After the 2001 New Year's Day fire that burned down O'Cayz Corral, former manager Cathy Dethmers has been in the process of rebuilding the legendary Madison music venue under a new name, the High Noon Saloon.
A mainstay of Madison's music scene, O'Cayz was renowned as a hole-in-the-wall club that was well-run and would attract talented bands. The 150-capacity club was host to notables Nirvana, The White Stripes and the Get Up Kids, among many others in its day.
In recent years, supporters of live music in Madison have seen the number of venues decrease, especially notable smaller venues such as O'Cayz Corral, Club de Wash and Cafe Assisi. In addition, there has been an increasing lack of cohesiveness between area bands that have hindered attempts to form a community scene.
For years, Madison's existence as a college town has affected its ability to create a permanent music scene. Young musicians going to school were exceedingly unlikely to stick around town after graduation, and touring bands would forgo Madison, as Minneapolis, Chicago and even Milwaukee were more profitable on weekday nights and offered better scenes to tap for local support.
The opening of the High Noon Saloon marks a symbolic milestone in Madison's live music scene. Owner Dethmers promises a club of diverse music and varying genres, attracting music lovers of (almost) all ages.
After three-and-a-half years, the fruits of Dethmers' labor are finally being born. The High Noon Saloon is still under construction at the former location of the Buy and Sell Shop, 701 E. Washington Ave. Set to open May 1, the club will be housed with other entertainment businesses, with plans including a pool hall, restaurant, coffeehouse and office space. The club is set to have two bars and a capacity of 400 people.
\We're going to have a wide variety of music, similar to O'Cayz, but we can get bigger national acts because of the larger capacity,"" Dethmers said.
The path of reopening the venue has taken chameleon forms and involved multiple site locations. Former owner Jeff Dodd abandoned an attempt to rebuild at the original location, 302 E. Wilson St., due to massive smoke, water and structural damage. Dethmers and a core of supporters were left to reopen the club elsewhere.
Turning to restaurateur Nick Schiavo, plans were set in motion to turn the Buy and Sell Shop location into an entertainment complex. However, financing between Schiavo and the building's owners fell through, leaving Dethmers to find yet another location. Schiavo went on to acquire and renovate The Majestic Theater into a dance club.
Dethmers then teamed up with Brian Glassel and Tim Nicholson, owners of Madison's Glass Nickel Pizza, to develop a joint complex on the city's east side at 2415 Winnebago St. The trio's plans gained approval from the City Planning Commission and proceeded as far as gaining a liquor license for the club before a heated dispute erupted from the nearby Rayovac Corporation and its developer, Todd McGrath. They were looking to further develop the properties held by Rayovac, and believed that Winnebago Place, as Dethmers' location was known, would compromise their larger development concept. Negotiations over plans to integrate the two concepts broke down. Dethmers described it as an intricate process entwined with massive amounts of red tape that in the end once again left her at square one.
Turning back to the Buy and Sell Shop location, negotiations were worked out with owner Curt Brink, and planning began for the club's current design. Construction was again delayed and the original opening in December 2003 was postponed. Once construction is complete, a parade of city inspectors will take approximately a week to make sure the club meets building, fire and health codes before it is finally permitted to open.
More than three years after the quest began to reopen the legendary club, the end is finally in sight. A large opening show is being planned for Saturday, May 1, though the band lineup is not yet set. Dethmers said that shows at the club are currently planned for people 21 and older, but she hopes city policy will soon change.
The success of the Wisconsin Union Directorate shows at Club 770, the Memorial Union Terrace and der Rathskeller should prove beyond a reasonable doubt that all ages of students are looking for a way to enjoy weekend nights other than at keg parties. Let's hope Madison's Alcohol Licensing Review Committee will feel the same.
