{"id":2212742,"date":"2025-12-26T12:07:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T12:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2212742"},"modified":"2025-12-26T12:07:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T12:07:29","slug":"at-bernells-blues-and-womens-sports-share-the-stage-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/at-bernells-blues-and-womens-sports-share-the-stage-entertainment\/","title":{"rendered":"At Bernell\u2019s, blues and women\u2019s sports share the stage | Entertainment"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

Jodene Ruiz de Chavez twirled on the small dance floor at Bernell\u2019s on a recent Thursday evening, letting the saxophone and electric guitar carry her away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I hear the blues, it\u2019s almost like it\u2019s in my soul,\u201d she said. \u201cI just can\u2019t help but respond\u2026 the beat comes on, and I dance. It\u2019s like it\u2019s calling to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \n <\/div><\/div>
\n

<\/p>\n

Jodene Ruiz de Chavez dances to live blues music at Bernell\u2019s.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n RUTHIE HAUGE<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The energy is strong inside Bernell\u2019s, which opened in November with a mission of offering a space in Madison centered around women\u2019s sports. Bernell\u2019s owner, Rita Adair, sought to honor the legacy of her late wife, Bernell Hooker, a longtime women\u2019s sports advocate and collegiate basketball coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was something she dreamed of and talked about often \u2014 having a women\u2019s sports bar,\u201d Adair said. \u201cShe passed away with that dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Bernells\n <\/div><\/div>
\n

<\/p>\n

Tables, chairs and barstools are full during a monthly Lesbian Pop Up Bar in December at Bernell’s in Madison.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n RUTHIE HAUGE<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Women\u2019s sports bars have been popping up across the country in recent years, part of what Adair calls a broader movement to elevate women\u2019s athletics and ensure equitable visibility and opportunities. Bernell\u2019s faces a unique balancing act: honoring the building\u2019s deep blues music history while creating a vibrant space for women\u2019s sports fans.<\/p>\n

The bar is expanding beyond nightlife with the introduction of soul food and a weekend brunch, with plans to eventually hire a full-time chef. The brunch menu, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, features sausage gravy and biscuits, catfish, and fried chicken and waffles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The evening menu includes staples such as hamburgers, chicken wings, jalape\u00f1o poppers and onion rings. Bernell\u2019s also hosts a Friday fish fry from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, Bernell\u2019s has a sense of \u2018everybody\u2019s welcome,\u2019\u201d said Beverly Brazzel, a lifelong friend of Adair\u2019s who has been instrumental in the bar\u2019s opening. \u201cIt\u2019s women-based, but not a woman\u2019s bar. All sports are welcome. And we focus on the blues, but we play everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Bernells\n <\/div><\/div>
\n

<\/p>\n

The blues jam at Bernell\u2019s is a longstanding live music event.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n RUTHIE HAUGE<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Honoring a Madison blues legacy\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Years ago, the building housed the Knuckle Down Saloon, a staple blues venue known for its Thursday night jam sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dan Resnick, the current building owner, began frequenting the saloon even before he purchased the property. A neurosurgeon at UW Health, Resnick discovered the joy of playing music there after winning a gift certificate at an auction.<\/p>\n

After the pandemic forced the saloon to close, Resnick was determined to keep the blues alive. With help from local musicians, he purchased the building and reopened it as Red Rooster, continuing the jam night tradition until the bar lost its liquor license this past summer. Though he had many offers to rent the property, most wanted to completely transform the space.<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Bernells\n <\/div><\/div>
\n

<\/p>\n

T-shirts depicting women basketball players beneath the Bernell\u2019s logo are sold at the women\u2019s sports-focused bar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n RUTHIE HAUGE<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

