The Frequency
121 W Main St, Madison, WI, 53703
The Frequency Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
121 W Main St
Madison, WI, 53703 - Phone (608) 819-8777
- Website https://madisonfrequency.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :8:00 pm - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Very Loud
Music : Live
Good For Dancing : Yes
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Has TV : Yes
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Reed D.
This is perhaps my favorite venue in Madison. Dark and shoulder to shoulder... if that's how you like your punk rock shows, this is the place for you. The sound totally exceeded my expectations considering the "hole in a wall" type of venue it is (that's not a knock). The venue manages to bring in some pretty big name acts, yet also does a good job with the local scene, and artists trying to break out. Madison should be lucky it has such a great venue like this. The staff and bartenders are all super friendly and just flat out work their asses off. Highly recommended to check out.
(5)Steve L.
Take note: this is my 800th review. Can you say "crazy"? + Great local venue for music and entertainment + Super helpful staff + Great selection of tap, bottle, and canned brews + Solid pricing + Nice stage in the back area + Three (3) bathrooms (1 mens, 1 womens, 1 "universal") - No parking anywhere... ever. ever. ever. ever. I helped my pal at this venue; his band was playing here for a few nights, so I lent him my guitar head and speaker cabinet. His shows were amazing, the venue was great, the sound system was solid, and the bar staff were really super solid. One could not ask for more. #excellent
(5)Grant M.
Great place to see a live show. I've seen a ton of bands that went on to bigger and better things while standing not 2 feet from them. It ain't pretty, but it's rock and roll. Just use the bathroom earlier in the night.
(4)Maggie I.
My band played here recently for the first time, and we'll be back hopefully sooner than later. For musicians: the sound was great. Like, really. This can be quite a task to find someone who can actually make you sound as good as you know you sound. I play upright bass and I was booming. There were some hiccups in the beginning, but they were quickly remedied. On a different note, to get your drink tickets, you have to sign a waiver which was a first for us. According to our buddy, someone once got really drunk and did a bunch of illegal things and broke stuff and is now banned, so to prevent that from happening in the future, they have a waiver. (Upon returning home and relaying this story to my roommate, I found out that this hooligan in question may in fact be the person I share a home with. Oops.) For non musicians: bartenders are super friendly! I really enjoyed talking to them and they will definitely be a factor in me wanting to return. Decent beer selection. I didn't try any mixed drinks. They do have scorpion shots here, which I passed on (as they are $10), but there's a (dead) tiny scorpion in some sort of vodka shot. Tip: don't try to chew it, it'll get stuck in your teeth. Love this place! Would love to return soon.
(5)Cory D.
I love the set up: bar up front, maintained by some of the friendliest bartenders I've ever had, and then an intimate concert venue in the back. It's kind of like a 2 for 1. There are so many drinks to sip on, and the bartenders are great with recommendations. Especially when it comes time to satisfy my "not too strong, but strong enough to make me feel somethin'" tastebuds. The drinks are much cheaper here than most other places which is another plus. Now on to the music... With the bar being secluded, you are better able to hear/focus on the performer. It's a small space, which adds to the "living room" show feel, but I've never had a problem with it being overcrowded. The sound is managed to perfection, and you can tell that the employees really care about their musical guests and putting on a great show for the audience. In other words, The Frequency is a great place to grab a few drinks, hear a great show, and have a nice time out with friends.
(5)Adam R.
The Frequency is Madison's smallest venue (capacity: 200) that still has the ability to draw in renowned names from around the nation. Thanks to the booking efforts of the Majestic (now) and True Endeavors (past and likely future), you can easily come here and have an intimate show with an artist you love. This is why one of my top 10 shows every year ends up being a show I saw at the Frequency. The space itself apart from being small is also a dive, but it works very well. The walls are all black and lined with posters for upcoming shows, and there's just enough space to start a small pit in the front of the stage. The shows best suited for this venue are rowdy ones, because the music gets loud, and no one is concerned about keeping the venue in tact. I don't have much experience with the bar portion, but I remember it not having many taps, and the prices on most drinks being cheap. So, the drink selection kind of suits the music space well. Even though The Frequency is usually fun, I have a couple of complaints about the space. First, even though the capacity is 200, shows that are sold out feel more cramped than they should be. If you don't show up early, you end up in a spot pretty far back where it's surprisingly difficult to see the artists. Also, the Frequency doesn't book rap anymore. This is because a local show in early 2013 ended with guns being drawn outside of the venue. I'll respect the venue's decision to do what they feel is best to keep things safe for their patrons, but i'm nonetheless flustered that it's now more difficult to see a certain type of music in my city because one of its few venues can't host it. But other than these quipes, i've had plenty of fun at the Frequency, and will likely have plenty more as well!
