Wow I seriously loved this place! This was my first time in and was honestly so unaware about the music venue. The bar area was adorable and I love their drink menu. The service was quick which I enjoyed. Definitely an LGBTQ safe bar as well. read more

Cactus Club - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Stopped in during Bay View gallery night for a drink and was blown away. They have infused vodka drinks that are divine! We found a comfy table near bar and ordered up at the bar. It was busy and live bands were already playing in the back. We were hoping for the green lips cocktail which featured melon liquor, chartreuse and titos but alas they were out. However the wonderful bar staff mixed up some excellent blueberry infused vodka cocktails that were incredible. The blueberry flavor really came through tasting fresh and fruity. They mixed them to order also with mine being less sweet and my daughters being sweeter and they were spot on. The crowd is mixed age and there was plenty of tattoos and black leather but my sketchers and office attire is welcome too. I would definitely come back for another cocktail and maybe listen in on a local band next time. read more

Cactus Club - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Went here with a friend because they knew someone who was playing, and it was awesome! The bartender was amazing. When I came in, there was a huge crowd coming in and she handled it all with kindness and efficiency. Lots of options for beer. The space is so cute. I love all the plants they have! Definitely a Bayview staple! read more

Cactus Club - Bar - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Stopped at the cactus club to watch a friend's friend's band. The place was separated into two areas: bar in front and concert hall in back. They had a cocktail menu, but it was really busy with only one bartender at 6:30 on a Friday night so I ordered something simple. The bar seemed to have a group of regulars and the vibes were good. read more

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This place is iconic and during the Packers halftime they feature a different punk band. They play a few songs and go back to watching the game. The space is intimate and can get crowded but it's worth it. Drinks are unique and are served with a heavy pour. If you're lucky you might spot an up and coming band that will be famous like the White Stripes. Did I mention that they contributed money to the new handicapped accessible ramp? read more

Cactus Club - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Immaculate vibes, great prices and also delicious drinks. They offer non-alcoholic and CBD beverages too so just everything you might possibly want at one place right here in Bayview. The service is also terrific, everyone is so kind. I've also been here for live music and I love how intimate that area is. I really love this spot so much. Did I mention it's wheelchair accessible? Absolutely fantastic read more

Cactus Club - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

i came here for a concert for a local artist and i really do enjoy the vibes here! bar room itself is super intimate with only one booth in the corner. decently priced drinks and great bartenders. the only downside i will say is the ONE bathroom. i think its great its mixed gender (included urinal and stall in one) but oof the one stall can be hard when it gets packed. really one of my fav smaller local venues tho for sure!! read more

Cactus Club - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Really great place. Service was great,cool atmosphere. Great place for Packer games. No food available but you can bring your own or order out. read more

A very cute spot with good vibes and a delicious vegan hot chocolate for NA visitors!

Stopped here for some pre-dinner drinks. The bartender was very attentive and accommodating. We sat outside after getting our drinks, where there was a food truck serving the immediate area. Looked like a local hot spot with the amount of people and I look forward to coming back when there is an artist performing! read more

The bar area up front was super cute, the bartenders were generous and accommodating. The back room with live music is awesome! read more

Cactus Club - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A great place to catch a live band. The sound in the tiny room is great and engineered by a true master. If your band is playing there you will receive great sound on stage as well. If you need something from the sound engineer it's merely a question away. Truly accommodating. No pretension. The atmosphere in the bar is so warm and inviting. Plants, art, natural fabrics, and embracing of their history with art and artifacts is so prevalent. The patio area is well manicured and lively. Bands are treated fairly and all costs and money matters are very much up front for all performers well in advance to their show. The bartenders and staff are mostly nice outgoing and friendly people- the ones I haven't jived with I am willing to give a second chance because we all have our bad days. I get a sense of some of them wanting to be bouncers sometimes. A total bay view institute we all love - that in my opinion- was made exponentially better with the new owner. read more

i loveee cactus club!!!!!!! i've never had drinks from the bar, but i go often for music shows and the venue always elevates the performance. the crowds are also generally energetic and stylish, and the ambiance is one of the best parts of the establishment. the plethora of stickers is pretty cool and the lighting is always theeeee best. i really like going to shows here because you can go up really close to the performers which is a rare experience. there is also FREE WATER! ***FLASHING LIGHTS WARNING FOR THE VIDEO*** read more