That\u2019s when Adair discovered the vacancy. Driving by to confirm the rumor of Red Rooster\u2019s closure, she ran into Resnick during a meeting with someone who wanted to turn the building into a restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018Promise me one thing \u2014 that this will stay blues,\u2019\u201d said Brazzel, Adair\u2019s friend and collaborator. \u201cThat\u2019s the only criteria, other than her paying rent every month: it has to stay a blues bar.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adair told him, \u201cI\u2019ll keep the blues,\u201d and he said, \u201c\u2018Then I\u2019ll keep you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adair and Resnick have since developed a strong partnership in running Bernell\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Bernells\n <\/div><\/div>
\n

<\/p>\n

Leah Rachuj awaits her cue to perform on guitar and vocals during the blues jam at Bernell\u2019s.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n RUTHIE HAUGE<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cSome of our conversations have been emotional and also very fulfilling,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth of us feel like we\u2019re in this together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Resnick described Adair as \u201cunbelievably dedicated,\u201d noting that while their visions don\u2019t always align perfectly, they share a positive mindset and a mutual understanding that the end result will inevitably be a bit different from what either of them might have imagined individually.<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Bernells\n <\/div><\/div>
\n

<\/p>\n

Rita Adair, owner of Bernell\u2019s, serves food to customers during the monthly Lesbian Pop Up Bar on Dec. 13. The bar is named after Adair\u2019s late wife, Bernell Hooker, who was a professional basketball player and founder of the Milwaukee Aces.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n RUTHIE HAUGE<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cRita brings a whole new crowd and a new energy about the place,\u201d Resnick said. \u201dWe\u2019re working out the kinks in terms of business and finances, but I\u2019m optimistic that we can keep this going for quite some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tim Payne, the former owner of Red Rooster who renovated the bar and its stage after Knuckle Down\u2019s closure, continues to maintain a presence at the venue, with his sound equipment still on stage. He said he supports the new venture and appreciates its commitment to honoring the space\u2019s musical roots while centering women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s been very helpful in this transition \u2026 he still is,\u201d Adair said. \u201cIf you like the blues, you know about this space. It’s the only historical blues venue in Madison\u2026so for me to be able to have the stage and host the blues for the society of people in Madison, I’m pretty proud of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"Bernells\n <\/div><\/div>
\n

<\/p>\n

Bob and Susan Hjort have been regulars at the businesses housed within 2513 Seiferth Road in Madison. Where Bernell\u2019s is now had been the Red Rooster and the Knuckle Down Saloon before that. \u201cWe\u2019ve been having more fun than 1,000 people you know,\u201d\u00a0Bob Hjort said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n


\n RUTHIE HAUGE<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

A family of blues lovers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Thursday jam nights kick off with a band playing for an hour, then the floor opens to anyone who wants to join. Musicians sign up on a simple list at the door, split into two columns for name and instrument. The bar also has live blues music on Saturday nights.<\/p>\n

Steve Malin, who helped organize jam sessions at Red Rooster and now continues the tradition at Bernell\u2019s, said the bar fills a vital role in Madison\u2019s music scene \u2014 providing a space where both longtime blues fans and aspiring musicians can connect and play music together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not really another blues jam in town that I can think of,\u201d Malin said. \u201cI used to go to jams in the \u201990s at bars that you’ve never even heard of anymore. And we really just want to keep that going. It\u2019s kind of like our turn to keep the momentum going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bob Hjort, a longtime blues enthusiast, described the Madison blues community as family. He has been attending shows with his wife for nearly three decades and has been a regular at the building since it was Knuckle Down.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s social for me,\u201d Hjort said. \u201cI’m addicted to it. I promote it. I tell people, get up and dance. The blues are the best music God made, bar none.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much of Bernell\u2019s early stability, Adair said, comes from the loyal blues crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a community\u2026 a very welcoming and loyal community. You know, once you’re part of the group, everyone looks out for each other,” Resnick said.<\/p>\n

Navigating competing priorities\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The central challenge for Bernell\u2019s lies in maintaining its multiple identities. Scheduling can be particularly tricky when live bands, often booked months in advance, coincide with important sports events.<\/p>\n