Jorge Usatorres, the financial executive who saved, rebranded and revived the Faultline, one of L.A.’s oldest gay bars, is moving on. Usatorres announced today that he is selling the bar, which he bought in 2014.
“In so many ways I regret leaving Faultline,” Usatorres said. “The people I’ve worked with — staff, promoters, DJ’s, performers — are so amazing. I feel so happy to have met them. But I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish, the saving of a gay landmark. Now I’m ready for new challenges.”
Faultline is a descendent of The Stud, a Levi/leather cruise bar that opened on 4216 Melrose Ave. east of the 101 about 40 years ago. It morphed into Griff’s and then became the Faultline. Usatorres made a number of subtle changes to Faultline’s interior and more obvious changes to its vibe during his ownership. The result is a very popular bar that some have called a “Gay United Nations” with a crowd from across the gay spectrum.
“My goal,” Usatorres said, “was to revive, rebrand, reorganize and ultimately save the iconic Faultline brand.” As a parting show of his appreciation to the LGBTQI community, Usatorres has set up two scholarship awards for LGBTQI students at Los Angeles City College. “My dream,” Usatorres said, “was to one day to create scholarship awards for LGBTQI students.”
In the section of the bar fronting on Melrose, Usatorres removed the ceiling, exposing raw wood rafters that appeal to the Faultline crowd. He also installed some vintage furniture — a couch, armchairs and even repurposed some of the bars hidden gems to reinforce the notion that Faultline is a social hangout and not just a landmark party place.
He also has worked with his arsenal of Hollywood top LGBT promoters to attract a varied and younger audience while still keeping the Faultline comfortable for the older gay male audience that had been its mainstay. His goal he said in an interview last year was to continue to make Faultline “a place where all roads converge in the Gay community. This is a place where everybody leaves their attitude behind”
Usatorres is selling Faultline to the Boldwell Inc. group. Boldwell has committed itself to having the Faultline continue to serve the LGBTQI community into the future. As for his next steps, Usatorres said, “many requests have come in and are being reviewed; however, I see a life of public service for the LGBTQI community in my future. We must not lose our passion, dedication and pride for being LGBTQI people.”
This story get weirder and weirder – I and my buddies remember the Faultline as the place with the ‘rougher’ levi-leather crowd – muscular hairy pornstar bartenders who worked for Colt and Fox studios – a dark room where anything went – and the leather/body hardware/sling store that opened into the parking area. This was not the ‘every-gay’ crossroads by any stretch of the imagination. Oh yeah, and when smoking was ok – Cigar smoke was the rule – still was on the patio afterwards too. This scene moved over to hyperion to the Eagle but they both shared that… Read more »
Thank you for everything you’ve done for the community. I didn’t realize it was associated with the Stud and Griffs which brings me to a question I’ve always wondered about, that maybe you could answer. Sometime in the late seventies I remember there being a live singer ,who called himself Pearl and sang and sounded like Janis Joplin live. It was the first time I saw a singer not lip singing in the gay bars, I always wondered whatever happened to him ,he was so talented.