Make sure you check to see what event is going on here before you go. If you don't fit the bill for which clientele the event is trying to reach, they will essentially kick you out. I guess more like strongly advise you to leave. This will happen in a very undiplomatic and vitriolic way, where someone you've never seen before will ambush you outside of the bathroom and grab your shoulder. Without even introducing themselves lol. I initially didn't even know it was an employee suggesting I leave. I only realized when she offered to give me my cover back. I guess I appreciated that I got my money back but sheeesh learn how to handle these situations better. No need to sneer at people who don't fit the event. This lady also told my friend not to be "dramatic" when he was confused on why we were being asked to leave when I (not her) updated him. She just butted in and said that while I told him it's an event not for us and they want us to go. We immediately left tho and didn't give her a hard time at all I'm sorry I may have been intruding on an event that wasn't exactly for me but I didn't realize that was the event for the night. Introducing yourself, letting us know what the event was, then voicing why we might not be a great fit for the night would have made for a lot less of a contentious situation. Very strange experience read more

It was a fun evening with surprisingly good music. Drinks were good and they have very good pours at the bar. read more

Cactus Club - First band - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Great place to see a live show with lots of drink options, both with alcohol and NA. I love the Sunday Fundays that they did during COVID to pivot when there was no live music. They had a drink window to order from, a food truck and local artists showcasing their work. Now that live music is back, I really appreciate all of the protocol they've put in place to ensure the safety of customers, staff, and performing artists and crew! Cactus Club is quintessential to the Milwaukee arts scene and we are so lucky to have this gem in our city! read more

The "new" Cactus Club has still got it. Business in front, party in the back! Wait, no mullets here. Drinking in front, music in the back! Service is pretty quick for a one-man bar, and selection is pretty good. Parking is plentiful. Cover charge to enter the back room for music is affordable, and the sound is good. But you better wear earplugs. Came for the Powerwagon reunion show, and the two opening bands were entertaining, as was Powerwagon. I'm happy to report that my face is now back to normal after their sheer rock melted it off. read more

Some amazing shows here but the bathroom situation is dire, as in forcing out a pee at warp speed so you can get out of there before a dude walks in and rattles the stall you're holding shut with your hand read more

Cactus Club is one of my favorite bars in Bay View thanks to their cool atmosphere, good tap selection, friendly bartenders, and live music. It's even a great place to watch a Packers game. Cactus Club does something that I am a huge fan of when the game is on. During commercial breaks, they turn the TV volume down, and have a DJ spinning records. Another cool thing about Cactus Club is that they host the annual Beet Street Fest in mid-October. It's just a block long, goes from 12-6pm, and two out of three years the event has had perfect fall weather. Cactus Club was a fun venue to ring in the New Year in 2018, with live music from about 10pm to 2am. read more

Cactus Club is the best bar to go see new music and mingle with the locals. I've been going here for many years and have recommended it to many people. The bartenders are very sweet and fun to talk to. I am always happy with my service here! I really like that they have a large non alcoholic beverages besides soda for DDs to enjoy as well :) read more

I'm a tried and true Riverwester. Riverwesterner. Riverwest person. I've lived here since I've been 20 years old. That said, I've been going over the lake and through the hoan's rickety yellow arch to the Cactus Club for years. Too many to count now, really. Actually, I can count them. (... not that hard, I guess.) Things you may want to know if you're reading this review for Cactus Club (... that's assuming you know nothing to little about this fabulous MKE institution): First and foremost, Cactus is a live music venue. Some seriously killer bands and artists have played here over the years, and I've enjoyed myself immensely at many a show under this storied roof. I've actually also played here a handful of times! Also a super great experience. The 'remodel' is now old news, but there is most certainly a "before" and "after" when it comes to the Cactus Club's history. I've been there a handful of times "after" and spent wayyy too much time there during the "before" period. That said, I still really like it. (I didn't at first.) When there isn't a great line-up of live music, oftentimes those that run the ship at Cactus (read: bartenders) will play old 90210 episodes or kitschy horror movies or some softcore porn type thing. The stranger, the better... generally. (Although they've been rumored to also throw on the Packer game. But really... this is WI. I don't care how "hip" you are... everyone plays the Packer game. No duh.) Worth noting? A stellar jukebox, and their beer selection is pretty dang okay. I'm probably moving to Bay View, soon. I'll be seeing you, Cactus Club. read more

