New Gay Club in the Marmalade
The hottest new gay bar and club in Salt Lake City’s marmalade district — the streets near Capitol Hill named after fruit trees — is now open for business.
Jam in the Marmalade opened its doors on Oct. 4 and threw its grand opening on Halloween night. In the mere two months it has occupied the space that once housed popular trucker bar The Cedar Lounge, co-owner Brian Morris said business is going well.
“It’s been busy and we have a great crowd of people,” he said. “It’s a really great environment.”
The neighborhood bar and club was founded by Morris and business partners Todd Croft and Robert McCarthy, who had a particular vision for a new kind of bar. All men in their late 30s and 40s, they wanted to go clubbing without having to deal with the presence of cigarette smoke. Along with a smokeless atmosphere, Jam in the Marmalade also offers patrons a list of non-alcoholic beverages, such as sports drinks.
It’s also the home of hot entertainment six nights a week (currently, the club is closed on Sunday, although Morris noted that this may change in the future).
The club also features a line up of popular Salt Lake DJs. Every Wednesday is Big City House night, so named for a group of three to five DJs who spin house music and switch off every half hour.
“You get to hear a wide range of different DJ styles but [they’re] still playing the same style of music,” Morris explained. “It’s a new thing going on here in Salt Lake and it’s a lot of fun to watch and listen to and pick out different styles of different DJs.”
DJ Ruccus has the floor on Thursday nights. On Fridays, DJ: K and DJ Mike Babbitt are frequent guests.
“The crowds really love him,” Morris said of DJ: K.
The club has yet to “lock in” a house DJ for Saturday, said Morris. In the meantime, the spot is held by a number of guest spinners.
Currently, Tuesday and Monday nights are reserved for Disco Night and Monday Night Football, respectively.
Along with rotating DJs, the club also plans on featuring performances by a number of “surprise vocalists.”
“We are planning in December to have an acoustic artist here, but we haven’t nailed down all those details,” said Morris.
Along with popular dance nights, the club has also become a popular spot for groups looking to host private parties, which Morris said can be booked from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., when the club opens its doors to the public. Along with a party for the Ski OUT Weekend scheduled for Dec. 19, the club is filling up fast this month with bookings for Christmas parties. And true to its commitment to cater specifically to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients, Morris added that the club welcomes local groups such as the Utah AIDS Foundation and the Utah Pride Center to use its space for events during the day.
Although the club is doing good business, Morris said a few things still have to happen for the club to become fully operational. For example, its owners are still working with the city to get a full liquor license (currently, the club is only authorized to sell beer). As soon as their license is approved, Morris said the club will hold another grand opening party in celebration.
And then, of course, there is the task of readying the club for the winter holidays, one task that is fortunately near completion.
“By the time this issue comes out we should be decorated for Christmas,” Morris said.
Jam in the Marmalade is open Monday through Saturday from 5:00 p.m.–2:00 a.m.