Shiprocked Turns 2 Years Old

The night-life scene in Charlotte is starting to offer more options for people who are tired of "soul-less faceless yuppie bars" so says Scott Weaver.  Weaver is the DJ and master of ceremonies at Shiprocked - a dance party, drag show and all around fun time that happens every Thursday at Snug Harbor. 

Snug Harbor is situated on the Corner of Pecan Ave and Gordon St right off of Central Avenue in the heart of the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood.  This dive bar with cheap drinks and a huge back patio is typically visited by neighborhood locals throughout the week but when Thursday night comes around, the place is packed and people from all over Charlotte. 

Most Shiprocked nights are just dance parties but every once in a while, there is a theme which usually includes an all-out drag show.  Weaver started this weekly party two years ago.  I emailed him since he is usually too busy during the party to talk and asked him why he started Shiprocked.

"I really noticed the lack of a place for all the freaks to go - and when I say freak, I mean anyone who ever felt like they didn't belong somewhere.  That's what I love about Shiprocked.  At first it was just me and my friends but now we get everyone from the gay kids who got beat up in school to the UNCC students who like to party and listen to rock music.  Every week is different and you will definitely notice that there is diversity in every sense.  Age, race, size, gender, sexuality - none of that matters at Shiprocked.  It's all about being who you are and our one and only rule is mutual respect."

Scott Weaver

Luckily, the night I was able to attend was a special night.  It was Shiprocked's two year anniversary.  The following pictures will explain how Shiprocked celebrates a birthday.

Early on in the night, before it got crowded, there were some people who were dancing with fire.  There were probably only 30 or so people there at the time but it was great entertainment for the early birds.

Around midnight, the big show began.  This is when the go-go dancers stopped dancing on their cubes to let the drag queens take over the stage.  These are not your normal drag queens.  Their names are Bethann Phetamine, Lilith DeVille and Tellulah Blackhead.  Lilith DeVille told me that they are less concerned about looking like real women.  "We just like to dress up and get crazy.  We aren't into the fashion trends like the queens at Scorpio's.  It is more about a feeling than a look."

Tellulah Blackhead

Bethann Phetamine

Lilith DeVille

One of the many go-go dancers

Going back to what Scott Weaver said about the patrons, they are very diverse.  The one thing that doesn't seem to be diverse is their drink choices.  With just a quick glance around, it is easy to see that the Shiprocked crowd prefers Pabst Blue Ribbon tall boys over anything else the bar offers.  For only $3, it is an easy choice for those trying to save some money but there also seems to be another reason.  One patron described it as "the anti-yuppie beer.  You see Budweiser and Miller promoting this lifestyle in their advertisements and most of us don't relate to that.  Pabst doesn't even advertise.  It's not high quality or anything but it tastes good and it's cheap."  The following pictures display the crowd this particular night.

The last highlight of the night was the string of games.  There was a limbo competition - the winner won a free shot.  The second game was a little less innocent than the limbo.  What followed was a "Dance Off Pants Off" competition where patrons took turns dancing on stage with their pants off while onlookers cheered for who they wanted to win.

It is safe to say that anyone will be accepted here.  It doesn't matter how you dress or what you look like as long as you have a good attitude and are willing to return the favor of being accepted for who you are.  Weaver said "this isn't a normal bar or party.  We don't get fights, we don't have drama.  It really is just a love fest.  We joke around a lot and call each other names but it is all in fun and people who are new to Shiprocked catch on fast that we joke like that."  

For those of you wanting to know when the next special night is, the second annual Shiprocked Luau is on Thursday, August 27th.  The party usually gets going around 10:30 and the bar closes at 2 am.  

SPECIAL THANKS to Austin Caine for the photography.