Nicole Smith

a picture worth a thousand words

​ Kyle Landry loves his job. We know this from the serious look on his face when checking an ID and the way his face lights up when asked about his job as a Shady's bouncer. This picture may say a little something too, were just not sure what.

The 24 year old has worked at Shady's, the neighborhood dive on 32nd Street and Indian School Road, for almost two years and clocks in six days a week. Safe to say that Kyle sees a lot of regular faces but you best believe he's still asking for identification.

Last Crazy Person at the Bar: This angry little hipster dude who was all of 140 lbs tried getting in my face. I literally picked him up and carried him out.

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Nicole Smith

​ Rob Strabala knows how to deal with drunk people. Not because he's good at manhandling and intimidating with his biceps (those baby blues don't exactly scream DFWM) but because he knows that patience (and often times a little flirting) goes a hell of a long way with someone who has had one 10 too many.

Rob has worked in the bar industry for 21 years and is currently the assistant manager, bartender and frequent doorman of the legendary gay cowboy bar, Charlie's. We're gonna go ahead and trust that he has has quite a few tricks and some pretty entertaining stories up his sleeve. That is, if his shirt had sleeves.

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photo courtesy of Tyler McKee

Tyler McKee's equally used to scanning IDs and dodging guest vomit.

He takes a Starbucks cup from a woman as she walks through the front gate of Four Peaks Brewing Company and sets it aside.

He's been at the popular college-student watering hole for more than a year, and says he's seen a wide range of people coming to hang out for a drink -- from the former Chicago Bear's quarterback and Roger Clyne to ASU students there to watch a game. 

We caught up with the laid-back doorman to get his view on work behind the ropes ...

Biggest misconception about bouncers: That we're mean and out to get you. We're more or less there just to make sure everything runs smoothly and keep things flowing.

Last crazy night: I wasn't actually on, but I heard about people running around the restaurant drunk, but it's only happened once. It's more, people throwing up in places they shouldn't be. Luckily, I haven't been thrown up on, but it's been pretty close. It's more or less just babysitting than anything else.

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photo by Claire Lawton

Jonathan Bruno

​If you run into Jon Barno at American Junkie in Scottsdale, you should really just call him "Barno" -- he insists.

And you'll probably run into the guy if you spend any time in the Scottsdale restaurant/bar -- when he's not working the door with a flashlight and a clicker, he's serving up drinks, or hanging out with a few friends on the bar's huge front patio.

Actually, the only time you won't catch him anywhere near American Junkie is when the bar hosts the Ohio State football games. Barno's from Michigan and says he might get himself thrown out if the bar ever hosted a Ohio State vs. Michigan game.

We caught up with Barno, who dished on his time behind the ropes ...

Token Crazy Bar Story:
I made [Amar'e] Stoudemire wait half an hour to get in during my first month working here ...
(More after the jump ... )
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​Chris Armstrong admits he doesn't go out too much -- working the door Pussy Cat Lounge in Scottsdale is about as much excitement he can handle when he has to get up in the morning.

Armstrong says he actually likes to wake up early to watch and trade the markets (he's a registered investment adviser), and when he's not at his day or night job, he's doing his best to balance his friends, girlfriend and family.

A few months ago, Armstrong was looking for a night job and his roommate connected him with the PCL general manager, Sonny (who they call "Soncat"). "I knew it would be a good fit," Armstrong says. "I guess the timing was just right."

Armstrong took a break to dish on bouncer life, misconceptions and the last crazy he threw out of the Pussy Cat Lounge ...

Best part of the job:

The people I meet. Every night I meet tons of new people, and so many different types of people -- it's great. And of course the girls that flash us ... Yeah, I like that too.

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Photo by Niki D'Andrea

​The scene at Cash Inn Country (known to regulars as just "the Cash Inn") on a Saturday night can be pretty chaotic. The Valley's oldest lesbian bar always seems packed with hundreds of women of every variety, doing everything from line dancing to singing "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" on the patio.

And running around amidst the throng -- emptying ashtrays, guarding the back door, cracking jokes by the DJ booth -- is Amy Gore, who's been working security at The Cash Inn for the past four years. By day, Gore (who says she's a "slightly far away" relation to Al Gore) is a pharmacy technician. By night, the Georgia transplant is a friendly but efficient bouncer who took time to chat with us during her smoke break on the Cash Inn patio.

