Friday, September 12, 2008
Bar of Soap, venerable rock bar-laundromat in Dallas’ Exposition Park district, closes
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DALLAS — After 22 years, the Bar of Soap, the venerable bar-combination-laundromat in Dallas' Exposition Park district, is closed.
There was early warning when the club posted a note on its MySpace page (at 11:35 p.m. on a Friday night, August 29) that it was closed that weekend.
Owner Charlie Gilder subsequently vowed that the club wasn't closed for sure, and that he was struggling to get his liquor license back (suspended when he didn't pay taxes).
A week later, the final entry on MySpace from Charlie's wife Tanna had a cryptic message: "Please note that I am the only person now able to access Bar of Soap's Myspace site or www.barofsoap.net. Bar of Soap is not represented by anyone else on any other site. No one is authorized to make statements on our behalf or act as an agent of Bar of Soap. Thanks, Tanna Gilder"
UP says that the landlord found the place cleaned out earlier this week and changed the locks.
Here's a video of Dallas punk band Pump'n Ethyl performing "Betty Ford Clinic" at Bar of Soap, with a cameo by Rob of Rob's Chop Shop.
Pump'n Ethyl at Bar of Soap
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Comments
tamtagon Anonymous
Sucks
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
littlekinder Anonymous
I can't believe I never even knew this existed. Years ago my sister and her boss would always cite their fallback plan when layoffs approached - they were going to open a brew pub/laundromat called "Suds". It was a long running joke. Had they only thought a little farther out of the box! And to think they would have had competition!
I feel terrible that I found out about it now that it's too late to see what could have been. Too bad. Wish them well - that's a long time to keep something like that up and running.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Clay213 Anonymous
to see what could have been? the place was a filthy hole. a dingy basement.. except it was on the ground floor.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Teresa Gubbins Staff
does clay213 like his rock clubs to be nice and clean and sanitary?
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Clay213 Anonymous
no bbut I like my clothes to be.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
frank Anonymous
Bar of Soap has been around 22 years. Before that Charlie had the Twilite Room / Circle A Ranch for another 3 years. Always punk rock never trendy. Dirt has always been part of the turf. Nowadays you are welcome to pay 32.50 for the band and $4.50 a beer at a nice clean venue to see the same bands he hosted years ago. Those still around include NOFX, Dropkick Murphy's, Offspring, Butthole Surfers, Soul Asylum etc. Priceless shows you probably missed include Black Flag, TSOL, the Dead Kennedy's, Husker Du, Circle Jerks, and Johnny Thunders to name a few. Oh and the legendary CBGB's was a total disgusting dump as well and look what it spawned for culture at large. Alcohol will kill nearly anything you may catch at a dirty club anyway so who cares... Bar of Soap / Charlie Gilder will be sorely missed. Punk Rock = Good. Cheap Beer = Good. Clean Clothes = Good. Clay 213 = a DJ plenty of us can't wait to experience.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Teresa Gubbins Staff
hey frank, thanks for your comment. i originally calculated their lifespan to be 22 years. but on their myspace page, they had "21 years". maybe that came from someone who hasn't been around as long... anyway, changed it back to reflect your recall and mine. i don't cling to the past, but that place was a mainstay for me throughout the 90s
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jake Shuler Verified
This is a true loss!! I wish the owners would make an official comment about what's going on. If it's a matter of money we need a serious fund raiser or something because we can't lose BOS. :-(
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Clay213 Anonymous
Im not a dj.
I saw dropkick murphys plenty of times, for free.
And I played at cbgbs. Just like bar of soap.. they were well passed their expiration.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Pavel Lishin Verified
Oh, man, that sucks. That place was pretty awesome - the atmosphere was fantastic, don't know of any other place in Dallas that's like it. Not to mention, not really sure where else to go to see the kind of music that plays there.
I'm sad now. :(
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
klue Anonymous
Man I will miss this place. Nothing makes my Rock-n-Roll juices flow quite like shiHy dollar beer and watching a great show from atop a washer mid spin cycle.
Jake - they had a fundraiser planned a week before the place closed. Had to cancel it due to lack of licence or some-such. They were basically doing fundraisers once every couple of months just to keep the doors open. Did just about everything a place can do. A lot of bands that played there recently would even do the shows for free just to help out.
At some point though, we've got to take responsibility as fans of music to actually get out there and patronize this "scene" that I hear so many people whine about being dead. This isn't the first place that has closed nor do I think it will be the last. No business, not even one as iconic as this, can survive on people's memories alone.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Chris Kidd Verified
Alot of this can be blamed on our friends at DART, who've been screwing around on getting the Green Line finished, which is screwing alot of expo park businesses.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Pavel Lishin Verified
Klue: yeah. I hadn't realized they were in such financial trouble; if I had, I'd have made it a point to bring my friends out there as often as possible.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
my friends
Plural? Who you trying to fool, here?
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Joel Woiton Verified
The end of an era. Many good memories of going to see Rev. Horton Heat or the Potatoes for free in the years before I got married and had kids. All things must pass.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jake Shuler Verified
Klue- I'm glad you mentioned that, I had NO clue. Then again, I guess that's not really something one wants to exploit, especially when it's a legend such as Bar of Soap. Well It saddens me to see these bars closing weekly, specifically the venues. We're hoping to make that a big part of www.DallasDiveBars.com once we get it live. We would love to have a section that patrons can keep us in the know about bars struggling and hopefully we can drum up a little business for them. Maybe just advertising for them, fundraiser, maybe hold a special event... who knows! I understand we can't save them all - but if we atleast try then maybe we can save a few.
cheers to Bar of Soap - you will be missed!