(4)Michelle M.
Great place to see local bands. Cool atmosphere. Fair drink prices. I have been there a few times and it's always a blast.
(5)Ellie M.
I love this place. Darwin (the owner? booker?) is a sweetpea, The sound is great, the bartenders are awesome (if a little flighty)... my band played here a few weeks ago and I can safely say I don't think we'll be playing a different venue in Madison any time soon! Frequency rules. If I lived in Madison, I'd probably just live in this bar.
(5)Kate T.
The Frequency is an acquired taste, but has lately become one of my favorite venues in town. The ambiance is best described as a "hole-in-the-wall dive," but that's become part of its charm. The bartenders are friendly, fast, and accurate. If you want to use a card to pay, there is a $10 minimum. Normally, this would be easy to do at a downtown bar, but the Frequency's beverages are insanely cheap! This leaves you with some extra room to buy one of their inexpensive pizzas. They're store-bought frozen pizzas, so they're nothing to write home about, but at the end of an evening of drinking they come out steaming hot and taste delicious. The Frequency's small size means it often brings in up-and-coming acts, especially during its monthly Communion shows. The tickets are almost always ten bucks or under, making it a better deal than seeing a movie at a theater. It regularly hosts the Six-Shot Comedy Showcase, where you can see six (usually local) comedians for five bucks. Chairs and tables are in short supply, especially in the performance area, so arrive early if you want to sit. Make sure you bring earplugs if it's a music show, as the small size of the venue can mean that the sound gets deafening quickly. The bathrooms are single-stall, covered in stickers from past acts. They tend to be clean, but the women's door doesn't look and sometimes doesn't even latch, which is a pain. The only other minor complaint that I have is that getting the sound mixing right in such a confined area is very difficult, and artists usually have to spend time after the first few songs talking to the sound guys about getting things the way they want them, which kind of detracts from the overall experience. Also, as someone under 5'6", it can be very difficult for me to see the band if I'm not very close to the stage. There's no upper-level seating or sloping floor, so if you're also on the shorter side, showing up early will be to your benefit.
(4)Angela K.
I dj'ed a show here back in November. The staff is super friendly. The sound for live shows is excellent. I wasn't drinking that night, but they were nice when I was refilling my water. I loved that at the end of the night the front bar was playing punk music. My only complaint was being by the sound booth in the back it smelled like piss.
(3)Joshua N.
I've never seen more cans of PBR sold in my life. Great place to listen to, but not see a show. I love the sound and the fact that you can hang out at the bar without paying a cover.
(4)Gary B.
Hits: all about music, not a scene Misses: limited bar, but see above Hints: go any night there is a show. Even if you don't enjoy the band, you'll love the company.
(3)Brenda H.
The Frequency is a great little venue to see interesting bands. The sound is incredibly good--way to go sound guy! The layout with small stage and room slightly separated from the bar area is great for smaller shows. The bartenders were friendly and attentive and the crowd was relaxed and appreciative of the music (way to go non-apathetic music lovers!).
(4)Richard L.
Without a doubt one of the best music venues in Madison. Reason 1.) You can actually hang out at the bar and not pay the cover if you don't want to go to the stage room area. So you can frequent the Frequency even if you don't necessarily care for the band. Reason 2.) If you do care for the band the cover charge is usually around $5 which is far far cheaper than say the High Noon (avg. $10-15.) Reason 3.) They actually get really good bands to play here. Reason 4.) The doorman and the bartenders are all friendly and the drinks are not overpriced. Reason 5.) If you are going just to have drinks at the bar you can actually still hear your friends conversations. I'd like to point out though that I have nothing against the High Noon and go to many shows there but I unfortunately I can't afford to go unless I really enjoy a particular band since the cover is usually much higher. The Frequency does get a little crowded though due to the limited capacity.
(5)Wade M.
definitely my favorite place to see a show in the city... reminds me of an ACTUAL club. It's small, it's dark, it's LOUD. This isn't a place you come to gawk over a rooms acoustical properties. It's a place you come to listen to good music and drink. I dig the separate bar/venue layout this place offers. You can come in, grab a beer, and if the music isn't your style, walk out with the $5 cover in your pocket. Either way, it's a cool hangout. If you're into music, do yourself a favor and check this place out. I haven't been let down yet.
