History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Businesses - Bars and Clubs (Milw.)

 
BTW Lounge
Location: 231 E. Buffalo St., Milwaukee WI

Opened:
Closed:

January 2011
September 2011
Clientele:

Male/ Female
Lounge/ Dance

 

 
       
 

Described as the "only lounge in Milwaukee of its kind," BTW promised to "teach you how to lounge." The bar is remembered for Build Your Own Bloody Marys, 2-for-1 Rehorst mixes, Double Your Dough, Disco Brunch, champagne cocktails, margarita pitchers, karaoke night, and raunchy drag queen bingo with Anastasia Deveraux. BTW attempted to host some unique events, such as a jungle-themed body painting party, a paradise "Prom," Go-Go competitions and swimsuit contests.

BTW was perfectly positioned, as the only Third Ward gay bar, to capture business from new apartments in the Fifth Ward, new condos in the Third Ward, PrideFest, SummerFest, the summer festival season and neighborhood events. For some reason, it never did.

Early on, it wasn't always clear what kind of place BTW wanted to be: was it a gay bar? was it a straight bar? Like other short-lived bars of this era, BTW didn't really declare itself immediately. By summer 2011, BTW was advertising intermittently in LGBT media 'the Wisconsin Gazette' and 'Quest'. BTW was also listed in their nightlife directories. But the ads were often confusing: one invites customers to wear jean short cut-offs and tank tops; another advertises classier events like a Kentucky Derby party, a WhiteStar men's fashion show, and a poetry slam.

One especially confusing ad was 'In search of Milwaukee's hottest Go-Go Girl' without making clear-- ws the intended audience for straight men, or lesbians ?? Even their logo was confusing: how many gay men would be interested in going to a bar with the profile of a scantily clad female in the business' logo? While BTW really seemed to offer something for everyone, the general public were never really sure what to expect from the bar.

While Summerfest 2011 saw a 3% attendance increase and nearly 880,000 visitors, PrideFest 2011 was a colossal bust. The confusing festival line-up was widely criticized for being totally out of touch with the LGBTQ community. Then, record cold temperatures, freezing rain and high winds convinced even loyal patrons to stay home. In the end, PrideFest attendance was down 33% from the previous year, sending the organization into a financial tailspin that took over a year to recover. Although BTW advertised a thank you message for the "multi-orgasmic pride weekend," all of Milwaukee's bars suffered badly that year. As the closest bar to the festival grounds, BTW probably suffered the most.

A last-gasp Drag Show scheduled for September 16, 2011 didn't happen. According to their Facebook posting the next day, "The Drag show last night was not held! The Host (Miss Anastasia Deverreoux) canceled the show via not showing up at all, and without calling or emailing ... sorry to everyone that showed up for it! I am so sorry for the confusion that caused. It was out of my control. Please Forgive Us!!".

On September 20, 2011, BTW abruptly announced it was their last day of business in a Facebook post. They cited Summerfest as a contributing factor for their closing. BTW hosted a Good Bye party that night with $20.00 open bar. The next morning, the moving truck arrived to clear out the bar.

BTW had replaced 'Soho 7', a self-described "New York conceived, Miami nourished and Milwaukee borne" high-end superlounge. Over the next decade, the BTW space was occupied by a series of dance/lounge venues, including the recent Site 1A (closed January 2021.)

Views inside bar
 
Views inside bar
 
Views inside bar
 
Views inside bar
 
 


Building that had housed BTW
 


Advertisement
(OutBound v10-06, June 2011)
 


BTW signage
 


Go-Go Girls advertisement
 

Credits: contents, design and arrangement by Don Schwamb.
Bar history and Mamie's photos by Michail Takach.
Last updated: September-2021.

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