Gamma Rays irradiate the Madcity with new Live Music Venue!

Tonight on the phone with us is Kevin Wilmot. Now, some people might remember the frequency in Madison around here for 10 years on by musician, very diverse live music venue. I'm just off the square up by the Capitol.

Let's see what's main street and thank you for that address. And now after a few years, it's going to reopen as the gamma ray bar with owner Kevin Wilmot.

Now Kevin is the singer of Don't Mess with Cupid. He's, you know, plays with a ton of bands around here. He's been here forever. Great guy. He's on the phone right now. And he is the new owner of the gamma ray bar.

Welcome to Maxing Gradio Kevin. What's up, Kevin?

Hey, Jimmy rocker. It's so good to be back. It's, you know, I used to come on your show and try your rocker rocker when I was in my, my garage soul rock and roll band cowboy winter, cowboy winter.

Yeah, man. So it's a, it's just, it's just so great to hear from you guys and then to have a good reason to be on your show.

Kevin, how does it feel to be called an owner of a music establishment in Madison, Wisconsin called gamma ray bar?

You know, it's really just, you know, a true arc of what I've done in Madison, right? You know, when I started at the high new in saloon in December of 2013, I, I started at the door and doing ticketing and doing security and six months later was behind the bar.

And now, you know, 11 years later, I'm still working in the music industry. So, you know, to bring back an independent music venue that was so iconic and loved and cherished in Madison for so many years and generations.

It's really just, yeah, I feel it gets the right thing for me to do. And it's really been coming together so nicely.

You know, when you become a business owner, obviously, you're going to, you're, you're basing your experience and your knowledge off of your past experiences.

What's the one thing from your years of bartending here in Madison working the door at a music venue in Madison that you've taken away that you're going to apply as a concept to the new gamma ray bar?

Yeah, you know, I really, I really believe in and having a staff and a venue staff that does that same type of model that I did, right?

Where you, you know, you're excited to get behind the bar and I want you to be behind the bar. But first let's get you to know how the ticketing works and the security and get to know the answer now, so of the business.

And then once you become that bartender, we're all can be hands on deck when we have a full-out show where we really need to help on the edges because it's a really popular night.

You know, so for me, just having that whole arc of knowing the industry really does come in handy and it's been really fun to make a bar.

You know, I, I didn't know I thought it was going to be fun, but it's definitely a lot more fun than I ever could have imagined.

Oh, just wait.

Yeah, it's a, you know, and then the energy coming into the summer. It's like what a great time to open at June 1st and really get the ball going for a hot summer here in 2004.

Well, let's talk about what's going to be happening at the Gamma Ray Bar because when I was talking to you, I heard things about streaming streaming online.

I've heard about karaoke in front and back.

Tell us a little bit about what's going to be happening at the Gamma Ray Bar.

You know, I'm definitely an idea guy and I have, you know, so for me, just being having a space that I can really put all my ideas into, it's really fun.

You know, so we'll be doing, you know, karaoke, happy hours, also like, you know, your classic vocal rock and roll show, happy hours as well.

You know, that would be from from four until seven and then we'll run most of our shows that are going to be ticketed from eight to 11.

And you know, it'll be, that'll be more on those Thursday, Friday, Saturdays and we'll have more vocal shows or karaoke on Monday, Tuesdays, Wednesdays.

And yeah, you know, I'm working with Dustin Boyle, you know, with this TV.

Yeah.

And he, Dustin, you know, is really one of the main reasons why this whole thing can happen because he was the creator of the PA for the frequency and really knows the end of the industry.

And he is building RPA for the Gamma Ray Bar as well.

So, you know, Dustin, his knowledge on that streaming and the video on the audio side, that's really where we're leaning to to be able to do the really fun stuff for thinking up.

Let's talk about the spaces self, Kevin, Kevin Wilmot, new owner of the Gamma Ray Bar joins us here on Maxing Radio.

So, eight, four, four, nine, six, seven, two, seven, eight, nine, eight, four, four, nine, six party.

If you have a call, if you want to call with a comment or a question for Kevin while he's on the phone with us, let's talk about the space itself, Kevin.

It's such a special place to a lot of us in the Madison music scene, formerly as the frequency.

And plus is haunted. There's a bunch of ghosts that live there.

What, what do you got planned as far as how are you going to present the space?

Yeah, you know, so when you walk into the to the to the 121 West Main Street, the Gamma Ray Bar and have some of fountain, you'll walk in and for the happy hour, we're going to have you singing right in that front and the left there that can be monitored up to your right.

And so you'll be instantly kind of drawn into the energy and the love of music when you walk in for a happy hour.

And then as you're walking through, there's a, you know, a booth that we built at the sitting booth that has a nice step and then next to that booth, but you'll be able to pony up to six feet of the original frequency bar.

Oh, nice.

We got there's an inferno sticker on there. There's a classical bomb sticker on there.

It's, you know, it's really a relic, you know, and so that front room, you know, we're really just adding a lot of tabletop space and standing room and spaces for stools and a booth and making it so that it's going to have a lot more

feedery and also warm up that front room. So it'll be more like a lounge where you can hang out and then watch that livestream from the from the stage.

That's really cool that you're going to, that you're going to do some live streaming too, because you know, there are times you, you're, you're just stuck at home, maybe with kids or, or you're sick or something like that.

