Atwood Music Hall’s renovated space hopes to enhance Madison’s live music profile

By Tyler Spatz, Eastside News

Summers in Madison are marked by a multitude of opportunities to see live music, from a packed schedule of outdoor festivals to the many beloved venues hosting events on a regular basis. Atwood Music Hall, the latest addition to the city’s burgeoning nightlife, is an independently run venue in the heart of the east side. The over 90-year-old building at 1925 Winnebago St. opened its doors June 13.

Boasting an eclectic calendar of both national and local-centric events, the venue — which has a capacity of 700 — aims to elevate the local music community while also providing a tour stop for larger national acts.

Owner Toffer Christensen sees Atwood Music Hall as a larger, older sibling to the Bur Oak, his other venue at 2262 Winnebago St.

“We host national names, but we also want to support local artists too,” Christensen said. “That’s really important to me and so that’s why I created a local-only series with One Barrel Brewing for local bands to host CD release shows or other special events.”

Early shows from Atwood Music Hall included a 30th anniversary reunion from Madison’s own Rainer Maria, a record release show for Graham Hunt with local band Disq and a 50th anniversary show from another Madison legacy — Spooner.

Spooner, formed in 1974 by Doug Erikson and Bob Olsen, includes Butch Vig of Smart Studios fame on drums. The band played July 12. Spooner previously performed at Atwood Music Hall in 1978, then known as the Freedom House, Christensen noted.

While Atwood Music Hall’s capacity is befitting of national artists, Christensen emphasizes the importance of using the space to give back to the community.

“We have two initiatives on top of the locals-only series,” Christensen said. “One is the Student Alive program which we’re starting with the Goodman (Community) Center, a Monday after-school program for high school kids that are already a part of Goodman’s (TEENworks) program to teach them about the live music industry. We also have an initiative to give the club away once a month to a local nonprofit to use for a benefit event or meeting.”

Some events included in the nonprofit initiative were June’s hosting of the Madison Area Music Awards, as well as a benefit for Operation Fresh Start in July.

The Atwood Music Hall building was originally constructed in 1932, then the home of the Madison Gospel Tabernacle. The art-deco era building features a unique lamella roof, also known as a Zollinger Roof, after its creator Friedrich Zollinger. Throughout its renovation, Christensen paid homage to the building’s past by highlighting its unique, historic architecture.

“There’s not many of these structures left in the Midwest, or even the country,” Christensen wrote in an email. “When you walk into that space and look forward, your eyes are drawn up to look at the ceiling. It’s just what happens naturally. That was what became really important, creating a tribute to that time period.”