In a long Instagram post that could anchor a museum exhibit about Austin's growing pains over the last 10 years, the founder of the popular nightclub Outer Heaven Disco Club announced it would be closing to make way for condos.
"Our landlord has declined to renew our lease for the bar as they are tearing our entire building down to apparently build 'luxury condos,'" the post by owner Sean Daigle says. "So essentially we have 6 months left to operate, ending March 2025."
So far, there do not seem to be any pending Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) records about construction at the address (1808 E. 12th St.), nor those directly adjacent, which currently house Skinny's Off Track Bar and Trona. CultureMap has made contact with Daigle, who has declined to share additional information until it is cleared with the involved parties. CultureMap also sent messages to spokespeople for the neighboring businesses, and is waiting to hear back.
Outer Heaven's public message on Instagram is broken up over six slides of text. It is both an elegy to the business' past five years, dating back to its start in 2019, and a promise to go down swinging by making the club everything it was envisioned to be, regardless of propriety.
"One point I do wanna make is that we are not 'going out of business.' We are an economically sustainable bar, literally despite doing most everything the opposite of how bars are 'supposed' to operate ..." writes Daigle.
Earlier in the slides, Daigle writes, "It is ironic in a way because its the most 'new Austin' reason that could possibly happen[,] and an encapsulation of why I rail on about why everything will eventually be swallowed by the people with the checkbooks."
Outer Heaven has become known for its authenticity, not just for Daigle's unfiltered social media approach, but also the word-of-mouth popularity, great karaoke, and impressive interior art. The same thing that drives some customers away is what keeps others around: the staff's zero-tolerance policies for inadequate tippers and homophobic behavior. Much like any dive bar, this queer paradise knows its core audience and is willing to ruffle feathers when it deems appropriate.
"I think there is a freedom that comes with knowing when you're gonna be executed and that freedom for me is doubling down on everything I've tried to do here," the post says. It also promises continuing "unwelcome" energy (in scare quotes) for "'haters' ... and your bullsh*t West 6th homophobic normie friends."
For patrons who do support the bar's vision, though, Daigle pledges to live out the rest of its days in pursuit of happy moments, from tiny ones, to those that lead to life-changing relationships as they have in Outer Heaven's run so far.
"Old Austin forever, burn the rest to the ground," Daigle concludes. "I love you all."
More information about Outer Heaven Disco Club is available at outerheavendiscoclubatx.com.