Lori Burroughs moved Balanca's into the 18th and Grand space where Pyro was briefly aflame and set off some fireworks of her own. Other bars with large gay/lesbian clienteles welcome heterosexuals, too, but at Balanca's, there seems to be something going on that's not sidetracked by shows or dancing: People are actually talking. It's not unusual for a gay man to find himself suddenly sandwiched between a swinging straight couple interested in a threesome. Or to see a group of friends including two straight college guys, a gay guy in his early forties and a lesbian couple in their thirties, toasting their unlikely but firm friendships. With a mix of live performers, elevated seating areas and a dance floor downstairs, Balanca's epitomizes the live-and-let-live philosophy of Sally Bowles in Cabaret.
