In the fall of two thousand and six the members of an arts collective known as the Treemausers began holding performance events in their tiny apartment in Jamaica Plain. Their goal was to create something unlike anything else they could find in Boston; a weekly performance space, open to the public, sustainable and safe, devoid of social competition, and pushing the boundaries of consciousness, experience and thought. The Treemausers spread their ideas around JP by word of mouth and through their popular publication, the Treemausers Gazette. These periodicals caught the attention of several local performers, including; Many Mansions, The Cups, and of course, The Ruinous Gringos of Macchu Piccu. “The Gringos” as they were affectionately called, quickly became the darlings of the Hoots and helped bring people to the Treehaus from across the state, country, and beyond.

Tragically, the Gringos soon broke up. Founding members Buddy Mounds and P. Schekel moved to the west coast. But the rest of the Hoot regulars kept on. Many Mansions, The Cups, Melou, Lindsay Clark, Jake Estner, Morgan Shaker, Debbie and the Bullets, Gregory J. Mullen, Shira Erlichman and Uncle Shoe all became household names. Soon, the Hootenannies could not be contained. The Treemausers found a five story mansion to move into that was recent re-built from a state of dilapidation. The carpenters working on the site had nicknamed it “la casa blanca”, so the Whitehaus was born.

With so many more members joining their roster, the Treemausers dissolved and the Whitehaus Family Record was born. Over the next two years, hundreds of musicians, poets, singers, dancers, actors, and other performers swam through the doors of the Whitehaus. Some became longstanding fixtures of the ‘Haus others simply got their start. Bands like the Kettle Stitches and the Toothaches performed at the Whitehaus and moved on. Bands like Gracious Calamity and Peace, Loving grew out of residents already established. All of the artistic groups associated with the Whitehaus are too numerous to name.

In February of two thousand eight Many Mansions organized a show in the ‘Haus called Psych-Fest and this marked the beginning of the WFR movement away from Hootenannies and toward Happenings. The success of Psych-Fest gave the WFR the impetus to organize their biggest event at that time, Blastfest. Since Blastfest the big moves just kept coming, increased album production, Weird-Fest, signing Truman Peyote, the Out Treasure Hunt, and the Whitehaus Family Win-tour. In the coming years the Family is bound for bigger events, bigger ideas and the wide open arms of the Yes Wave to spread its song.