(5)Carolyn E.
I've been to every incarnation of this location since 2000, and this is the very best one. I love the Frequency and to be completely honest Madison-dwellers should too. There are a limited amount of small venues in this city for local and small acts to play in an intimate setting. Additionally, in Madison there are a limited amount of venues that charge consistently reasonable covers for said acts. The Frequency fulfills these needs and so much more. The beer selection is quite large. The staff has always been awesome. I greatly appreciate their policy of not charging a cover if you simply want to sit at the bar and hear the bands wafting through the club. (Although there are exceptions to this on nights when bigger acts play, but they're pretty polite about it, so there.)
(5)Rupa N.
What I like about this place is the variety of music here. Its constantly changing. The fact that you dont have to pay the cover before you have a chance to hear the music is also a serious plus. The bartenders are super chill and the entire scene is exactly what I want. My husband and I frequent this place often and its just the perfect place for us to explore unknown bands/up and coming musicians, in a small intimate space.
(5)Jake B.
One of my favorite places to play as well as see shows in Madison. Great sound. Bartenders are cool without being pretentious. Funky Mondays with Clyde Stubblefield are always a blast and this is a much better venue for it than the last. Good beer selection as well as prices. The size of the place is great because it bridges a gap between bands you can only see playing house parties and non-club venues and the bigger venues around town. The Frequency has only been around for a couple of years but it already serves as part of the foundation of the Madison music scene. I hope it stays around forever.
(5)BD K.
The Frequency is rapidly climbing up the rankings of my favored places in Madison. It is certainly one of the better music venues in town, and I have experienced only good times here over the course of the last year. This place fills the void for smaller music clubs left by the closings of the King Club and Cafe Montemartre and is a definite improvement in many ways. The bar area is usually less crowded (with the exception of the rushes between sets) and offers a decent tap selection. There's usually a Capital seasonal and Ale Asylum, plus PBR specials for the hipsters. I tried a fairly excellent Magic Hat apricot-tinged beer this past fall during FMF. The bottle selection looks promising as well, although I've never found cause to stray from the taps. The bartenders are friendly, and more often than not you'll find the owner behind the bar. This place is perfectly located as well. I love this particular stretch of W Main. Once while on a smoke break between two bands, I joined in with a couple guys from the Shamrock in heckling an Iowa fan stumbling out of the Dise on a Friday night prior to the football game. While we were quite adamant (and eventually proven incorrect within a day) about Wisconsin's football superiority, it was conceded that Iowa's same-sex marriage laws did in fact rock. The nicest feature of the Frequency, in my opinion, is that the cover charge is collected when you head back to the stage area, not when you enter the bar. Now I love the experience of seeing live music and I never waver because of a cover, but I happen to be in the minority amongst my friends. It can be very difficult to convince a group of people to go out and catch a show if the band isn't well-known. The Frequency solves this issue, since I can bring them in for a beer and listen to a bit of set. After a beer and a few songs most everyone is cool to drop the $5 or so and head back. I'm sure there are some instances of freeloading with this system, but for me I've got to see the band, not just hear them. The Frequency has a great variety of bands that come through, both local and national. They have something going on seven nights a week, in most cases for a nominal cover. The sound is good in the stage area, there are a few tables along the walls for people to sit, and in what may be the greatest feature ever, a drink rail along the hallway. During the week most shows start relatively early, but be aware most shows from Thursday through Saturday have relatively late start times. There's a happy hour for the first couple hours of the evening, which works really well for earlier shows. I've spent many a great night sipping a few cold ones and enjoying sets from bands both I've come to see and others that just happened to be on the bill, and I've discovered a lot of new bands this way. You just can't beat this place for a good time with money left over to spend on merch.
(4)Heather T.
Good drinks that are not too outrageously priced, AND it's located on the Sexy Strip (the 1-block-long pub crawl consisting of Genna's, the Tornado Room, the 'Dise, and the Shamrock). I love that you don't have to pay a cover charge if you don't want to, but you can still sit there and enjoy live music (you just can't SEE it--it's behind a velvet curtain). That's my kind of bar. The cheap kind.
(4)David P.
Great small venue with a great, friendly staff. They have diverse programming (hell, they let my theatre company perform there) and shows for every price range. And you can just sit and have a beer at the bar without paying a cover. Nice.
(4)