum to the music, you can't play it. The young boys love it!" The event has now become one of the most popular weekly gay male dance events in all of Los Angeles.

What's next for this power couple? A lot. They are working on taking their Murano concept to other locations, and will release a CD of the music Sandy programs for the restaurant called Murano Morsels. Major brands are approaching them to be a part of their events as a way to improve their gay image. The president of Ketel One vodka just met with them in person to sign a six-figure, three-year deal.

They're not afraid to venture into uncharted territory, either. "There are major hospitality groups that run hotels, restaurants and clubs that are always owned by men," Robin said. "Sandy and I have this vision that there ought to be a group like that owned by women."

For now, they will continue to grow Girl Bar and expand their lesbian empire. They are bringing in younger promoters and mentoring them so the pair can comfortably move into other areas. It would be nice to, Robin sighs, "not have to work until 2 a.m. every weekend." No matter how they continue to grow, it is clear that whatever business this power couple focuses on will be fresh, fun and successful- no boys required.

Reader Comments

Name:

Please enter the word you see in the image below: