CULTCHA Clash Outer National Special Feature: The Outhouse

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Special Feature:

The Outhouse - The Film 1985-1997

Written & Directed by Brad Norman

theouthousethefilm.com

The Outhouse - The Film 1985-1997

The Outhouse as told by Jon "Selecta J-Cut" Soldanels

It was several years in the making, but the documentary is finally streaming so I thought that I would spread the word and share some of my personal experiences at the venue that had such an impact on my friends and I in our youths.

In the film, HR of Bad Brains describes The Outhouse as being "underdeveloped," perhaps he's right about that but it doesn't make the place any less magical.

Growing up in the midwestern United States, there wasn't always a whole lot of excitement or fun things for a teen to do. Music was a big part of my, and so many other kids' lives. 

My sister Connie is 6 years older than I am, so I was going to concerts from 10 years old, but when I saw Black Flag (with openers, Boston's Gang Green) at The Foolkiller in K.C., MO in 1985, I lost interest in seeing a band performing on stage at a big arena for thousands of anonymous people who couldn't get near them... These bands were right there in the crowd, interacting, hanging out (a group of friends and I approached Henry Rollins, sitting on the corner before the show, and got intimidatingly firm handshakes and autographs). The show excited and impacted me a lot and as a result I was fairly dogmatically into Hardcore Punk for a few years after this, before realizing that it was ok to be eclectic (something that I should have been clued into when Henry started jamming, out of control, to the D.C. Go-Go record that the sound man  put on before the show, my friend Billy and I were like "What is this funky shit?!"). 

I wanted to see more shows like this, but, unfortunately, K.C. wasn't very friendly to that scene, The Foolkiller stopped having shows, there were occasionally bands at the mid-town The VFW or a few other random spots but those were few and far between.

By summer 1986, I'd been hearing about the long drive to the cornfields of Lawrence, KS that local punks had been trekking to an all-ages venue called The Outhouse. Phoenix, AZ skate-punks J.F.A. were scheduled to play there and my sister agreed to take me, I brought my friend Brian from the neighborhood, and the car was packed with Connie's roommates.

It must have been a 45 minute drive, listening to hip-hop, industrial & dub reggae, the car permeated with weed smoke much to my and Brian's dismay as we were adhering to a straight-edge ideology, we got over it...

J.F.A. & Bl'ast - 1986

We got through the corn, finally, and pulled into the gravel parking lot that was already pretty full. Bl'ast opened, I had read about them in Thrasher Magazine but hadn't heard them, they ripped through their set as we watched from near the door. After they played, Brian and I sat on the stage and watched J.F.A. set up and proceed to play, with people diving off of the stage and hanging upside down from the beam across the mega-low ceiling, dropping into the pit. It was insane to me, but I loved it and it became one of my favorite places to go.

In the film, Ian MacKaye recollects everyone getting "plowed" there, which is generally the way that I remember it too, both affecting my decision to remain straight-edge while also making it excessively challenging to maintain that lifestyle, at times.

I think that 7 Seconds was the next show that I saw there in 1987 (they played there quite a few times, I caught them there again in 1989).

7 Seconds - 1987

   The whole summer of 1988 was pretty eventful. Texas politico-punk group, M.D.C. was a big one to start things off.

M.D.C. - 1988

Also that summer, The Adolescents played their first show at The Outhouse along with Ultraman from St. Louis. Rollins Band killed it! Toxic Reasons, K.G.B. and Sloppy Seconds all played one night. 

Nomeansno - 1988

One of the most memorable shows, for me, was The Beatnigs opening for Nomeansno. They were one of the few "industrial" bands that i saw there.

August of 1988 is when I turned 16 and got my drivers license and a yellow 1979 VW Rabbit which was frequently seen in The Outhouse parking lot.

I never got to see Big Black, but Steve Albini played with Rapeman and the show was awesome. K.C.'s Mudhead, who could always be counted on for a unique performance, were on the bill, too.

Rapeman - 1988

Die Kreuzen - 1988

Die Kreuzen came through for their Century Days tour.

7 Seconds - 1989

Kill Whitey were a local band that I saw several times, at one show the singer jumped and hit her head on a guitar when she came down, they had to stop the show and head to the hospital to get her stitched up. 

By 1989, Golliwogg, the band that I played drums for, was doing shows. We opened for Tupelo Chain Sex, along with Mudhead.

Golliwogg Graffiti @ The Outhouse

Tupelo Chain Sex - 1989

Golliwogg @ The Outhouse 1989

We also played at the Chemical People show along with other locals, The Kelly Girls.

Golliwogg @ The Outhouse 1989

Chemical People - 1989

Bad Brains - 1989

The most packed that I ever saw The Outhouse was for Bad Brains in 1989, it was literally electric as people were getting shocked from ungrounded or exposed cables on a sweaty, wet floor, it was total anarchy. K.C. locals, Sin City Disciples opened the show.

Gwar - 1989

The messiest that I ever saw the place had to be Gwar, who I believe that I saw at their second Outhouse performance. 

24/7 Spyz - 1989

The last show that I can recall seeing there is 24/7 Spyz, who rocked the house! A band called Nirvana was opening for them, I came in during their last song.

Golliwogg @ The Outhouse 1989

For me, one of the highlights of the film was when Ice T, who had played there with Body Count, listed the pros of The Outhouse..."All ages, No Cops, BYOB"...and the cons..."you could die..."

I never felt unsafe there, but I could understand...

In 1990 I moved from the heartland to the deserts of Arizona and haven't returned to The Outhouse since, but the little graffiti covered concrete shack with always hold a dear place in my heart and in my memories. (connect with The Outhouse - The Film Facebook)

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