Recently, I had the pleasure to discuss one of my favorite Milwaukee venues with none other than owner Kelsey Kauffman. Cactus Club has been a pillar of the Milwaukee community for over a century, beginning as an Italian Anarchist book club in the early 1900s. Today, it remains a special place for all types of community-members, serving as a venue for local and international music, as well as an institution dedicated to expanding creative opportunity. Cactus Club strives to create an inclusive, safe space for all ages and abilities, while consistently implicating new activities and events that contribute to Milwaukee’s artistic energy.
Maia Cardew: What has been your favorite show at Cactus Club to date, or favorite recurring event?
Kelsey Kaufmann: One of my favorite shows at Cactus Club was in September 2021. We hosted Yves Tumor, whose avant pop was in heavy rotation for me throughout the early pandemic. We had just started hosting shows again that summer so the whole experience was very surreal. As far as recurring events at the club, I love Transport, a monthly psychedelic techno dance party. Additionally, through Cactus Plus, we host a monthly book club that’s amazing and Open Decks, twice a month, which are free all ages DJ classes.
MC: How do you think your role at Cactus Club has changed since you took the reins?
KK: I started managing Cactus in 2016 and bought the club in February of 2020. So much of this project has been building the ship as we sail it. Trying to identify needs and be responsive to them, for the team working here and the communities we serve. My role has shifted from primarily bartending and event organizing to helping to administer the arts nonprofit, Cactus Plus, writing grants and creating programming. We’re also doing more big picture planning for improving the space and forecasting plans for the next couple of years. The team has grown considerably in the last 9 years so it’s been neat to watch ideas materialize and bloom into beloved programs.
MC: What inspired you to take over Cactus Club and make it what it is today?
KK: It was less so an inspiration to take over — more so a calamity of circumstances. I had been in grad school studying water policy and my dad got sick and I dropped out. I poured a lot of grief and adrenaline into creating a space I longed for here in Milwaukee. It’s been a project of collaborative dreaming, a quest for inspiration. Responding to a thirst and/or need for something creatively nourishing — and that can look and feel a lot of different ways depending on the day.
MC: How do you balance making room for touring acts with regularly showcasing local talent? What is your approach like for booking; do you reach out to performers, or vice versa?
KK: Our events calendar is an intentional mix of highlighting multigenre locals and touring regional, national and international artists. We try to remain cognizant when booking of having different flavors of events throughout the week and month. We love hosting local album releases. We love hosting artists from around the world. There isn’t really a formula to how and when we book what. Everything starts with an email, them reaching out to us or us reaching out to them. Moreso the former.
MC: Have you noticed any changes in how people engage with the club post-pandemic?
KK: How we socialize has changed considerably, pre-pandemic relative to 2021 relative to today. The culture has shifted away from drinking as much alcohol and going out/staying out late 7 days/week. Pre-pandemic, our shows often started at 9 or 9:30, even on weekdays and now we generally start between 6:30-8 on weekdays, depending on the number of artists. When we first re-opened in mid-2021 the novelty of indoor live music sparked high and consistent ticket sales for nearly a year. Since then, folks have re-acclimated and are more discerning about who they see and how much they spend. The cost of living has increased and that’s changed how people spend discretionarily. The launch of our nonprofit which offers different multimedia programs like Tight Knit, our monthly fibers club, and Free Swim, all ages sliding scale workshops, has welcomed new circles into our space. There are many more ways to engage with the club beyond concerts now.
MC: Similarly, has your approach to running the club changed post-pandemic?
KK: As a team we are more cognizant that we want to be intentional about offering far-ranging programming. Some folks come just once or twice a year to participate in the Seed Swap, neighborhood trash clean-up and/or block party. People’s time is limited and we want everyone who joins us to have an exceptional time for whatever activity speaks to them. The other major change to note is that in 2019 we worked with the city to get the Center for Performing Arts code rewritten so that small spaces can now qualify. We hosted all ages events for the first month of my ownership Feb 12-March 14, 2020 before closing. Now all of our events (other than NYE) are all ages or 18+.
MC: What prompted the initiative to build a ramp to the front door, and are there any other ways you are hoping to change Cactus Club in the future?
KK: As a space that aspires to be welcoming and inclusive, it was imperative for us to make our front door accessible to all. We believe in universal design which means everyone uses the same front door. Public spaces should be designed for ease of use by everyone — beyond the low, minimum standards of legal compliance. We want to be a part of the world that we are proud of. We think relationships will flourish in places that are intergenerational, accessible (in an expansive sense: physically, financially, culturally), educational and playful.
KK: In the future we hope to do a substantive building addition so that our stage, bathrooms, greenroom and bar will be more accessible. Our initial considerations really prioritized patrons of the space without much consideration of disabled artists. Now we are committed to enhancing the space for the benefit of everyone. Fundraising for that may launch in the second half of 2026.
MC: How did it feel when not only Jack White, but many community members donated to the building
of the accessibility ramp?
KK: The outpouring of support from so many communities we are a part of was wildly inspiring. After confronting so many bureaucratic obstacles at the city level, it was really affirming and invigorating to feel seen and championed by folks that understand our mission. There’s a very specific artist-centered, liberation-rooted throughline of this corner venue that unites people of so many ages, art mediums and backgrounds.
MC: Thank you for joining me today, Kelsey! It has been great to learn more about a place that is special to me and many other Milwaukee-ans!
Check out Cactus Club’s website and Instagram below:
https://www.cactusclubmilwaukee.com/https://www.instagram.com/cactusclubmke/?hl=en (@cactusclubmke)
Find Maia on Instagram at @mmaiamaxinee.
Maia Cardew is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison pursuing undergraduate degrees in English and Psychology, along with hosting a radio show on WSUM 91.7 FM. Check out her work in fingers comma toes (Rust Issue), and hopefully more soon!