Oakland’s Thee Stork Club Reopens As An Unapologetically Gaudy Dive Bar | Eater SF

"Stepping in from the Telegraph Avenue sidewalk into the dark confines of Thee Stork Club is like traveling through a time warp: wood-paneled walls dotted with velvet-black lighting paintings, a floor of swirling casino-style carpeting, a faux rock grotto around the bar and an infinity-mirror installation with exposed warm-hued bulbs that feel straight out of Solid Gold. The aesthetic updates — including the added “e” to the name — still honor the venue’s decades-long role as a home for the local rock scene; co-owners Marc Ribak and Billy Joe Agan, who frequented the space in the ’90s and ’00s, took it over in early 2021 to help revive live music after pandemic closures. Their vision blends garage-rock/DIY energy with campy, Madonna Inn–style touches influenced by John Waters and ’60s–’70s horror filmmakers: a back room painted entirely red (floor, ceiling, booths and lights) centers on a detailed dollhouse by Ali Rose filled with miniatures of Elvira, John Waters and monsters, while the bar channels a returned-to-nature ’70s California dive vibe with fake plants and grotto details. The performance space has dramatic red velvet stage curtains and an atrium with a gold disco ball and blinking marquee lights — a hidden feature from the building’s prior lives as restaurants — and Ribak is booking punky, danceable rock in the Mosswood Meltdown vein (the Mummies headline the October 7 opener with John Waters hosting, and he plans acts in the company of The Linda Lindas and Bikini Kill). They’re still deciding how to use the full kitchen (pop-ups or outside food are under consideration), but the drinks menu is fully committed to throwback fun: appletinis, lemon drops, blue-Curaçao fishbowl cocktails with Swedish Fish, and comically served Harvey Wallbangers next to a polished brass bar railing, all reinforcing the feeling of stepping back in time. I appreciate that they aren’t trying to be serious — they want to have fun — and the club will be open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m." - Dianne de Guzman