Faultline: L.A.'s Legendary Bar

Silverlake's last gay bar is under new ownership. But don't think that the new owners are here to change the characteristics of fun that made Faultline famous up and down the state. The Rage Monthly talked with one of its new owners, Ruby Nuno, to dish about the infamous bar and to hear about the latest upgrades and new additions.

Please tell our readers about the history of the bar.

Faultline opened 22 years ago at 4216 Melrose Avenue. We've been around for a while but this location's history with the gay community goes back even further. Before it was Faultline, it was home to The Stud and Griff's. Faultline underwent a major expansion in 2004, which added the large, enclosed outdoor patio, it's a great space that is really unique. There's nothing more fun than watching the patio packed with guys at our Sunday Beer Bust.

What led you to become a bar owner?

Since my days in the Fresno gay club scene back in the 1990s, I've always wanted to get back in the business. So when the opportunity came up to buy Faultline, my business partner and I jumped at it. We wanted to make sure that Faultline continues to be one of the iconic gay bars in Los Angeles.

With so many of the local gay bars going out of business, what is your goal for the bar?

The main goal is to preserve and build upon the legacy of Faultline, created by its founder Shawn Farnsworth. He consciously created a place where guys could have a great time just being themselves. It's comfortable. We didn't want to see Faultline go the way of so many other gay bars in the past few years, but, at the end of the day, you've got to pay the bills. Social media has really changed the scene and that presents challenges... and opportunities. We believe if we stay true to the bar's founding vision, while expanding on it, Faultline can remain both one of L.A.'s iconic gay bars and an on-going business. We take very seriously the tradition we've inherited.

Any new things that patrons can expect at Faultline?

We've made some improvements to our facilities. Mostly behind the scenes stuff: Upgraded beer chillers, electrical systems, bathrooms, stuff like that. We've only been at the bar for a few months. In general, though, we don't plan on any major changes, just improvements to what is already a great bar.

For someone who has not been to Faultline, what are some of the highlights throughout the week and any special events throughout the month?

There's the Sunday Beer Bust from 2 to 8 p.m. every weekend. It was voted LA's Best Beer Bust for a reason, because it's the place to meet lots of guys and have a great time on a Sunday afternoon.

Thursday is of course, Underwear Night, with Shawn Morales and is always a great time. Guys in tighty-whities... What's not to love. Then the third Saturday of the month is George Unda's Bubba Bang, a very popular gay bear night which is always a blast.

The fourth Saturday of the month is Dragula With the Boulet Brothers. Because of our unique outdoor patio and stage area, they can get by with stuff you couldn't do anywhere else, including drag queen mud wrestling and lip sync battles to songs like "It's Raining Men" with real rain! We also have a great roster of resident DJs. Finally, we're always looking to keep things interesting, so we recommend visiting our website to see our upcoming events.

Tell us something most people don't know about Faultline?

At one point it was a place called the Red Rouge, back in the 1950s, which was owned by Sid Luft, Judy Garland's husband at the time. The story goes that when they poured some cement after renovation work, Judy signed her name and put her hand prints in it. You can still see them, though over the years they've become quite worn down. We're trying to figure out a way to preserve them.

Faultline Bar is located at 4216 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles . For more information about the bar and upcoming events, call 323.660.0889 or go to faultlinebar.com