Back in 2013, I wrote about the likelihood of a strip club opening in Downtown Buffalo. Since that time, a strip club (Gentlemen’s Club) has not opened up Downtown, but one did open on the East Side called The Body Shop.
This past Saturday, promoter and pinup photographer Mark Miremont hosted The Rumble in the parking lot of the strip club (see event). Being a fan of Miremont’s work, I rallied a couple of friends to head over to check out the event. We rolled in around 5pm and parked on the opposite side of the building in a sizable parking lot. From there we walked around the building and came across about 30 motorcycles lining the driveway.
As we entered the main parking lot, we found ourselves surrounded by hotrod cars, pin-stripers, a BBQ food car (by Smoke on the Water), hearses, pin-up girls, surf and rockabilly bands, and gearheads. It was a pretty cool scene, with lots of people enjoying the sights and sounds.
After a couple of passes around the lot, we decided to head inside – that’s where the bar and the bathrooms were located after all. The place was pretty much filled – we were surprised to see so many couples sitting around the main dance floor, watching the strippers working their magic on the poles.
These days, with the advent of internet porn, strip clubs have become a bit PG-rated (if you can believe that). If you can handle the thought of a woman topless, and dancing, then you can probably handle a strip club. Despite being more and more socially acceptable in progressive cities these days, The Body Shop still had a hell of time opening in Buffalo (the city). The crowd that was present on Saturday looked to be mostly from The Rumble – I’m still not sure what the typical crowd would be like. What I can say is that the place is clean, tricked out with colorful lighting, and the stage is ultra sparkly. There’s even a DJ booth made to look like classic car. The only thing missing was mirrors on the walls.
At the end of the day, Mark Miremont and The Body Shop hosted a great event. Obviously strip clubs are not for everyone, but progressive cities tend to have them – with female and male strippers. Do I hang out at strip clubs? No. Do I think that cities should have them? Yes. Did I enjoy The Rumble, both inside and outside? Yes. Would I go back to The Body Shop without an event taking place? Who knows. What I do know is that the place is legit, everyone had a great time, and the business could set a precedent for one to open in Downtown Buffalo.
The Body Shop | 1285 William Street | Buffalo, NY 14206 | (716) 855-1950 | Facebook
