Nate Meng & the Stolen Sea

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Carlos Guzman/M.O.D. Media Productions

Nate Meng & the Stolen Sea

7 Doors / 8 Show /  $10DOS

press release: The DeHaven family, owners of the Venue on Winnebago St, have formally changed the venue moniker to The Bur Oak.  The new name pays tribute to the local trees, characteristic to the neighborhood. A revamped website TheBurOakMadison.com and social media pages will launch this week. The Bur Oak will reopen at 25% capacity on June 19 and will operate Thursday through Saturday only throughout the month.   

“We are proud of our city and the way it has come forward to support and contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement. We hope to do our own small part.  What we have to offer is a nice room for people to gather in and a mic for people to make their voices heard,” said Jake DeHaven. “We are dedicating Monday evenings for community gatherings throughout the remainder of 2020 to give groups a space to gather, organize and discuss issues of social justice.” Organizations, community groups, school groups and any individuals devoted to social justice in need of a space to gather or wanting to hold a benefit event should contact the venue at events@TheBurOakMadison.com to reserve a date at no cost.  

“We have also used the current operational break to reflect and think about what has worked since opening and what hasn’t. This brought us to the conclusion that it was time for a management change,” says Jake DeHaven. Veteran Madison based promoter and talent buyer Toffer Christensen of T Presents has come on board to lead the booking efforts. Popular local musician and hospitality industry worker, Andrew Christensen will serve as the venue General Manager. “We are happy to announce the new name and continue to move the venue forward in one of Madison’s densest neighborhoods of independent art facilities. During the closure, we have been making physical improvements to the building to suit the vision of Toffer and Andrew better.”  

“I opened this venue with my brother and am happy to see the evolution of The Bur Oak include another set of seasoned brothers from the east side taking the reins,” says Jake DeHaven. “They both went to Madison East, just a couple blocks away. They both left Madison to pursue their dreams involved with music and both came back to continue the effort at home. To me, this is the best possible evolution of the space. Toffer and Andrew are incredible people who are committed to being an engaging team for the community.”  

The Bur Oak will feature a scaled down food menu including locally sourced Fraboni’s pizza, El Sabor de Puebla tamales and Babcock ice cream available at all shows and events. The bar will continue to feature both local and national brands of beer and spirits.  To ensure safety for patrons, bands, and employees The Bur Oak will maintain rigorous cleaning protocols. The large footprint of the venue with many distinct seating areas will facilitate social distancing at events. Opening only three days a week for the month of June will ensure the venue can maintain high levels of cleanliness. Bands booked will be in smaller configurations to maintain space apart on stage. Additionally, the venue will be using the NOBLE phone app, which allows patrons a contactless ordering and tipping solution executed from the comfort of their seats to minimize social interaction and lines at the bar.    

To help support the venue recover its financial losses due to being closed since mid-March, The Bur Oak is now selling branded T-shirts and gift cards on its website. Additionally, a deal with Magnolia Pictures has been set up where venue patrons can download select Magnolia films and a portion of the rental fee will be remitted to the venue (details are on the venue site.)