Photo courtesy Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
Marty Hacker and Jim Linneman
Marty Hacker and Jim Linneman holding a photo of themselves taken decades ago.
Jim Linneman says it is difficult to pin down an exact date when Linneman’s Riverwest Inn officially opened for business because the city gave him a temporary license in order to raise the last bit of cash it took to get the place polished to a shine.
That was 30 years ago. With little fanfare, Linneman and Marty Hacker are celebrating the venue’s anniversary this month.
As lifelong music fans they naturally saw fit to create a space that puts music front and center—literally. In the early days the stage was above the bar. Perhaps it was an unconscious nod to Hooligans, the East Side tap that featured live music above the bar regularly; Linneman himself had spent time tapping beers at that joint.
Linneman’s would eventually add a much larger dedicated music room with a permanent stage and downstairs green room.
Origin Story
In 1992 Linneman and some friends took up the challenge to buy and fix up a tavern at the corner of Locust and Weil streets.
“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,” Linneman recalls, “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” (shepherdexpress.com/culture/supporting-milaukee-arts/jim-linneman-proprietor-linnemans-riverwest-inn).
The stars aligned when Marty Hacker’s daughter wanted to perform at the weekly open stage, and Marty met Jim. A long conversation began between the pair that evening. It continues to this day.
Wednesday Open Mic
That weekly Acoustic Open Stage is a humble, low-key gathering but its importance can’t be recognized enough. It serves as an incubator, allowing artists an opportunity to take first tentative steps in developing their craft, a few songs at a time. It also is a welcome stop for singers and songwriters looking to test run new material in front of a discerning audience of peers. Linneman himself typically kicks off the evening performing a song, he also hosts the night and does sound.
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Original music is a cornerstone at Linneman’s. Each week a performer headlines the open mic with a longer set and leaves with a soundboard recording of their work. Linneman also mixes sound for nearly every show that takes place at the club.
Years ago, guitarist Chris Vos was a regular on Wednesdays before he got his chops together to front the Los Angeles-based, Grammy-nominated band The Record Company. Other acts who have called Linneman’s home include The Noisemakers from Hell (Sigmund Snopek and a revolving cast that included members of Violent Femmes, Semi Twang and BoDeans), .357 String Band, Caley Conway, Lil’ Rev, Chris Porterfield and Paul Setser. Ray Davies of The Kinks and Peter Tork of The Monkees have stopped in.
Neighborhood hub and social activism
Every week kicks off with Poets Monday, Milwaukee’s longest running poetry open mic. Linneman and Hacker’s investment in their neighborhood and social activism are evident in the low-key meetings and grassroots functions they host.
Among the high-profile events they host every year include annual benefit concerts Nod to Bob, a fundraiser for Hunger Task Force which features the songs of Bob Dylan, Long May You Run (previously Kneel to Neil) which spotlights the music of Neil Young and the John Lennon tribute show, Peace Thru Music, which benefits the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE). A recent addition has been a benefit for the American Heart Association, Hungry Hearts, which pays tribute to Bruce Springsteen,
The Nod to Bob shows are notable for giving fans a rare chance to see the owners onstage with Hacker on drums and Linneman on guitar and vocals.
Challenges and legacy
In 2019, Linneman spoke about the challenges running a music club https://shepherdexpress.com/music/local-music/surviving-in-the-changing-world-of-live-music/ He noted that over 100 clubs have closed since Linneman’s opened, but his club’s storied history has become the thing of local legend. Even it didn’t always seem so at the time. The Mosleys long-running midweek residency typically found a packed room of dancers digging one of the best live bands Milwaukee has ever seen. In 2015 Milwaukee’s Dusty Medical Records celebrated their 10th anniversary at Linneman’s’ with a buffet of Indian food and a show headlined by Greg Cartwright of Memphis’ Reigning Sound. Jim Linneman recorded the performance and a 7” was released for posterity.
Aked if Linneman’s Riverwest Inn has a mission statement, Jim said, “We have nothing posted on the walls. If we did, it would be ‘Have fun, be yourself.’”