The Cactus Club. I would call this place the red headed stepchild of Mad planet but in Bay View. It is a music venue. No it's a live music venue. Much like the Planet it is what I would call grunge, alternative/hipster. Very cool spot and a very cool vibe. The setup is bar to DJ booth to concert area. I would imagine during any show this place would get pretty packed. It was quite hopping during the Beet Street Festival which was really cool. It also was the best place to grab a drink as they have a full bar and a majorly killer beer selection. It's a small place but as they say good things come in small packages. The Cactus is just that! read more

This reminds of a quirky neighborhood bar you would find in the Haight in San Francisco. I ended up going here on a Tuesday night because they had live music. When I called they said they music would start at 8.30. I was a little annoyed that they did not start till 9.35 with a $10 cover. The speakers in the room were pretty bad and staticy. The bands were not that good and we ended up leaving even before the main act came on. I do want to support local bands but this was asking too much. Couple of interesting observations. - The bar tender who was nice used her fingers to grab some ice and put in my drink. I suppose the alcohol kills the germs. - Every second guy here has a beard. read more

Drove here for a show that was playing at City Winery in Chicago. I did not expect such a hole in the wall establishment, but I fucking loved it. I have been to house shows that have had a bigger venue space, and I loved how intimate this felt. It was awkwardly intimate. I felt "maybe I am too close to the stage considering my aging ears" awkwardly intimate. The views from the floor were pretty great, and the bar area in the front was nice. And since Milwaukee is in the midwest, we got midwestern hospitality allowing easy movement from your spot in front of the stage, to the bar, and back again. Parking was available on a rainy Sunday night right outside on the street, but it's in a rather residential area, so be prepared to circle around if you're driving. read more

Seems like a cool place. I am not a fan of the concrete bar. Just an aesthetic thing. I have seen some great bands come through here so I see this place as more of a venue than a bar, but it is a bar. Friendly staff, and the mix is very Wisc-hipster (which seems more up northy to me - German American lumberjacks!). It is nice that the cover is charged in the back for those that use this place as a neighborhood bar. Lots of people seem to walk so if I lived here I might go here more. read more

Cactus Club - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Best hipster bar in Milwaukee bar none! Great people, great bookings ... great people watching. Seriously ... if your cool ... you NEED to be here! Now I live in Phoenix ... and sooooo wish we had such a great venue! read more

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Give it up for small, intimate venues! It really is the best kind of place to see a show, and Cactus Club nails it! I was here recently to see The Championship (effing great local band, you guys). The stage/audience area is physically separated from the bar area which is SUCH a great idea. You can sit at Cactus and just have some drinks with a friend without needing to shout over a band playing in the same room. I am a bit surprised that this place isn't bigger than it is, as they get some really great bands here, and I imagine it must fill to capacity pretty quickly sometimes. If you are dying to see a show there, get there early! The men's bathroom is your standard stall, urinal, sink dealie. Lots of good graffiti. It opens out directly to the bar, so be careful when opening the door that you aren't slamming it right in to someone. That's just rude. read more

count me in as another who misses the old punk/metal feel of the old Cactus. Sorry, but that is the complete truth here. Remodeled and now it feels loungy, if that is even possible there. I understand why Eric (the owner) decided for a change, but man, it killed the vibe of this place. Chris (the bartender) is a jag off. Ain't no ducking that one. My friends and I actually avoid the nights he works there. Tip him for what? for reaching in a cooler to grab me a three dollar beer and being as warm as an Alaskan 80 year old corpse in January? Condescending douche. The saving grace is that the place still pulls in decent shows. Miss you old Cactus, I do. read more

I'm a tiny bit biased as I have major love for the small club to see live music. I spent my formative years in chicago at the lounge ax, empty bottle and the elbow room. I get to this place as often as I can. It's extremely reasonably priced. Drinks are good, beer selection is great...they have triple k in bottles! One of my personal favorites. the list of bands that have played here is mind numbing. packer fans should DEFINITELY check out packer game sundays here. its mega fun. you just have to ch ch ch check it out to understand what I am talking about. it's a gem of a place. keep being awesome cactus. Now with WI FI! read more

