MadPaddle Resumes Weekend Music
Mad Paddle Brewery is back open after a year-long dormancy, but the new owners are just as committed to live music, and creating the fun, convivial atmosphere we all came to appreciate back in the old MadPad glory days. As of right now you can count on music happening every Friday and Saturday night, but as always, check the weekly music calendar at MadisonMusic.org for updates and schedule changes.
Before we get into our conversation with the new owners, Travas and Brenda Cooper, we need to give a nod to the man who built Mad Paddle up from scratch, Mr. Jerry Wade. With a huge investment of energy and money, Jerry turned a derelict old feed mill into a fully modernized brewery, distillery and taproom, including a large state-of-the-art live music venue. We owe Jerry a debt of gratitude for elevating the live music and entertainment scene in Madison.
Travas and Brenda Cooper own a successful industrial services company over in Milton, KY, but they’ve always had a bucket list item they wanted to cross off. “My grandparents owned a bar when I was a kid, and always wanted to try it for myself,” explains Travas. Brenda continues, “We started looking at Mad Paddle about a year ago. The historic building, the atmosphere, the location … it just has so much potential to be such a special place.”
The Coopers left a lot of things unchanged. “The amazing self-serve beer wall is back open with 20 plus choices. We’re even bringing back the super popular Blood Orange Mad Paddle beer. We will be opening the patio again, we’ve heard from a lot of folks how much they loved that. But we’ve tweaked a lot of things, too.
“We have full liquor service at the bar now, that was a big request from customers. The beer prices are generally lower, especially domestics. We are changing out the tables in the big Truss Room, from the beer hall benches to a more traditional table and chair setup. And in the upstairs room, we are really leaning into making that a sports bar concept, with lots of TVs and table service.”
“But actually the big change we are very excited about,” continues Brenda, “is we are going all in on food service. We currently have a somewhat limited menu of smoked foods and sides, but we are putting in a full kitchen so we can really expand the menu very soon. We were fortunate to hire Tori Miller who used to manage Crystal and Jules, and she has brought so many great ideas and insight to get us going.”
“As far as music goes,” adds Travas, “we think it’s important to the experience, and we are committed to being part of Indiana’s Music City. We have our daughters Ambree and Olivia doing a lot of the band booking. We’re still figuring out the economics of hiring bands and all the rest, but we’ll find our groove. Just wait until the weather warms up and we can open the doors and really make this a fun and festive place!
“We want people to love Mad Paddle as much as we do, and we want to be a big part of the Madison community. I encourage everyone to give us a try, whether you were an old Mad Paddle fan or you’ve never visited. We think you’ll like the friendly vibe we’ve created here.”
HOT TIP OF THE WEEK:
Keith Scott is coming back to town this weekend! Keith is a “real deal” Chicago blues-man, having played with many of the great post-war blues legends who called the Windy City home. Several years ago he made a connection and came to Madison to play a gig, and Indiana’s Music City has been one of his favorite haunts ever since. This weekend he’s doing a “three-fer”, first on Friday at Tailgators on the hilltop, then on Saturday at Mad Paddle downtown, and finally on Sunday at The SPOT art gallery. His energy and smile are infectious, and his blues guitar is mean and dirty! His shows will be on my to-do list this weekend. Another Saturday show that jumps off the calendar is the “Pajamas & Candlelight” party at Thomas Family Winery, with the great duo of Mike & Justine providing the music. Steve Thomas always knows how to create a warm and fun atmosphere, so don your jammies and check this one out!
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