Celebrity She'd Like to Let In:
When I lived in Savannah, we had Julia Roberts, Robert Redford, and John Cusack in the clubs when they were working on movies. I met them, but it's not really that exciting, because they have such a bubble around them. So I think someone with more local celebrity would be fun, like Diana Taurasi or somebody that everybody's really stoked on. Ellen would be fun. And I think she would actually reach out and mingle.

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​

"That's Doug," the bartender says. She points toward the back end of the bar. "You'll see him. He's the bald guy who's usually back by the pool table."

Doug Wasilewski's propped up against the back bar, scoping out one of the players aiming his pool cue. He admits to spending a lot of time back there, mainly because he's crazy about pool and partially because they don't have too many problems at Bikini Lounge.

The 45-year-old says he's lived in and around Phoenix for 44 years, which is close enough to being a native. The real advantage to being in one place for so long, he says, is that you get to know the area's people, characters, and stories really well.

And he has a few stories to share. We caught up with Doug -- who even left the pool match (but probably because no one could hear anything) -- in the back parking lot.

Tell Tale Signs of a Fake ID:
I've been doing this for a while, so I can tell something's up if someone does the double check on their wallet, has to take a second glance around the bar while I look at their ID, or "just forgot it in the car." I gotcha! And I keep up on what day is today -- if you weren't born by September 21, 1989 -- nice try.
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Courtesy of David Sanders

​ David Michael Sanders is just as comfortable in the chair outside the front door at Rogue Bar as he is behind his drum kit.

He's been at Rogue for two years, he's been playing music for as long as he can remember and he plans on doing both of those things for a while. Sanders' current gigs are with Xtra Ticket and Crazy Finger, but he's also played with Mac 10, B Real.

He's a natural socialite, and admits that his skills in talking to people and playing peacemaker has served him well in both jobs.

He joins us today to dish on the Scottsdale hipster-dive-bar-turned-hipster-rock-venue.

Latest Crazy:

Earlier this year, there was this guy who was hitting on this lesbian girl. She obviously wasn't into it. He wasn't getting the hint. While I was pulling him outside to talk, the girl threw her beer on him. A second later, he pulls a revolver out of his pants. (Read the rest of the story and more about Sanders after the jump ...)

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photo by Claire Lawton

​If you find yourself at Philthy Phils for a karaoke Wednesday, a dance party Friday or even a soul Sunday, you'll probably find Mike Potts at the door, behind the bar or even fixing the water tank in the women's restroom -- he's the all-around fix-it guy, who lives in the bar.

Actually, he lives with his wife, Laurel Potts (who manages, and has a Philthy Phil's tattoo) in the RV behind the bar, but really, they share outlets.

Mike's from Missouri and found himself in Phoenix after a longtime gig driving trucks around the country. He had been to Philthy Phils a few times before meeting Laurel, and it wasn't a year after they met that they were married and dedicated to their second home that happens to have a kick ass DJ line-up, selection of booze and pool table setup. Not a bad gig.

Mike joins us today to dish on the Phoenix dive bar on Sixteenth Street and Thomas Road that many people call home.

Why he's not a "Scottsdale Bouncer":
I don't get a rise out of beating people up. I don't squat like 500 pounds or do martial arts in my spare time. And I'm not planning on going home to jack off while watching Road House.

Read about Mike's last experience with a very drunk Craig Citizen and why he actually loves working with his wife after the jump ...

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​Jason Bravo will be with you in a second -- he has to check the chicken's ID first.

While Bar Smith in downtown Phoenix doesn't typically attract what Bravo calls the "eclectic, First Friday"-type, tonight's attendee in the chicken costume is an exception (the chicken promises he lost a bet).

Bravo laughs, asks the guy to remove his mask and checks his ID. He's been at Bar Smith since April, when he transferred from another downtown bar. He admits to being smaller than a stereotypical bouncer -- he's not 6-foot-4-inches and he weighs less than 250 pounds -- but judging by his calm, yet authoritative demeanor, we're pretty sure he could take any of us in a brawl.

Not that that's what he's about. Bravo says he's all balance. As a Libra (yeah, he knows his sign), he's constantly weighing friendliness and aggressiveness. Now on to things a little more interesting than astrology -- Bravo has a chicken to pat down.

He (Bravo, not the chicken) joins us today for a look behind the ropes at Bar Smith -- the place with a sweet patio lounge, homemade sangria, and weekly chalkboard event. 


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