WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. — A new Milwaukee-area entertainment venue is getting ready to open its doors.
The Argo, located inside the restored Fox Bay Theater in Whitefish Bay, will host its first public event on Dec. 5.
“After months perfecting this venue and the customer experience, we’re finally ready to show our faces to Milwaukee and the world; we’re looking to become a must-stop for local artists, prominent artists touring through the region and for fans of almost every kind of music,” said Andrew Coate, CMO and one of the founders of The Argo.
The historic property was built in 1949. Less than five months ago, the leadership team received approval to revitalize the space. Now, it’s ready to welcome crowds back inside.
Patrons of the arts who enter the space will find a 700-person capacity entertainment hall, a full-service bar and kitchen, and a flexible ballroom and event space for weddings, community events and more.
The lobby of The Argo. (Three Sixty Design)
There are more than 40 events already booked in the space through spring of next year. That full list can be found, here.
In the first event on Dec. 5, attendees can see local artists Chris Haise Band and Zach Pietrin, and Nashville-based alt-pop trio VEAUX. There will also be a fundraiser during the concerts to raise money for local Milwaukee music programs.
But the main event will be on Dec. 6, with legendary Milwaukee band The Gufs headlining the grand opening party.
“This is just the start for The Argo. We’re laying the foundation for what will become a real destination for touring artists and the community here in Whitefish Bay,” said James Irvine of Knitting Factory Presents, who will help handle talent buying for the new venue. “The team behind it is strong, and the space itself is built the right way — the production, hospitality, and artist amenities are first-class across the board.”
The upstairs ballroom at The Argo. (Three Sixty Design)
For every show at the venue, leaders said they will donate $1 from every ticket to support the music industry.
“We’ve lived every angle of this industry—we’ve seen the best of it. We’ve felt the burnout,” said Coate. “The Argo is our way of tipping the scales back toward the good—for our peers, for our city, and for the next generation coming up behind us.”
The Argo also plans to hold regular rotating residency in swing jazz with several bands, including The Flood, The Sazerac 5, The Micro Brew Swing Band, and Old Sam & The Teardrops.
In the kitchen, you’ll find former Top Chef contestant, and chef and co-owner of restaurants EsterEv and DanDan, Dan Jacobs. If you’re attending the event on Dec. 5, he’ll serve up a limited temprorary menu of innovate concepts.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source spectrumnews1.com ’
