In late January, El Paso braced for a harsh cold front. Dangerous wind chills and ice accumulation kept residents from going outside.

Yet on the evening of Jan. 24, dozens poured into a building near the corner of Overland Avenue and South Mesa Street.

The occasion? The grand opening of Syndicate, a queer, leather, fetish and bear bar. Visitors arrived in fetish gear — the dress code for the bar’s opening night — surprising owner Sergio Armendariz, who, due to weather advisories, had been expecting a low turnout.

For Armendariz, a former maquiladora manager and property flipper turned business owner, the turnout was not just a relief, but confirmation that years of financial uncertainty, scrutiny and investment in the name of a “community project” in El Paso were worth the sacrifice.

Syndicate

Syndicate, in the words of its owner, “is a queer, leather, fetish and bear-bar, where you can come be yourself and listen to good music, bond with other people, connect with other people and get distracted from what is happening outside.” 

More than just a bar, Syndicate is also the first part of a half-decade-long passion project by Armendariz to create a safe space for marginalized communities; a decision reflected in the venue’s identity as a leather and fetish bar.

“Well, the (leather) scene has been growing, not just in the U.S., but everywhere,” Armendariz said. “Queer people need their space, because now that you go to gay bars you find that probably most of the patrons are straight people. And now I see people asking for a place where they can go be themselves without being judged.”

Together, Syndicate’s community has looked for ways to share this new space with others.

A week before its opening in January, the bar hosted Rio Grande Valley Leather Club members in El Paso. Armendariz, who organized the event to strengthen ties between leather communities in El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley, hopes this gesture can lead to future collaboration.

In addition, the bar recently organized its first FLINTA night — for Frauen (Women), Lesben (Lesbians), Intersexuelle (Intersex), Nicht-binär (Nonbinary), Transgender and Agender individuals. Two events its owner said were made possible only with the help of the bar’s patrons.

“More than a business, it’s a project, a community project, and I’m getting people involved,” Armendariz said. “I’m like, ‘You wanted this, now you have to help.’”

As engagement continues to grow, Armendariz plans to continue to work with bar patrons and community members.

Originally set to be named the El Paso Eagle, a name synonymous with queer and leather bar around the globe, Syndicate’s current name reflects its owner’s commitment to collective unity.

“The definition of syndicate in the dictionary is a group of self-organized people, promoting a common goal. So, at the end, it’s like, this is exactly what we are,” Armendariz said.

The Wall 

The Wall is the second half of Armendariz’s two-part passion project. As it stands, the techno club and rave warehouse is nearly 5,000 square feet of space above Syndicate dedicated to the development of the electronic music community in El Paso.  

Complete with a bar, lounging area, dance floor and a custom Funktion-One sound system, to Armendariz, the warehouse is less of a club and more of an investment into the El Paso community.

This investment comes in the form of a space equipped to house and attract world renowned electronic music acts. A concept brought to life through the venue’s commitment to a musical experience through policies like zero-phone tolerance.    

Under this premise, Armendariz hopes that the space can provide a local escapade that members of the El Paso electronic scene might not otherwise see. 

“It’s difficult for someone in El Paso to have those experiences,” Armendariz said. “You only find them in Europe, or you have to travel abroad, (and) not all people have a passport, so you need to bring that to them here.” 

The idea for The Wall came well into the COVID-19 pandemic when Armendariz realized that “we could be gone any second.”  

As the world tried to return to normal after the pandemic, Armendariz began searching for ways to finance his project, leading to a string of financial decisions he believes left people around him questioning his sanity. 

“The reality is that we (Armendariz and his partner) had to sacrifice a lot, we had to get a second mortgage for our house, we had to sell that house. I took my 401k, my health savings and the other savings that I had for this business,” Armendariz said. 

Even after acquiring the building where his club would stand, asbestos infestations, city regulations and contractors that “stole from him” made it difficult for Armendariz to settle into his business.  

Settling into his new role as a business owner, Armendariz began working on finding new ways to introduce and garner support for his business in different communities. 

“El Paso deserves a place like this, I had to get involved with the community in general,” Armendariz said. “Not just the techno and the electronic people, but also the goth scene, the gay scene, the fetish scene. With all of these scenes that I’m putting together in this project, we all have a common goal. To grow our community; to be accepted.” 

As The Wall nears the date of its grand opening, Armendariz is focused on preparing for an influx of people and acts into El Paso’s electronic music scene. Part of that preparation includes pushing local acts, like frequent Syndicate collaborators. DJ TOUGHASSPUTA and DEATHBYNOIZE to longer set times.   

“The reality is that if we are going to have this club, we need to have DJs that are going to play like that (at the level of global acts), and to have that experience,” Armendariz said.  

With support from his community, Armendariz hopes that The Wall can collaborate with other clubs and eventually “push” to have local talent represent the El Paso electronic scene on “larger” stages.   

The Wall will hold its grand opening on March 28, with an inaugural three hour set from headliner and New York Techno renaissance staple, DJ Volvox. DJ TOUGHASSPUTA, DEATHBYNOIZE, Sydney and Haze are scheduled to open, with additional feature performances by Angel Papi, Circe, Jacky and Koda.

Joaquin Madrid is a writer and may be reached at [email protected].