Pomp Room documentary surpasses crowdfunding goal as tickets go on sale

Austin Kaus and Jesse Yost made “The Pomp Room: A Rock N Rock Bar Story” not for dollars but for devotion to a downtown Sioux Falls icon that had once upon a time created a family.

That family came together twice to watch the documentary, once at a private showing and then at an official premiere that filled the Orpheum Theater.

Now, while they wait to hear if their labor of love will be accepted into any film festivals, they’re giving Pomp Room fans and those who came along too late to walk through its doors more chances to see the documentary.

The West Mall 7 will be the site for a week’s worth of “The Pomp Room” showings, Sept. 16.-22. Weekend showings will be at 4:40, 7 and 9:20 p.m. with weekday showings at 7 and 9:20 p.m. Weekend tickets cost $15, with $10 for weekday showings. Tickets are available on the West Mall 7 website.

“Jesse and I are both fans of movies and big believers in the theater experience,” Kaus said, referring to his co-director. “We wanted to offer that experience to as many people as we could. And we’re applying to film festivals, and we hope to be able to share it with the world.”

The co-directors will donate $2 of every tickets sold from the West Mall 7 showings to the Children’s Home Society’s music and arts program. Julie Anderson Friesen of the independent film exhibitor Cinema Falls had directed them to that program.

“We were looking specifically for a music-related charity,” Yost said. “We  identified (that) program at CHS as we truly believe in the healing power of music.”

An Indiegogo campaign topped its $20,000 goal and as of this week stands at more than $25,000 that will be used to fund the documentary’s production. Yost called the total “slightly mind-blowing and extremely gratifying” and also not that surprising.

“We expected The Pomp Room family to heavily support it, and they have done that and then some,” Yost said.

Who won’t benefit from the campaign and ticket sales? Kaus and Yost themselves.

“When Austin and I got into this, we made a promise to not make money from this,” Yost said. “It would be a zero-profit thing. It’s a passion project.”

The two men didn’t expect others to donate their talents, however. The money raised through the crowdsourcing campaign and the ticket sales means crew members such as the editor, music composer, cinematographer, graphic designer, narrator and audio engineer will be paid.

Bryan Middleton served as editor.

“He was the glue that held it together,” Yost said. “His professionalism and know-how put it together. We’re amateurs — enthusiastic but amateurs nonetheless.”

On their Indiegogo page, Kaus notes he used to write fake dentist notes that allowed him to enter The Pomp Room’s all-ages shows. Yost said his older brothers would sneak him into The Pomp Room. Eventually, he performed on the bar’s stage with the bands The Glory Holes and 12 1/2 Charlies.

The Ertz family of Sioux Falls operated The Pomp Room from 1971 to 1998. From the beginning, the focus was on rock music, but bands representing numerous genres took the stage. National bands as well as local musicians played the stage.

After working on the documentary for eight years, the directors were unsure what the reception would be like on its opening weekend.

“We were really proud of the movie, and we knew Pomp people would appreciate it,” Kaus said. “But with so long a period, I’m still laughing at this part, but I’m not sure other humans will. Other humans definitely did. The joy that was present in the theater. … I’ll be feeling that glow for quite a while.”

“The Pomp Room” also will show in Kaus’ hometown, Wessington Springs, on Nov. 25. Kaus is working with the Wessington Springs Area Arts Council to show it at what might be viewed as the antithesis of The Pomp Room, the historic Wessington Springs Opera House.

Yost is a native of Beresford, which does not have a similar facility for a showing.

Kaus is in charge of entering “The Pomp Room” in film festivals. The early response they have received has raised hopes that others won’t view this as just a “hyper-local” movie but rather one with universal themes.

“It’s a story of how family can be created and the power of rock ‘n’ roll,” Kaus said. “Those two things resonate with most humans. The heart of this is it’s a story of connection, and everybody is looking for connection. It can be magic in the place you least expect.”

Yost has been told the characters in the documentary are engaging to watch. Even people who never walked into The Pomp Room understand the sense of place that was created, he said.

Every community of any size has its own place like The Pomp Room, Yost said.

“Here, it occupied this interesting slice of downtown history, and a place like that could only exist in a place like Sioux Falls and a state like South Dakota. But every place has rock ‘n’ roll clubs that have their own charms.”