More often than you’d think, an entrepreneur isn’t a young up-and-comer just out of business school. Rather, most entrepreneurs spend a career getting really good at something, then do that thing for themselves.
That’s the case with Kevin Willmott II – though he’d tell you he’s doing that thing for the community, as well.
Willmott, the owner of Gamma Ray Bar on Main Street in Madison, cut his teeth behind the scenes at a number of venues around Madison, including The Majestic and High Noon Saloon, managing facilities and bars and some booking as well. By late 2023, he found the job a bit too “corporate” and less than fulfilling.
“This isn’t fun,” he recalls thinking. “This isn’t the thing that gives me what I’m looking for, which is being able to support the community and the people that I know.”
So he gave notice to The Majestic in September that he’d leave that job at the end of November without a clear backup plan. Around the same time, he’d heard the owners of Barleypop Live – a venue whose previous iterations included The Frequency, Rainbow Room, Slipper Club and Adair’s Lounge among others – weren’t renewing their lease. But taking it over wasn’t his first thought, either.
“I walked by it and saw that it was vacant, and thought, ‘I wonder when someone’s gonna do something with that,’” he says. “I was managing the facility and bar managing at The Majestic and so … you’re just so busy and caught up in the corporate model of work, it’s hard to dream dreams.”
Leaving the job, though, gave Willmott, 35, space to let the dream grow.
Another venue owner expressed interest in taking over the space and invited Wilmott to take a look and consider taking a new job as bar manager. Walking into the space was a magical moment, Wilmott says.
“I felt The Frequency, I felt the nostalgia,” says Willmott, who actually performed in the space as a teenager on a visit from his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas. “I felt all the energy … that was here from before … that was when I really sparked.”
That potential owner decided not to go forward with the project, so Willmott saw an opportunity. He secured an investment from longtime community development advocate Cedric Johnson.
“I believe in Kevin and his vision for an inclusive space where people can express themselves creatively, and where they can build community while having fun at the same time,” Johnson said in an email to Blueprint365. “His passion and enthusiasm made it an easy yes. It’s also important to me to support another Black man in building something beautiful that uplifts the arts in Madison.”
After a furious couple months of renovations, Gamma Ray opened on June 1 with a lineup that included several hours of karaoke followed by some of the bigger names in local music: Dearly Brearly, Cowboy Winter, Jimmy Sugarcane, Droids Attack, among others. It was a successful opening, which kept rolling into the next few days.
“Opening week was pretty much as much of a dream as you could ever imagine,” Willmott says. ”The grand opening was, I think, a surreal and uplifting experience for everyone in the room. You can really feel, for the first time, energy in the music scene (like) from before COVID.”
Now a few months in, Willmott’s vision for Gamma Ray Bar is rooted in providing a high-quality experience for both artists and patrons. “If you have a good vibe in the front and a solid sound system in the back, you’re offering an artist a true musical experience that you can’t really find in a room this size in Madison,” he says.
As one of only two Black music venue owners in downtown Madison (the other being Hannah John Taylor, owner of the jazz club Cafe Coda), Willmott’s vision is also to create a space where people of color – especially Black patrons and artists – feel seen and represented.
“I think doing it within fragments and baby steps is gonna make a big difference for the downtown area,” he says. “I have Black folks working at the door, I have Black folks working behind the bar. When you walk in, you feel like you’re represented.” He also points out the African-inspired murals and decor.
To ensure Gamma Ray Bar’s sustainability, Willmott built multiple revenue streams into the business model. “I wanted to make the front room with a PA system fully viable, so people aren’t just hanging out in the stage room,” he says. “We can do a happy hour show, a main show, and a late karaoke night. It’s about making the space more functional and not just dependent on ticket sales.”
Looking ahead, Willmott hopes Gamma Ray will become a hot spot regardless of the headline act on any given night.
“My dream is that I can make the Gamma Ray Bar a space that will be similar to [the Replay Lounge in Lawrence, Kansas],” he says. “A spot where,I don’t know what’s going on on Wednesday, but they have a show, and I’m going to pay the cover and come down and check it out because we know it’s gonna be a great night.”
Johnson, the principal investor, has similarly high hopes.
“I want Gamma Ray to become one of those legendary spots where rising stars get their chops, and where folks from all walks of life come to be entertained and inspired,” he says.
“This is only the beginning,” says Willmott. “I look forward to seeing people enjoy the shows we have coming up and being inspired by what we’re doing here.
