A new space for entertainment comes to Madison next month as The Bur Oak’s owner will open Atwood Music Hall.
Atwood Music Hall, 1925 Winnebago St., is an “older sibling” to The Bur Oak with similar programming and events and a higher capacity, said its owner Toffer Christensen. The venue will accommodate 375 people seated or 700 standing. Renovations are currently in their last stages as they prepare to open June 13.
The space has seen multiple iterations since its construction in 1931. Originally, it was constructed for the Madison Gospel Tabernacle. Later, it became the Freedom House School during the Civil Rights Movement and sometime after it became Operation Fresh Start.
The design of the building is modeled after a common style of architecture that arose after World War I with its Lamella Roof structure — an interlocking network of segments joined together to form a diamond shape — and is one of the few still standing in the Midwest, Christensen said. He aimed to keep the historical structure alive with remodels.
“It was built for gathering,” Christensen said. “This space is an amazing space. You walk in and just look at the ceiling and you go, ‘Wow. There needs to be shows here. There needs to be events here.'”
Christensen was looking for a larger space in Madison for a long time before he came across the building. When he first walked in, he notes he felt an “aha” moment due to its location and it being in the Marquette neighborhood he grew up in.
(Photo by Omar Waheed.)
He decided that the new music hall was a chance to expand his business, but also a way to give back to Madison and his neighborhood. Beyond being a venue space, Atwood Music Hall plans to give a special rate to nonprofits looking to hold events.
“Giving back to the community, it’s not something I’ve seen happen with the live music space too much,” Christensen said. “Yes, I’m a for-profit business and I need to make money to stay open, but I wanted to do something else. There’s a lot of nights on the calendar this size that are just dark. We sit empty. There’s only so many bands that can sell that many tickets.”
Christensen wanted to find an avenue to give back to his community that would be beneficial to everyone. In addition to the special nonprofit rate, in an effort to give back, a new program will launch later this fall in partnership with the Goodman Community Center.
The new program will be a 10-week course similar to Goodman’s restaurant and hospitality industry program. Over the course of the program, students will be able to learn what it takes to run a venue like the Atwood Music Hall or The Bur Oak.
Atwood Music Hall will open June 13 for a concert in honor of legendary jazz drummer and longtime Madisonian Clyde Stubblefield. Tickets are currently on sale for the concert. A full lineup of upcoming events at Atwood Music Hall can be found on its website.
