Bay View heart of indie music scene

Fifteen years ago, live music in Bay View happened at a handful of clubs. That was when Bay View was just part of the south side. The disparate entertainment arenas-and pervasive hair bands-didn’t demand differentiation from any other area south of downtown.

Fast forward to the early 21st century, however, and the quality sounds emitted from local bands, national acts, and DJs in Bay View clubs, bars, and restaurants are hard to ignore.

While the pieces of a Bay View sound are cut from many different fabrics, a few threads connect the venues-an emphasis on local talent, an openness to diverse musical styles, and good old-fashioned tenacity in pulling off show after show. 

Showcasing Homegrown Talent

“Unless you’re famous, a local band has to be on the bill,” mandates Frank’s Power Plant on its MySpace page. Clearly, local musicians draw some crowds in this neighborhood.

The Highbury Pub has had the same Friday night DJs, WiscoJazz, for the last three years. “That’s good for a band, let alone an electronic DJ,” said Joe Katz, Highbury owner. “In this business, it’s pretty obvious who’s working hard.”

At Cactus Club, the majority of the personnel are also local musicians. “They like working here, and I think that’s important,” said Eric Uecke, Cactus Club owner.

Many who have a personal stake in the local music scene also work in venues across the neighborhood. Jeff Hamilton, booking agent for Club Garibaldi, currently plays with the Violent Femmes in addition to his main band, Beatallica. And BJ Seidel, owner of Burnhearts, is the front man of Decibully.

Starting in January at Sugar Maple, a young, local accordion performer, Pezzettino, will be showcasing local musicians one night a month. “It will be an organized open mic,” said Adrienne Pierluissi, Sugar Maple co-owner.

Since the struggles of bands are so connected to the venues in which they perform, owners realize the importance of keeping the local musicians happy and healthy. Katz said he has to “cater to the musicians. The city musicians are highly underpaid, for sure.”

Echoing Katz, Hamilton said bands don’t always seem to be respected. But he said Club Garibaldi prides itself on hospitality. Hamilton said he provides bands with backstage snacks and food.

Sugar Maple also feeds the bands, and many other venues, like Frank’s, provide free beer for musicians.

Attracting National Acts

Nationally, bands and fans are also taking notice of what’s playing in Bay View, building Milwaukee’s reputation as a destination city for music.

Since Garibaldi reopened its back room for music last July, Hamilton said the scene, “is much more diverse. Locals still come in, but now people come in from Chicago or Green Bay.”

While the club draws national acts such as Sam Roberts, its former ethos remains. “Garibaldi has the old punk rock DIY [do it yourself] approach,” said Damian Strigens, Bay View resident and member of local band Testa Rosa.

Maintaining homegrown identity while expanding appeal is also a goal for other venues. Chicago jazz great Ken Vandermark often plays at Sugar Maple, and both Frank’s and Cactus are good at drawing Chicago bands that locals appreciate.

Even with expanded options, some prefer to keep it local.

“People from out of state have contacted Lulu; however, we mostly book local bands,” said Wendy Ashley, Lulu general manager.

Diversity of Genres

With the pervasiveness of music on the internet, trends are ever-changing, and regional sounds have diminished. Acknowledging this, Bay View venues display an open-minded attitude toward musical styles, though some find that certain genres work better than others for their spaces.

As a newer bar, Burnhearts is careful not to dismiss any genre. Its DJs spin soul, hip-hop, indie rock, jazz, and electronic music almost weekly. However, femme funk and country also play through the bar monthly. The focus here seems to be providing patrons with quality and variety, rather than what one would expect to hear in a primarily rock-leaning bar.

While Burnhearts mixes it up, Highbury sticks to mostly one genre. “There’s a small market for house music, and I caught it,” Katz said.

He would like his popularity to carry over to the rest of the week, but said the “city is pretty diluted when it comes to weekday shows.”

To build crowds on slower nights, Highbury has hip-hop karaoke on Sunday nights, and hosts the down-tempo Mad Intellect on Mondays.

Pierluissi is open to all kinds of music in her personal life, but believes jazz works best for Sugar Maple. “It’s such a bright room,” she said. “My husband [and co-owner, Bruno Johnson] likes louder musicians, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for the room, it’s too cozy.”

