M.O.D. Media Productions
Tony Castañeda inside the future home of The Atwood Music Hall.
The east side of Madison will have a new independent music and arts venue in 2023: The Atwood Music Hall.
The new venue, at 1925 Winnebago St., was announced this morning with a press release and accompanying video. The Atwood Music Hall is a project by the partners operating The Bur Oak, Toffer Christensen and Jake DeHaven. The building was formerly occupied by Operation Fresh Start, which moved to the former Holy Cross Lutheran Church campus on Milwaukee Street in 2019, and was originally constructed as the Madison Gospel Tabernacle in the 1930s.
DeHaven has experience redesigning a historic venue, transforming the former Sons of Norway Lodge into The Bur Oak (originally named The Winnebago for the street it's on) in 2018-2019. Christensen currently books shows at The Bur Oak and also promotes concerts at other venues around the country through T Presents. The Atwood Music Hall will be a step up in capacity from The Bur Oak, at about 700 standing or 350 for seated shows, but smaller than the nearby Barrymore Theatre, with a capacity of 971.
“It was important to us to have a room that could both serve larger touring artists or local bands on one night but also be an inviting and intimate space for a neighborhood gathering the next,” says Christensen in the press release. “The building design that my partner Jake DeHaven has put together is a really thoughtful concept in both detail and function that maximizes the room’s flexibility and accessibility. We are both very excited to bring this project to life and continue contributing to the vibrant growth of the Schenk Atwood neighborhood.”
The partners also want the venue to maintain a focus on racial and socioeconomic equality in the arts. Part of that mission will be accomplished by partnering with the Goodman Community Center's Lussier LOFT program for teens, offering youth a chance to see live performances as well as learn from music industry professionals with the Students of Live initiative.
Atwood Music Hall
The video, narrated by Madison musician and WORT-FM radio host Tony Castañeda, includes comments from Ald. Brian Benford, Barrymore Theatre general manager Steve Sperling, Ahan owners Chuckie Brown and Jamie Hoang, and Trinity Lutheran Church pastor Andy Twiton. Ahan (a restaurant within The Bur Oak) will create a new Asian food and boba tea outlet in Atwood Music Hall, and Trinity Lutheran is partnering with the venue to offer parking spaces in its lot across the street.
“So as we imagine what rebuilding community looks like coming out of the pandemic, the Atwood Music Hall provides a creative blueprint for some exciting new answers,” says Benford in the video. “It's this type of imagination, celebration of history and generating new opportunities that makes this neighborhood and the 6th district as a whole so special and fun to represent.”
An open house will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13, for neighbors and others interested in seeing the renovations in progress. Watch for updates on the new venue at its website, and Instagram and Facebook pages.
Editor's note: This post was revised to include the open house date.
