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Of Human Bondage

Outland sets up shop after a long respite

By Adam Scoppa

Bright lights, pulsating dance music, vodka tonics, 'Security' printed across the tee shirts of roaming bouncers: it's Saturday night and the newly opened club is bustling with people. There are only a few little differences to distinguish Outland from any other weekend dance club in Columbus. The Skinny Puppy track blaring from the speakers is a far cry from the likes of Rhianna, and almost everyone is dressed in black.

The goth-themed Outland has awoken from its lengthy slumber and, according to patrons and owners alike, it's bigger and better than ever.

"This is the nicest location," boasted owner Ted Lawson, in reference to the former Perry Road and Harrisburg Pike addresses where the bar had taken residence in the past.

Lawson, who co-owns the bar with Kathy Capuano, is serious about replanting the bar's roots for good. "We're gonna be here to stay," he says. Judging by the sprawling and lavish new digs, it's easy to understand why Lawson is inclined to remain at the new Liberty Avenue location. Setting up shop smack-dab in the middle of the Brewery District, the Outland crew can expect a more pronounced influx of curious patrons who normally wouldn't venture out to the remote west side.

"I think we'll get a lot more of the mainstream crowd," said Lawson.

Outland has been a Columbus staple for almost 15 years, first opening its doors on Perry Road. Originally it was a gay dance club, but Lawson and the Capuano family began taking cues from regulars and gradually expanded their motif to appeal to the gothic, industrial, and techno subcultures. The club developed and retained a devoted crowd, even after Lawson and the Capuanos sold the property and moved to a bigger site on Harrison Pike. At the end of April 2008, it surprised the Outland community to learn that their favorite bar was once again going to be transplanted-this time to the Brewery District, which the owners estimated would take only six weeks. Nearly a year and a half later, Lawson and company have proven the new Outland to be worth the wait.

"I don't want to give a number, but [it's]way more than I wanted it to [be]," chuckled Lawson about the cost of the site's seven-month renovation. "We've got an $80,000 sound system alone, and that's not including the lighting."

By now, Outland's proprietors are clued in to exactly the kind of aesthetic their patrons expect from them. And their patrons are happy to be back.

"It's a lot classier. It's got a great look to it," remarked longtime customer Joe Brown. "I'll try to be here every weekend."

For someone who hadn't been to either of Outland's previous incarnations, the new club was certainly nothing like this reporter has seen in Columbus before. The flashy but tasteful layout has all the shimmer and sparkle of a Los Angeles watering hole circa 1987-- neon lights, mirrors and chrome abound. But it's the curious Victorian details and multicolored mannequin busts that keep Outland a little bit odd, and keep your eyes constantly glancing around its big open spaces. Sit on one of the many plush couches and set your drink on an original keystone from the state penitentiary building. Wander over to the multi-tiered dance stage and sway to the dark grooves of The Sisters of Mercy or Bauhaus with a black-lipped partner (guy or girl). There's even a Tarot-reading service. Outside, the spacious patio provides adequate room to smoke and chat. The atmosphere at Outland projects its own unique blend of elegance and debauchery, and it's as moody or vibrant as you want it to be.

"Compared to the last two [locations], it's sexy," said "Preppy Nate" Lotz, the only person sporting white and Day-Glo clothing that evening. "It rivals BoMA for the coolest-looking club in Columbus. I'm very impressed with what they did with it."

Divided into two main areas, Outland is much larger than before and has more entertainment potential.

"Here, we have the capabilities of having DJs as well as live music," Lawson said. He plans to bring in a variety of alternative acts from all areas to play through Outland's beefed up sound system. "It's not always going to be goth," he said.

The club will also continue its tradition of hosting a fetishist side-show, as a space is set aside for people to engage in various sadomasochistic performances. In the small, dark room, a bondage rack has been erected adjacently to a viewing area. Bondage, however, is not Lawson's area of expertise. "I can't answer a lot of questions about it," he said, "but it's something we've had for a long time."

In jeans and a Blue Jackets fleece, Lawson isn't exactly the kind of guy you'd expect to run a club like Outland. He has owned bars for several years and is currently also in charge of Hampton's on King in the Victorian Village. Lawson has been involved with Outland from the beginning, and had nothing but kind words to say about his loyal, occasionally misunderstood customers.

"I think they get a bad rap sometimes, [but] they're not bad people," he said. "[Outland] is the least amount of worry. I have more fights over at Hampton's on King dealing with college kids getting drunk than we ever have at this place."

There have been incidents in which Outland customers are ridiculed at the hands of not-so-understanding "tourists," who come to the bar solely to harass. However, longtime bouncer Alex Dixon says that is infrequent.

"Most of the people [who] are that hostile don't come into the bar," he says. If they do, Dixon says, the joke is on them. "They make fun, but they walked in the door. We have their money."

The Outland community enjoys the club for its exclusivity and unparalleled vibe. The camaraderie is such that many of the former employees are resuming their original positions.

"The whole time we were down, everyone kept in communication," Dixon said. "When we started building this, [we] were able to pull everybody back in and start over."

Expect Outland to resume its duties of hosting the best industrial and gothic dance events in Columbus, but there's also plenty on the way for the open-minded club-goer seeking something different.

"When you get tired of Park Street, asses to elbows," said Lawson, "maybe you'll want to come down here."

Originally Published: October 21, 2009

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