Jazz is a natural fit, she said, but she also sees her place as an option for young bands doing interesting, unclassifiable things. “There’s a lot of bands of this echelon,” she said. “They don’t want to play a coffeehouse, they want to grow up and be in a bar.”

Cactus Club bills itself as the finest live music venue in Milwaukee, having hosted acts including the White Stripes. “We’ve done every genre possible over the years and still do to this day,” Uecke said.

Opportunity for Connectivity

With live music in Bay View seeming stronger and more diverse than ever, some are articulating a need for greater connectivity in order to maintain the prosperity.

All venues seem to struggle with booking and promotion of bands on the front end-before the listings appear in local weeklies.

Some suggestions for promotion were lo-fidelity. “I just want them to put up a flyer,” Hamilton from Garibaldi said about the tendency for bands to promote by word-of-mouth. He also expressed a wish for a citywide print magazine that solely focuses on music.

Other suggestions were more hi-fi. “If there was a website a band could go to when they’re traveling through town…that lists all the clubs, capacity, genre, and contact info,” said Sugar Maple’s Pierluissi, it could provide the opportunity for a more unified front.

Cactus Club’s Uecke said he believes that the venues themselves are unified, simply because they are so close to one another. “It’s easy to bounce from place to place,” he said.

Because of this fluid movement, Highbury’s Katz suggested a shared cover charge-at least for the venues near KK and Lincoln. “This corner could be an axis [of entertainment], but it’s a struggle to find that unity.”

Music Hot Spots

Burnhearts
2599 S. Logan Ave. (414) 294-0490
myspace.com/burnhearts
Mon 4pm-2am; Tues-Sun 2pm-2am, Open for noon Packers games

New to the neighborhood, but not to the music scene. Owner BJ Seidel fronts local rock act, Decibully. Dimly lit inside, but expanded out to the street last summer for the Red, White, and Blue Ribbon festival. Features include shuffleboard, good beer selection, young and hip crowd, and a revolving cast of DJs of varying and extensive genres. No cover. -C.S.

Cactus Club
2496 S. Wentworth Ave. (414) 897-0663
cactusclubmilwaukee.com
Open daily 3pm-bar close

A stalwart of the neighborhood and underground rock scene. With no plans to move, Cactus underwent a major renovation two years ago. Local band members moonlight as bartenders and are knowledgeable about the wine, martinis, and (mostly) beer served. The back room displays raucous and driving prog, punk, and avant-garde rock. Cover charge, but no cover for general entrance to the bar. -C.S.

Frank’s Power Plant
2800 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. (414) 481-9200
myspace.com/frankspowerplant
M-F 4pm-bar close; Sat and Sun noon-bar close

A young Brian Setzer and his orchestra members would have drunk here. Frank’s is highly visible from the main Bay View artery and band-friendly, as bands keep all the door money. Beer flows freely and a small stage showcases different rock genres. Cover charge. -C.S.

Club Garibaldi
2501 S. Superior St. (414) 483-6335
myspace.com/clubgaribaldis
Noon-close daily; sometimes earlier for soccer games

Housed in a building that is over 150 years old, Garibaldi brings in fresh local and national acts to its large back room. Typical bar-type food served. Dressing room and snacks for its (usually, rock) bands. Cover charge, but no cover for general entrance to the bar. -C.S.

The Highbury Pub
2322 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. (414) 294-4400
thehighbury.com
M-F 5pm-bar close; Sat-Sun open early for certain soccer matches-bar close

A meeting ground for soccer hooligans and music fanatics. Large televisions and large sound system for the space. Also a haven for mostly electronic DJs in the city and their followers on weekends. Friendly service and patrons. No cover. -C.S.

Lulu
2261-65 S. Howell Ave. (414) 294-5858
lulubayview.com
11 am-bar close daily, food hours vary

Come for the food, but stay for the music. Trendy yet relaxed atmosphere, and varied menu selection, including a duck dish. Underwent an expansion, and the new bar space lent itself to music, mostly local bands for now. Helps promote bands through local papers. No cover. -C.S.

Sugar Maple
441 E. Lincoln Ave. (414) 481-2393
M-F 4pm-2am; Sat & Sun 2pm-2:30am

The soup is hot and the jazz is as cool as the walls are blue. Knowledgeable on both American Craft Beer and regional jazz. A place for conversation, with no TVs in sight, but a ping-pong table on the patio. Nonsmoking. Cover charge, but no cover for general entrance to the bar. -C.S.