It's been an interesting month or two for Oklahoma strip clubs.
First, Nolan Clay filed a story back in May that reported Oklahoma City is trying to shut down some strip joint with $20 lap dances called Red Night Lights because it violates zoning laws. He reported in a new article this week that a $10 lap dance strip club joint wants to intervene into the lawsuit because they claim Red Night Lights is hurting business:
The current owner of one of Oklahoma City’s oldest strip clubs complains he is about to go out of business because he is losing so many customers to rival clubs operating illegally.
Keith Edwards, owner of Cat Ballou’s, is asking a judge to stop one rival, Red Light Nights Gentleman’s Club, right away.
Oklahoma County District Judge Patricia Parrish agreed to hear his request July 18.
“We’re fighting this every night,” Edwards, 48, a former law enforcement officer, said one evening last week inside the club, which was open but had no customers.
Five bikini-clad dancers hung around a concession area, smoking and drinking beers.
“We suffer through it,” he said. “I pray and pray and pray. This place used to be packed — every night, 100 people through the door.”
He said Red Light Nights has been operating illegally for seven years. “Something’s wrong when you can take your clothes off in a regular establishment and nothing’s being done,” he said.
You know Nolan Clay is loving this assignment. He hasn't had this much fun on a story since the time he covered Chris Reen's colonoscopy for The Oklahoman's employee newsletter, "Deadline." He just shows up at strip clubs, talks to dancers and asks them questions about their life, or as Al Eschbach calls it, a Wednesday night. However, unlike Eschbach, he probably doesn't offer to take them on a trip or anything creepy like that.
I did way too much research and can't find a thing out about Cat Ballou's, and to now make matters worse, every internet ad I see is for Adult Friend Finder. About the only thing I could find online was this photo: