Photo by Blaine Schultz
Vivarium sign
Pabst Theater Group announced Vivarium as the name of its new all-ages entertainment venue opening in early 2024. It will replace The Back Room @ Colectivo, which will close at the end of this year.
Located at 1818 N. Farwell Ave., the venue might just be blessed with rock and roll hoodoo still hanging in the air. The 450-seat venue is located just steps away from the former location of Earwaves, the legendary record shop that hosted in-store performances by the likes of Die Kreuzen.
“In the nearly eight years since we’ve opened The Back Room, we’ve discovered how much it has added to and helped grow the Milwaukee club scene. Its all-ages experience helped to open doors for many younger bands and their fans, giving them a place to gather and to share their passions,” said Gary Witt, president and CEO of Pabst Theater Group. “Vivarium will be a continuation of The Back Room’s efforts, working to compliment an already thriving small venue ecosystem that includes Cactus Club, Shank Hall, Linneman’s, X-Ray Arcade, the Cooperage (and others) by creating more space for the Milwaukee community to gather and artists (local and national) to perform.”
Kelsey Kaufmann, owner of Cactus Club, commented “We’re building a culture of camaraderie in Milwaukee across venues, genres and artistic disciplines. The Cactus team is excited to collaborate with Pabst Theater Group on shows and events in the years ahead.”
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Vivarium, (Latin for “place of life”) will feature natural cream city brick, wood walls made from 100-year-old trees from northern Wisconsin, skylights open to the Milwaukee night sky and a natural feeling main room filled with live greenery.
The venue will join the Pabst Theater Group (PTG) which hosts over 700 live events annually at its six core venues, the Pabst Theater, the Riverside Theater, Miller High Life Theatre, Turner Hall Ballroom and The Fitzgerald. Vivarium. Additionally, the group hosts shows at Fiserv Forum, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and Bradley Symphony Center. PTG financial impact on the city exceeds $250 million and spends $1.3 million in marketing annually. It employs a total of 350 full and part-time staff.
