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The Brink Lounge, one of downtown Madison’s most adaptable event spaces, is set to close April 30.
“It is a tough decision,” co-owner Elizabeth Brink tells Isthmus. She has booked music for the venue and taken care of marketing, but retired when COVID hit. The main reason behind the closing is difficulty with staffing, says Brink.
“Our general manager is moving to a different position. We would have stayed a little longer, but it’s too hard to find staff.”
Brink adds that after COVID she was not around the venue as much as she used to be, and co-owner Curt Brink is busy with development projects.
“We have been fortunate with staff in the past,” says Brink, but now it’s “too difficult.”
Groups with scheduled events have been told their May events will need to be rescheduled elsewhere. One of those groups, Madison Tango Society, sent out a special email bulletin on April 13:
“Just today, MTS received notification that the beloved Madison dance venue The Brink Lounge where the MTS Tuesday Práctica is held, will close down on April 30.” The group’s events on April 18 and April 25 at The Brink will take place, the bulletin continued. “Please be assured that MTS is looking for alternative locations for our MTS Prácticas in May and in the future. We will keep you informed of plans.”
Local author C. R. Stephens, who had a book launch event scheduled at the Brink on May 5, posted on Facebook:
“I received some sad news today.The Brink Lounge, where this event was planned to be held, is closing its doors at the end of April. So, at least for the time being, I'm afraid the May 5th launch party is cancelled.”
As of April 14, The Brink’s own Twitter and Facebook accounts had been deleted.
The Brink, which has hosted fundraisers, music, dance and countless private events since it opened in May 2006, has increasingly been a gathering space for the dance community including the Madison West Coast Swing Club, Jumptown Swing Dance, Wisconsin Tango and open line dancing. It has also been home to the Madison Jazz Orchestra and Comedy & Poetry Jam with host Antoine McNeail.
McNeail tells Isthmus that The Brink dissolved its relationship with the Comedy & Poetry Jam earlier this year, telling him that the events had grown too large for the space. McNeail says he offered the venue multiple options on how to limit the size of the audience and streamline service at the bar, but was rejected. McNeail is working on finding a new venue.
Tony DeGregoria, treasurer of the nonprofit Madison Tango Society, tells Isthmus that the dance group found out about the closure on April 13 via an email: “It was quite a shock.” He says that the Tango Society events are “popular and well attended.” President of the group, Jennifer Sutherland, notes that the closure is a blow to the area dance community in general: “It’s unfortunate.”
Don W. Deal of Madison Jazz Orchestra says Brian Whitty, business manager of his organization, got a call from “someone from the Brink” yesterday. “We have been playing there for 14 and a half years and did not see this coming.”
But, he notes, the group has “been homeless several times” over the years.
Madison Jazz Orchestra will close out its run at The Brink on April 27. “We got together last night,” says Deal, and discussed a few special numbers to say good-bye, including “Last Dance” and Stan Kenton’s “The Party’s Over.”
[Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from Elizabeth Brink and Don W. Deal.]
