Sabbatic is a punk, rock and metal bar and small live music venue at 700 S. 2nd Street in the Walker’s Point neighbourhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened on 10 December 2009, it occupies a historic corner tavern dating from the 1890s and combines a neighbourhood bar with regular concerts by local and touring underground bands. Punk has always been central to its identity, alongside metal, goth, industrial, new wave and alternative rock.

Sabbatic replaced the former Union House Saloon, which closed earlier in 2009. The bar was founded by Jay Stamates and Sam Berman together with investors Marty Michaels and Nick Paulsen. Stamates and Berman drew inspiration from punk, goth and alternative bars in Milwaukee and Chicago, creating a traditional neighbourhood tavern with a strong underground-music identity. Berman later left the business, while Stamates continued as the principal operator.

The interior retains the rough character of an old Milwaukee corner bar. Red lighting, skulls, candles, punk artwork and a large painting of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen are joined by posters, seven-inch records and years of graffiti across the walls and bathrooms. An Elvira-themed pinball machine adds to the horror influence, while cult films and television are frequently shown behind the bar. The combination of punk memorabilia, horror imagery and the worn tavern interior gives Sabbatic much of its distinctive character.

Live bands perform in one corner of the bar on an exceptionally small stage. Space is so limited that the drum kit occupies essentially the entire platform, leaving guitarists, bassists and singers to perform from the floor directly in front of it. Punk, garage rock, hardcore and metal appear regularly, with the intimate setup placing the bands almost inside the audience. Sabbatic has also worked with other Milwaukee venues and promoters, including X-Ray Arcade and Cactus Club, on smaller touring shows. Heavier bookings have included death metal acts such as Sentient Horror, Drillbit and Micawber, alongside goth, punk, rock and 1980s alternative nights.

The building itself has housed drinking establishments for far longer than Sabbatic has existed. Milwaukee records date the structure to around 1895, and the premises appear to have operated as a saloon or tavern for much of their history. Local stories also associate the upper floors with a former boarding house and possible brothel, while employees at Sabbatic and earlier businesses have reported alleged paranormal activity in the building. These stories have given the bar a minor haunted reputation in addition to its established place in Milwaukee’s punk and underground music scene.

ADDRESS:
700 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA

Back to Milwaukee.