The warm summer month of August will mark a milestone at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn: 30 years in business as a proud and participating member of Milwaukee’s vibrant live music community. It all began with humble roots that included a couple of friends investing to help me buy—and fix up—a beautiful but dilapidated Riverwest building in October 1992. During the rebuild, a carpenter friend and I would, after long days of work, play the guitar and drink beer for hours. Many times other friends would show up, and we’d play “pass the guitar.”
When the bar finally opened in late summer 1993, a musician/audio engineer friend suggested we continue this practice with a more formal “Acoustic Open Stage.” Taking his suggestion to heart, the open stage came to life, and has taken place almost every Wednesday evening for 30 years. It has helped hundreds of young and old musicians alike to find their own voice. Many have gone on to form and or play in prominent Milwaukee bands, a few have taken it to the national level.
Of course, there are many other nights of the week to fill with music. Happily, over the last three decades, those days in our calendar have been filled with an amazingly wide variety of music that we are proud of—from nationally known touring acts to the biggest names in Milwaukee music. To hosting many well know local acts, to hosting many first-ever performances by local acts wanting to get a start, our stage has supported music on all levels. From our humble beginnings to our ever-present and continuing dedication to the local music scene, we are thankful for the opportunity that Milwaukee has afforded us, and are honored to be able to provide a quality platform for music to thrive.
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On a side note, at the very beginning, I wished to call the business “The Riverwest Inn,” after the neighborhood I lived in for years. One of the potential investors in the building, referenced above, would not invest unless “Linneman” was used in the name of the business, which he would have no ownership of. He said he “liked the sound of it.” So, begrudgingly, I relented, and the business became Linneman's Riverwest Inn.
Erol Reyal’s portrait of me is taken on Linneman’s stage, with my first guitar given to me by my mother in the late 1960s, the amazing musical era I grew up in as a teenager. That guitar continues to give me hope, inspiration, and joy!
I would like to extend a debt of gratitude to all who have patronized, performed, pranced, and found great pleasure within our walls. Thank you!
Visit: Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Photo Credit: Erol Reyal
