A popular slogan of the progressive community is "Think Globally, Act Locally." In seeking to rebuild the image of a neighborhood and offer a safe, good time for locals, Laura and Mike Lewand, owners of The Stage, a new Northwest side bar at 7200 W. Fond du Lac Ave., are ready to amend the second part of the phrase to "Drink Locally."
"This side of town is lacking something fun and exciting for people 30 and over," observed Laura, 35, after opening The Stage with husband Mike in January of this year.
"We wanted to open a place that would offer that. We created a place where we would go. There are many good-hearted people in our area who want to go out and socialize and not worry about trouble. They now have a place to go."
During the early '80s, The Stage was the hair band haven T. A. Verns. The location had been closed for two years, but in six months since opening, the Lewands have built up The Stage from three customers the first night to a robust nightly crowd of loyal regulars, and a thriving weekend business.
The Lewands view the property as a good investment -- both for themselves and for the community. It took a year to convince city administrators of such, and to then grant the Lewands the proper licenses to open. Now, with six months of trouble-free operation, the Lewands expect to be granted expanded live music licenses for more entertainment on weekends.
The Stage has that classic good-time Milwaukee bar feel for adult working folk. You can mingle at the bar; peruse the eclectic selections in the jukebox; play video card games or trivia; watch sports on the many televisions; or shoot pool or throw darts. The Stage's vibe is relaxed and friendly. In today's racially tense Milwaukee, it is a welcome sight to see people of all colors unwinding and partying together.
"I'm Puerto Rican and I come here regularly," explained Milwaukeean Alicia Hernandez, 35. "It's wonderful to see people from all walks of life coming in and having fun. People have smiles on their faces all the time."
The Lewands have an ambitious plan to implement an engaging list of activities every night of the week at The Stage. The first night they tackled was Wednesday night, which became "Open Canvas Night."
At the weekly Wednesday Open Canvas, The Stage provides easels, canvases, papers, paints, pens and other art supplies. The art begins at 8 p.m. The catch is artists must finish the work that night. It then goes on the wall for sale, where the house and the artist split the sale price. There are drink specials and if the creative process becomes too stressful, relief can be found from a trained masseuse standing ready with a massage chair.
Laura is an artist and the Open Canvas Night helps her pursue her muse.
"When we bought the bar I realized I had no time to paint anymore. I wanted to have one night where I could paint."
House artist Tim Gerdman, who specializes in capturing the feminine mystique, and a weekly featured artist guarantee that multiple paintings are completed each Wednesday under the imposed deadline.
"We hope artists from all over the city come here and take advantage of this," Laura noted. It is a great way to meet other artists and to challenge yourself to work under a deadline." She lamented that there are no art galleries on the Northwest side and would like to open one someday. For now, Open Canvas Night fills the absence.
Word of mouth has helped spread the news of Open Canvas Night. "I heard about the open canvas from friends," explained pacifist poet and new painter Phil Stamos, 27, a recent transplant to the area from Binghamton, N.Y. "This is the ultimate in 21st century urban expression. There is no snobby vibe. I dig it mucho!"
On Saturday, June 24, 2006, The Stage celebrates six months of its Wednesday night Open Canvas with an art auction of the finest pieces painted the previous half year. The art auction is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and then four bands will perform to continue the celebration. Headliner Bellevue Suite will be joined by DWB, The Cherry Pops and Dynasty.
Open Canvas then takes a brief hiatus to avoid competing with Summerfest and other summer events. It will begin again on Wednesday, July 26, with the next art auction celebration slated for Saturday, Dec. 23.
A major component to the early success of The Stage is the commitment to keep anger and trouble out of the bar. There is a sign as you walk in the bar stating the rules: no racism or hateful language allowed.
"Today's young people are way too aggressive and angry," Laura said. "People age 30 and over don't want to deal with that when they go out to have a good time. We want to keep that good time vibe in our environment."
Having spent 17 years working in the Milwaukee tavern industry, Laura said she knows it comes down to good bar management. "The angry person comes to the door angry, looking angry. We don't let that person in. We prevent any potential problems before they have a chance to start."
The Lewands are not naive optimists. They realized it was a painful but necessary startup expense to pay to have imposing doormen every night. The intimidating Blake and Bunky, also known as "The Stage Crew," police the door and keep the peace, with both working weekends.
Monstrous Blake insists he is actually the hostess. There are cameras monitoring the exterior. The strategy works. In sixth months of business, The Stage has not had one physical altercation inside or outside the establishment.
"You have to be tough," Laura Lewand explained. "A lot of businesses ran away from this area because the neighborhood changed. Our greatest challenge is overcoming people's stereotypes. By refusing to tolerate problems, we have made a vital contribution to turning this neighborhood around. We now have local businessmen, blue collar workers, artists, retirees and neighbors enjoying a local gathering spot. We represent what is good about the Northwest side of Milwaukee."
The Stage uses music as a uniter, not a divider: "Music is our theme," Mike, 35, explained. "It's all colors, and all cultures. We are about diversity. The key is we never stay with one type of music."
A passionate musician and producer with a current focus on smooth jazz, Mike Lewand noted that many bars in the Northwest side cater to one crowd and alienate the other.
"You have places that rock hard or rap hard. We eliminated both crowds. We have classic R&B, '80s rock, blues, jazz, Prince tribute bands, funk, Texas blues and classic rock. Music people 30 and over enjoy."
"Our jukebox is a perfect example of what we stand for," he observed. "You can play a Journey, Black Sabbath or a U2 song, followed Gap Band, Cameo or Kool and the Gang, followed by Kenny Chesney or Stevie Ray Vaughn."
Mike said the most gratifying experience of the first six months is seeing people come in, have a good time, and open their minds. "The music brings people together, especially our Jazz nights. Music helps people lose their judgmental attitudes and mix well together."
"The other popular subject that transcends the color barrier is sports. That's why we focus on sports as well," he added.
A compromise was reached between Laura and Mike. The Stage viewing landscape is generously outfitted with many televisions showing multiple sporting events, but the décor is a music theme.
Consistent with their commitment to sports and the local community, The Lewands committed The Stage as the new sponsor the Milwaukee Rattlers, the city's successful semi-professional football team.
The Rattlers compete in the Ultimate Football League, a 16-team AAA league with combatants from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota. The Rattlers have won the league the past three years and are usually in to party at The Stage on Thursday nights. The Rattlers '06 season begins July 20.
Beginning June 26, the next weekly event at The Stage is the Tuesday night karaoke competition. Every Tuesday night for six months, a weekly karaoke winner will receive a $25 bar tab at The Stage. Mike said he has lined up producers and videographers to judge the weekly competition. After six months, the semi-annual winner will receive a free video shoot and production of a professional music video.
Upcoming live music events include the return of Big Bang Theory to Milwaukee to play at The Stage July 1. The local '90s modern rock favorites moved to Los Angeles several years ago, but have returned to play Summerfest since 2000. Mike and the band members are friends, and the band is eager to play his new joint. In August, there will be a multi-band fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis. One of the regular Open Canvas artists suffers from this debilitating disease.
The Stage offers pool and dart leagues beginning this fall. The Lewands encourage interested people to sign up. The Stage is open Tuesday through Saturday from 2:30 p.m. until bar time. Happy hour with full tap is 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., except Fridays. During football season the bar is open seven days a week. The phone number is (414) 393-1009.
