BAR RESCUE
Jue Let revives San Antonio dance club The Davenport for one night
Donnie Dee, one of the Davenports frequent DJs, is no stranger to Jue Let.
The San Antonio nightlife community is nostalgic these days. Pearl hot spot Jue Let is bringing back long-shuttered downtown bar The Davenport for a one-night pop-up on September 20.
The sometimes rowdy spot ran from 2002-2007 at 200 E. Houston St., now the site of a Starbucks. Originally, owners Jackie Saha and Bruce Cooper imagined it as a quiet lounge similar to their Houston concept of the same name, but the open downstairs space has all the right makings of a dance club.
The decor was of its time with saturated colors and a few abstracts from local artists on the wall, but the vibe was more determined by the faithful who showed up on Wednesday nights. It soon became the epicenter of San Antonio’s electronic and hip-hop scene, hosting DJs who defined the era like Theory of Everything, DJ Jester the Filipino Fist, and Donnie Dee.
But the fun wasn’t as embraced by the club’s landlords. The Davenport closed its New Year’s Eve party in 2006 after an extended battle between Cooper and Saha and building owners Majestic Development Company, who reportedly used a lease loophole to force the couple out.
“They wanted us to change our clientele, either not have music, or definitely not do music the way we’re doing it,” Cooper told the San Antonio Current at the time. “Our employees had to dress to their satisfaction. We would have had to redecorate the bar, again to their satisfaction. They had a vision for it that didn’t conform to what it was. So they saw this as their opportunity to make us conform or bring in somebody who would.”
Almost two decades removed from the disappointing end, Jue Let is looking to bring back some of the magic. According to a release, the menu will be a combination of the club’s classics with a few new drinks that riff on Davenport favorites. One of the original DJs will also be making a return, but the bar is keeping the name hush-hush for now.
San Antonians in the mood to reminisce about hazy party weekends can also head to Southtown’s Gimme Gimme on September 3. Former proprietor Jeret Peña is bringing back The Brooklynite for a one-night pop-up with many of its former bartenders.
And if elder Millennials and Gen Xers need some inspiration on just what “going out” shirt to wear to the Davenport event, there’s a Facebook group full of pre-iPhone shots that surely wound up on Friendster.
