In Cottonwood, a Former Church Becomes a Queer Gathering Space.

Cottonwood, Arizona, with a population of about 12,000, is a destination for tourists with its Old West downtown packed with wine tasting rooms, restaurants and funky shops. And beneath its dusty Southwestern charm, there’s been growing queer acceptance that has helped it become a haven for community members who yearn for the desert. 

Enter Queen B Vinyl Cafe, which opened on Oct. 25, 2024: The multifaceted, 2,800-square-foot former church displays a floor-to-ceiling Christian cross painted in trans flag colors to set the tone. 

At this cafe — and record store, barbershop, and event venue — you can browse nearly 5,000 LPs by obscure artists, hand-chosen by co-owner and manager Jennifer Keenan, who also programs live shows ranging from music, poetry and spoken word to an art club, comedy and metal drag burlesque. And while most shows are all-ages, the venue has generally skirted controversy by ensuring any racy content is for adults only. 

Keenan, who lives in Jerome, said she’s been in the area for 20 years, “and when I came here, you hung out in the Walmart or Sonic parking lot. There was a movie theater here for a minute, but we don’t even have a movie theater here anymore. 

“That’s why I felt it was important to start this neighborhood cafe spot that has more than just food, more than just wine. Whatever you’re into, you’ll find something you like there.”

Records and tats to Pride shirts and pie

If her surname sounds familiar, that’s because Jennifer Keenan is married to Maynard James Keenan, the singer for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. He’s also the founder of Arizona-based Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards. 

The couple also owns the sophisticated and scenic Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria, Four Eight WineWorks and a soon-to-open gin distillery in their former hot chicken restaurant on Cottonwood’s Main Street.

But Queen B Vinyl Cafe, which opened Oct. 25, 2024, is Jennifer Keenan’s baby. It began as Puscifer the Store in nearby Jerome, but when it moved to Cottonwood, “We wanted a little bit of separation from the band,” Keenan explained. The Puscifer logo is a “Queen B,” so that stuck.

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Keenan admits to many sleepless nights going down rabbit holes in search of new music. She stocks a dizzying array of genres, including electronic, spoken word, world music and more. 

The staff, many of whom are queer, spin tunes, and there’s a listening station for discovering new sounds.

The shop also sells apparel, 80 percent of which is made in the in-house silkscreen, direct-to-garment printing and design studio. Many of the designs are by employees who receive commissions, and Keenan said they sell many house-made Pride shirts.

The cafe menu features breakfast and lunch staples (think: French toast, quiche, a burger), ramen and baked goods made with ingredients from Keenans’ own farm and local suppliers. It also hosts ongoing dining events like pop-up sushi nights, a brunch club, and four-course prix-fixe meals with coffee or wine pairings.

For the coffee drinks, they start with a Loring S7 Nighthawk—“the Ferrari of roasters,” Keenan said—and specialize in a lighter roast.

It also houses a barbershop in the space, Barbifer, where guest tattoo artists, DJ’s and hair color specialists often set up shop. 

A place for goths, punks, metalheads—and drag

A robust schedule of live events at reasonable prices—usually $10 to $20—draws audiences from around Arizona to Queen B Vinyl Cafe. 

Keenan said they once hosted a doom metal band called Kthulhu from Dewey, and one of the performers, Count Whorelock, asked if they could take their “metal drag” show there.

“And I was just like, ‘Those two words are amazing together. Yes!’” Keenan recalled.

Another performer in Metal-Esque, who goes by Lucretia, said the act has morphed into more of a variety show with a rotating cast of “queens, kings, creatures, everything under the sun,” she said. Sometimes, they perform with live metal bands.

“The nice thing about the fusion show and having live metal bands is you draw in the regular ally metalheads or the random metalhead who wanders in and stays for the show,” said Lucretia, who lives in Prescott. “We’re friends with all the goths, punks, metalheads. All of our friends are super supportive … and then they tell all their friends.”

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Her partner, whose drag name is Titty Roosevelt, liked experimenting with makeup and special effects, so Lucretia helped him discover his drag persona. She said many of their friends are cosplayers, so they often get costume inspiration from drag and burlesque shows.

This March will mark the first anniversary of Metal-Esque, and they’re planning another show in the springtime.

“I’m so, so grateful for that space and very happy that Jen keeps wanting us back,” Lucretia said. “In Prescott, we’ve had a lot of protestors at our shows, and we’ve lost a lot of venues. It’s rough.”

Queen B Vinyl Cafe, she added, “really changed our lives, as corny as that sounds…. And it makes us feel not so alone in the world and all that good stuff.”

Queen B Vinyl Cafe
Address: 102 Pima St., Cottonwood, AZ 86326
Hours: Cafe, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; record shop, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; Barbifer, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; events vary
Contact: queenbvinylcafe.com; cafe, 928-634-1173; record shop, 928-639-3516