Shank Hall
 Shank Hall 2024 | |
  Shank Hall Location in Wisconsin  Shank Hall Location in the United States | |
| Former names |
|
|---|---|
| Address | 1434 N. Farwell Avenue Milwaukee United States |
| Coordinates | 43°2′55″N 87°53′46″W / 43.04861°N 87.89611°W |
| Owner | Peter Jest |
| Seating type | General admission |
| Capacity | 300 |
| Current use | Concert venue |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1930s |
| Opened | November 3, 1989 |
| Renovated | 1992 |
| Website | |
| shankhall | |
Shank Hall is a music venue with a 300-person capacity located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It began as a garage in c.1930 to store and repair motor vehicles, and in the 1940s the building was a record distribution center. Later, it became a concert venue called The Barn, and in the 1970s, it was called Teddy's. In 1989, it became Shank Hall and was named after a fictional club in the movie This Is Spinal Tap.
Background[edit]
The building is owned by Peter Jest, and it is a one-story brick building. There was a type of house in the back of the music venue which was likely built in 1920 according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. The building in the front which hosts music acts now was likely built in 1930s, and according to permits, it was used as a garage. In 1938, it was named Farwell Avenue Garage, and it was to store and repair motor vehicles. In 1947, offices were built at the front of the building and Capitol Records Distribution stored and distributed record albums from the location.[1]
History[edit]
In 1968, Tony Machi opened a business called The Barn and in the 1970s, the place hosted blues music concerts. In 1975, the business became a disco venue and took the name Teddy's. From 1984 to 1988, the business was called The Funny Bone. In 1989, Peter Jest began renting the building for use as a concert venue.[1] The first act to play on November 3, 1989, was a Milwaukee cover band named Java. Jest claims that he named the venue Shank Hall in honor of the cult classic movie This Is Spinal Tap. In the movie, there is a fictitious Milwaukee club called Shank Hall.[2] Jest purchased the building in 1999.[1] The building had a fire on September 10, 1992, and after Jest had the club rebuilt, it had a capacity of 300.[2]
In 2017, actor Corey Feldman knocked out one of his teeth after striking it on a microphone. He then looked for the tooth and found it with the assistance of a fan.[3] Actor Kiefer Sutherland also performed at the club in 2016 and 2019.[4] Some other performers who have played at Shank Hall include: No Doubt, The Smashing Pumpkins, Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, and Sarah McLachlan.[2][5]
In 2020, the club closed for most of the year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They planned to open at 50% capacity but out of concern for the bands and concert goers, they delayed reopening until 2021.[6] A digital marquee was installed in 2022 to replace the manually updated sign.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Tanzilo, Bobby (March 9, 2017). "Urban spelunking: Shank Hall". OnMilwaukee. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Snyder, Molly (October 21, 2014). "Milwaukee Talks: Shank Hall's Peter Jest". OnMilwaukee. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Noennig, Jordyn (June 29, 2017). "Corey Feldman rocked his tooth off at a Milwaukee concert". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Noennig, Jordyn. "Kiefer Sutherland was loving on Milwaukee before his show at Shank Hall". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Levy, Piet (November 7, 2014). "50 significant shows and events from Shank Hall's 25-year history". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Levy, Piet (August 11, 2020). "Shank Hall in Milwaukee was going to reopen this month. Now it won't happen until February, at the earliest". Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Snyder, Molly (January 4, 2022). "New sign for Shank Hall". OnMilwaukee. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
External links[edit]
Media related to Shank Hall at Wikimedia Commons- Video - Corey Feldman knocks out his own tooth at Shank Hall
- Video - Shank Hall: Milwaukee's Showcase Live Music Venue Since 1989
