Hole in the Wall's 25th - Celebrating a quarter century of beer, bikers and rock & roll

On Saturday April 13, the Hole in the Wall Saloon will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a party. The bar is best known for its colorful (some say surreal) decor, and for its rock music.

Don Baird has been spinning tunes at "The Hole" for most of the bar's run. In a phone interview, he spoke about what a fun watering hole it is, noting that he and the bar's other DJs don't spin the standard dance tunes which are usually heard in gay bars. At Hole in the Wall, patrons are treated to good old-fashioned rock and roll.

"That's been consistent for the whole life of the bar," Baird said. "I think this has a great deal to do with the bar's popularity, I think it's mainly the music."

Baird pointed out that people don't dance at Hole In The Wall. It's a place for listening to the music, for talking, and for playing pool. He spoke about the kind of people who are attracted to the bar.

"I think we draw a crowd that is a very mixed variety of ages," he said. "There's been a bit of a focus on bikers, moreso at the bar's first location and during the first decade. But I'd say the music is the main draw. And the bar has a kind a freewheeling air about it. It's a fun bar. It's comfortable, and people get to know the bartenders."

Baird added that Hole in the Wall does get clientele from the leather community, given South of Market's popularity among the leather crowd, though he did say that leather people remain focused primarily on The Eagle.

"For the most part, all the bar owners in SoMa are friendly with each other," he said. "It's not a competitive scene. There are only four-five gay bars around there, and we all get along."