But if a venue streaming, we got this during COVID, but it's nice to have that option nowadays as well.

Yeah, you know, we'll be streaming the shows in venue, you know, every night, but then when we're streaming online, well, we'll kind of be getting that process with the spaceship TV.

We'll do some some local shows to probably find one show in June to highlight.

And then as we go into June, we'll find two and August will be doing three or four, hopefully.

And then, you know, a year in, we can maybe have a model where we have every show available that able to have that option given to them.

You know, so, you know, it's definitely a baby steps, you know, what about Bob is one of my favorite movies.

Yeah.

And I take, and I take a lot of, I take a lot of knowledge from Bob in that movie.

So I hear maybe Bloody Mary's on Sunday and some live music.

Yeah, we'll be doing, we'll be doing Bloody Mary's.

Maybe in a maxing show, Jimmy. Yeah.

That sounds like a lot of fun, you know.

For me, getting the band back together for the frequency, that means that rocker and actually has to be a part of it, right?

There's no way to have that space open without having you guys in the space, you know.

Thank you.

I'm already packing my bags, broadcast bags to come do a radio in the, or in the gamma ray bars.

It's going to be great.

Yeah, you know, and we really, you know, I want to, you know, I want to have a modern space, right?

You know, it's, it's a different time now.

You know, it was streaming and podcasting and video casting.

And, you know, I also, I host the Madison story slam for the mob.

One of the, you know, the nation's most popular storytelling podcast.

The air is almost gone from public radio.

And so I'm, and so, you know, hosting the mob for the last, you know, five years has also given me

a little kind of credibility within that world as well.

So doing those, doing music, what also doing some storytelling events and doing some spoken word.

And, and really branching out and doing not just music, but also other types of events as well.

That's awesome, Kevin, Kevin Wilmot, brand new bar opening on Main Street here in Madison,

a, June 1st, right?

That's the, the launch date.

June 1st, June 1st is the grand opening.

And we'll be doing our, our merch launch this next week.

And you'll be able to purchase some merch.

And then if you buy, you know, more than $50 worth of merch, you get a ticket.

It was your spot to go to our soft opening on May 30 to 31st, where you can pick up your merch,

check out the space, have a cocktail, and then sing some karaoke with me and hopefully your friends, you know?

Awesome.

And then, and then June 1st is going to be the first day our grand opening to the public,

where we'll be open for a show of some of my favorite local bands and beyond.

Who are the bands?

So we have a, a dearly, dearly, which is my friend Jordan and Liz that are doing great, like,

duet.

And they're, Jordan LaLaz has, you know, grew up on West Main.

So I felt like that was a, you know, a great opener to have for the show.

And then Raquel, Ollie Mon, and they're going to do a, do a show as well.

And then, and then it'll be, who else is going to be a, I'm still down on the scene.

So it'll be my friend, Jimmy Sugarcane, who's doing like an Afro beat, Raygate.

Really awesome music.

And then, my favorite band in math, and honestly, is, is crib shit.

You know, they're, they've been around for 20 years, and just, you know, really an iconic creative

masterpiece, and it comes to their tunes.

I think you mean, I think you make crib pooper, right?

Right.

It's actually, I think it's crib tubeless.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's what it is.

So, yeah.

So then we're also, you know, Calaboy Winter.

I'm getting the band back together.

Oh, nice.

We're going to play our EP Girl Trouble from start to finish.

And also a couple of our other tracks from Magic or tragic are our first EP.

And then, you know, the new hottest band in town, in my opinion, is Hot Props, led by

my good friend, Michelle Kelly, who's going to be helping me with the bar.

And the game, Ray, and Hot Props has, you know, Kathy Deves, and Cynthia Burntson from, uh,

from, uh, from, uh, from Simpson.

And in Kathy, obviously, was the former owner of the high in insolute, and, and so many iconic bands over the years as well.

And so they're, they're going to be playing.

And then you can't, you can't have an opening night on 121 West Main.

Thought having, uh, droids attacking closed out the night.

Wow.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, it's going to be, we'll be, uh, we'll be really be rocking at the end there.

And then, and then, uh, a good friend of mine, uh, gave the real Jaguar.

It's going to be DJing in between sets, and also, it will close out the night for us.

That's an amazing night of music.

That's going to be a party that's off the hook.

June 1st.

June 1st.

June 1st.

At the Gamma Ray Bar.

117 West Main Street, right?

It's a, uh, 121 West Main.

West Main.

Yeah.

I think 117 T is the dice or something.

I know.

You're good.

I just posted on my, on our Facebook page asking everybody to, to reminisce on their favorite shows and the frequency.

For me, I also remember the space when it was the slippery club.

You know, I moved, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin to work at, uh, Jenna's cocktail lounge,

which is on the corner of West Main.

And, uh, started there as a cocktail server.

That was 12 years ago.

And then, uh, that's tough.

Okay.

Sorry, Kevin.

We're up against a heartbreak.

Hey, man, keep in touch.

Please.

Hey, no, that's, uh, let's talk to you now.

And I can't wait to have you all, uh, if you have the Gamma Ray Bar.

We'll be there for sure at the Gamma Ray Bar.

Kevin Wilmot, thank you so much, sir.

Congratulations.

Thank you, sir.

Hopefully we'll see these guys at the Gamma Ray Bar soon.

It's the flavor that kills.

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