Photo Credit: Brian Radmund/Cactus Club
It’s Friday night at Cactus Club. In the front, DJ Daossier spins to fundraise for the gay volleyball team, the Milwaukee Cream Puffs, while the Democratic Socialists of America hold a debate-viewing in back. The calendar for the rest of the weekend includes a dance party for Milwaukee’s LGBTQ communities benefitting Diverse & Resilient and a fundraiser for Australian fires featuring 5 Card Studs and DJ Chris Schulist.
For nearly 20 years, Cactus has functioned as a staple of the city, bringing seminal indie and punk acts to the Bay View neighborhood, but as the underground music and events venue changes hands Wednesday, from longtime owner Eric Uecke to Kelsey Kaufmann, it will become much more.
Kaufmann, 30, has been a Cactus employee for almost a decade and has been co-running the space since 2016. She said the multi-genre and mixed-media programming they have worked to broaden in the last few years will now become even more prevalent. “We’re going to really lean into that in the years ahead with local film screenings, maker markets, workshops, lectures and just more community organizing efforts,” she says.
Kaufmann’s vision reimagines the space physically and conceptually to enhance inclusivity for all communities. She hopes to encourage engagement and participation rather than consumption.
“It’s important for people to have accessible creative channels, and that hasn’t been the case for so long,” Kaufmann says.
A new drink program will feature more non-alcoholic options like nitro coffee, kombucha taps and seasonal mocktails. Aesthetic changes seek to make the space more welcoming for working and daytime activities. A slight remodel will allow the green room to double as an Airbnb for touring bands.
They are also working with the Office of Sustainability to secure financing for solar power through the city’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program; and though they are still exploring funding options, Kaufmann said a major priority is to put in a wheelchair ramp and wheelchair-accessible bathroom.
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From Tavern to Social Center
In tandem with the change of ownership also comes a shift to the venue’s designation as a center for the performing arts.
As a longtime organizer and advocate for all-ages programming in the city, Kaufmann recently joined other local venue owners, organizers and musicians in an effort to change a city code that makes it easier for small venues to host all-ages shows. The change was supported by District 3 Alderman Nik Kovac, who chairs the Licenses Committee.
In January, Cactus Club became the first venue to apply for the new all-ages license, and the application was passed by the Common Council Tuesday.
Now, Cactus Club can be more accessible to all-ages and 18+ events as long as those events comply with curfew. Most Sunday through Tuesday shows will be all-ages; however, the performers will get to decide their preference on age restrictions.
For example, doors for the Thursday night, all-ages Sheer Mag show on May 7 open at 6 p.m. This means Cactus can also have an 18+ after-party and be active that much longer throughout the day.
If there is no event, it will be a 21+ establishment.
“We’re here to serve many different communities with the idea that everyone ought to have a place to feel seen and supported and have a platform for experimentation, organizing and curation,” Kaufmann says. “So that’s kind of the nexus of what we’re trying to do...”
Diverse Programming, Diverse Music
Whether it’s an impromptu all-ages record spin during happy hour, an all-body yoga class or a first-time homeowner workshop, Cactus will serve as an artist-run, queer-owned, multimedia arts venue and community-oriented event space committed to forward-facing programming.
Kaufmann said they also hope to collaborate with more food trucks and organizations like Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, the LGBT Community Center and the Milwaukee parks department.
“We actively desire to work with folks from far-reaching artistic practices, justice movements and youth from across the city. We want to experiment with accessible, intergenerational, multi-genre concerts and arts ventures,” Kaufmann says.
But with a lineup of local, national and notable reuniting acts, the Club will not stray away from its rich musical roots.
“It’s really important to underscore we will still be the most exciting underground music venue,” Kaufmann says. “It’s just going to be that and more. I’m excited to work with new people and young people who are excited about their own ideas, and I want to see those come to life. I see this as a very collaborative forever project.”
Get involved at cactusclubmilwaukee.com/contact. You will find forms for jobs, internships, food truck vending and “other”—a category where all ideas are fair game.