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
klue Anonymous
Jake - yes I've just recently heard about the DDB site and think it's a really great idea and hopefully will be a big help in keeing around some of the "filthy hole"s I've come to love. :) And I really see it as a great way for newbies like myself to learn about some of the other "dingy basement"s that I may not know are about yet.
I'm glad to see there's a group around that cares about saving some of these places. But in all honesty, I still think there's only so much the dedicated few can do with fundraisers and sp. events... what this town really needs right now are some good old fashioned 'butts in the seats'
So I'm calling you all out... everyone that reads this thread... Go out a few times this week. Check out a new venue or a band you haven't heard before. Turn off the TV and do something NEW. Take all your friends (or friend) with you and have the kind of raucous good time you wouldn't want to tell your momma about. In fact have such a good time that you realize why it's worth doing every week.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
klue Anonymous
chrisdanger Anonymous wrote "Alot of this can be blamed on our friends at DART, who've been screwing around on getting the Green Line finished, which is screwing alot of expo park businesses."
Blah blah blah danger man. You talk but do you walk?
Personally I can't wait for the green line. Then instead of wasting all my $ on parking and my (not that I ever would) emergency-just-in-case-of-a-DUI fund... I can just hop on a train blow all my money at the actual clubs and let the DART worry about getting my drunk butt home. Hopefully once they get that up and running, that will spark a little more business for these places.
Now if what you really have issue with are all the additional ordinances and efforts of the city of Dallas to "clean up" deep ellum and fair park I won't argue with you for a second. But the people who bring us transit are not the same people that want all the transit stops to be nice and Clay213-clean&friendly. But yeah it's definately unfortunate that the timing for all these clean up efforts in preparation for the green line hit these clubs at an already financially difficult time, and well before they'll ever see the benefit of having the service.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jake Shuler Verified
HAHA! AMEN Klue! Serisouly though people, get out, have fun, try new places. I considered myself pretty educated as to what the DFW scene had to offer until we started Dallas Dive Bars. There are SOOO many hidden gems (bars) in the DFW area that not many people know about; but I can assure you these are some of the most amazing, kick arse, have a good time, places. BY THE WAY, just because we call it a "dive" doesn't mean it's a nasty, hole in the wall joint. All in all we need to support the independently owned bars in DFW - they're the ones that need our help!
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Pavel Lishin Verified
Doesn't the DART stop running after midnight? I'd rather be a designated driver than have to leave at 11:30 just so I can rush to the station to catch the train to a bus stop to my apartment.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
SteveM Anonymous
klue - "wasting all my $ on parking"? use the meters - fitty cent an hour til midnight. can't beat it.
also, everyone keeps pinning their hopes on DART, but if those trains stop running around midnight, it's not gonna do a damn bit of good. does anyone know if they're planning on extending the green-line schedule into the wee hours?
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
klue Anonymous
I rock the town early yo. So 50 cents an hour til midnight = a couple of Lonestars at old Bar of Soap. Or if I'm running later all the deep ellum meters are usually full, and you're talking about $5 for some of those lots. That's like a big jamunga long island or someting. It's not really an issue of funds. I was making the point that even down to the quarters... I'd rather invest my money in a local venue and a nice buzz for myself than give it to the meter maids.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
frank Anonymous
Bar of Soap always had free parking in the back and no cover.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jake Shuler Verified
We made a little memorandum to Bar of Soap at www.dallasdivebars.com/forum/barofsoap. Come check it out and leave some memories so that everyone can reminisce.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Kevin Kunreuther Verified
Remember when clubs were fly by night, open for only months at a time? Bar Of Soap was different, 'twas a neighborhood fixture, 'twasn't just the music, 'twasn't just the suds, 'twasn't just the art, 'twas the people, the patrons, everyone who made it what it was.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
JW Richard Verified
DART getting its act together will help things (The Green Line and operating times). Perhaps I want to enjoy a new band and some alcohol. Perhaps I don't want to drive home, but instead put my $50 monthly bus pass to use for all the mileage I can get out of it.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
alexander troup Verified
The Bar of Soap, I thought somthing wasnt right when I stopped by the State Fair of Texas on Dark Monday and a few if not some people at noon at the entrance to see Big Tex, and so I danced across the Dart Rail line to see what was going on at the Bar Of Soap, at noon to see if they were opened, and what did i note....they were dead, put to peace finally...opening up around the mid 1980s, when they left the Twlight Lounge on Main, Charlie and his gang of ruffiens decended upon the Fair Park area in search of a new Pirate Plantation to party and live out youth as it was in the mid 1980s...and they did so very well and now that era is over with, Bars, Bands and babes of the 2oth Century, of Deep Elm and Fair Park we should observe....some people change, while others grow old and some folks live the way they want forever and then they get old too and have to close shop,until then Alexander Troup Historian.P.S Good place to get my laundry done in the 1980s.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
easheppard Anonymous
There are several videos of the Whiskey Folk Ramblers on YouTube when they played at the Bar of Soap earlier this year with the Boxcar Bandits. It is really sad when a place like the Bar of Soap, that has provided a place for many bands to perform over the years and a place for those in the neighborhood to wash and dry their clothes, to bite the dust. 22 years is a long time and a lot of good memories.
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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