Vince and I leave it to the different promoters to hire, and That works for me! But you’re right, our dancers are more blue collar bubbas than pretty boys. How do you decide who should grace that main stage (and the one in the back of the main bar room)? Is it left up to the night’s promoter, or do you and Vince have a say?Ĭharlie: Funny, I swore if I ever owned a bar one day I would never have dancers.
At the Eagle I see guys of all shapes and sizes. In so many other gay bars, the go go boys are your standard muscle boys with shaved chests. GLLA: One thing that impresses me about the Eagle is your dancers. For example, the “pup” scene is really in the forefront right now compared to years past, and it’s a blast! As much as we honor the old guard leather ways, the leather community is like anything else, it evolves with each passing generation. Have you seen any evolution in that over the past 12 years – new tribes coming to light and wanting to celebrate who they are openly?Ĭharlie: Yes of Course. GLLA: One thing the Eagle is known for is themed nights such as Onyx and BLUF that cater to a variety of fetishes and tribes in the gay community. We have seen some REALLY crazy stuff over the years, far too much to go into here. Only thing I regret is not documenting the “just when you thought you’d seen it all moments” over the years. What have you learned in those 12 years about operating a bar? Anything you regret from the early years? Anything you’d recommend to someone else thinking about opening a bar for gay men?Ĭharlie: It’s been a great run so far. GLLA: You’ve been running the Eagle LA for 12 years, and by all accounts it’s an incredibly success. But we were well received from the start, and it hasn’t slowed down yet. Were you and Vince ecstatic, or nervous?Ĭharlie: Well, nervous of course as with any new venture. GLLA: What was it like your first year in operation. I am proud of it and to be a part of it! There are a lot of kinky bastards out there, and we give them a place to call home.
Were you sure there was an audience for that in L.A.?Ĭharlie: ABSOLUTELY! The LA Leather Community is one of the largest and strongest in the country. And its one of the few jobs you get paid to drink with your friends (wink) I love what I do because of the social aspect, meeting and getting to know people the world over. What were you thinking Charlie? What inspired you to open a bar?Ĭharlie: I’ve been in the bar business going on 27 years now, I guess you can say its been my life. A bar that’s open to 2 in the morning and some nights (like Meatrack) has guys lined up down the sidewalk waiting to get in. GayLifeLA reached out to Charlie Matula, a muscular bear of a guy whose shirtless hairy chest draws woofs from customers, to learn more. We not only understand what it takes to cater to the wants and needs of our patrons we also embrace leather as a way of life.” Our goal is to uphold the Leather-Uniform-Fetish ethic in the community and to support them through different services and fund raising events.
We have always been and will always be a meeting place for like-minded leather men to bond, interact and further their life style. On its website, the Eagle describes its mission this way: “The Eagle LA is the premier leather / Levi bar in Los Angeles. Today the Eagle is one of the few bars (outside of the Bullet bar in North Hollywood and the newly opened Eagle 562 in Long Beach), where you’re much more likely to find guys with a cigar, a Prince Albert or a harness than those flaunting a waxed six-pack or plucked eyebrows. There was an earlier Eagle, in West Hollywood at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. It was home to a gay bar known as the Shed from 1968 to 1972, then the Outcast from 1972 to 1983, and then the Gauntlet II from 1983 to 2005. The Eagle LA’s Charlie Matula (Photo by Dusti Cunningham / The Eagle LA was opened in April 2006 by Charlie Matula and business partner Vince Quattrocchi. In April of this year, the Eagle LA will be 12 years old, making it in some ways the “Daddy bar” of gay L.A. This interview is with Charlie Matula, co-owner of the Eagle.
#Charlies gay bar jobs series#
Behind the Bar is series of occasional interviews with owners of gay bars in Los Angeles County, which, in this age of Grindr and Scruff, still remain the best place for gay men to come together as a community (and find someone with a real face to go home with).