If I could give this place 0 stars I would. Went here the other night after arriving at the place across the street and finding that they were closed. Couldn't enter building but they were serving drinks from entrance doorway. Which was fine. They had a few tables outside to sit. We finished one beer and I went back up to order another round. I was told that they were no longer serving. Returned to the table where we were sitting and decided to look into getting an Uber. Then, a group of guys walk up, order and get served. What!? So, I walked back up and was still refused to be served. I was told I did not have my mask on when I came up the previous time. Couldn't recall if I had or not but was not told that initially. Just refused to be served. I did let them know that the treatment was ridiculous. Then, the woman got mad and started yelling at me and told me that I was done and to get out. Like, I'm already outside. I will never go back to this place because of the absurd disrespect shown to us. I would highly recommend to steer clear if you value being treated with respect when spending your money at an establishment. read more

How have I not written a review of Cactus yet? I digress... I've been going to Cactus Club for a number of years and throughout the time, there have been changes, some good, some bad. Good: Decent size space for shows Decent sound in the back room for most shows Nice selection of beers & decent prices Heavy pours on drinks Bands are in separate room so you can opt to not pay to see them if you're just there to drink or can step out of the show to have a conversation in a less loud space Great space to watch the Packers in winter with the bleachers Bad: Still one of the worst women's bathrooms in town When they remodeled they managed to make LESS room at the bar. It gets cramped No back bar in the band area - I still think they would make a ton if they just had someone back there with a tub selling tall boys of Pabst & Schlitz. I've waited for the end of a band to get another beer & having that option would've been good for cactus, bad for my wallet/liver read more

This place is just a gem. We watched the packer game here on Thursday and it was a blast. They bring out bleachers for people to sit on which just adds to the football fun. After each touchdown the bartender sent around a tray of shots, which the "dj" would stop the music, yell "shots" and the whole bar would partake. Such team spirit. The bar also provided brats and some of the best buffalo dip ever for free. Awesome. The music during commercials or what not was great and really added to the experience. I highly recommend spending football Sundays here. Next awesome and noteworthy thing about Cactus club is they have a room set aside for concerts. I've seen a few shows here and it's just the right size for a really good time . Next time your in bayview I recommend putting this on your itinerary! read more

Pleasantly surprised by Cactus Club! It boasts a cool bar area with a wide selection of beer on tap up front and great intimate music venue in the back. Very hipster/grungy with a variety of musicians playing nearly every Friday and Saturday night. Make sure to expect a cover charge for any band playing regardless if it says that it'll have a charge online or not. They sometimes seem to price the cover charge at the last minute based on the number of people in the bar before the show. read more

As a longtime Milwaukeean and fan of local live music, I have spent much time in the Cactus. But in recent years my attendance has been sporadic. Recently I took in a show by a fantastic local act and remembered what attracted me to the Cactus, but also what turned me off to the bar. I have rarely seen a show there that sounds great, or even good. Small rooms are great for the crowd to get nice and close to the sweaty rock but Cactus still seems to struggle with volume. And Duke likes it loud, but Duke would like to be able to hear all the instruments not just a distorted guitar and unmicd drums drowning out everything else. Earplugs are required if you'd like to be able to hear after the show. That being said, I love the size of the room, the acts they book, the vibe of the room and the front bar/back music room situation. Works everytime, although the volume of the canned music was only slightly less than the music room. Beer is cold, bathroom is trashy as one would expect from a rock club, the reworked floor plan up front works better as well. Service was ok, always have to expect a little rudeness from the "dirty music club, I'll service my friends who are in this hip band first" bartender, kind of a badge of honor I guess. I assume that if I was one of the 19 male patrons with a beard (out of 25 gents that I counted) I would have been mistaken for a hipster musician and received my PBR quicker. read more

I didn't venture to Cactus Club until my second summer living in Milwaukee. The only time I seemed to notice its existence was in the back pages of The Onion or Shepherd Express where I took note of several familiar bands/performers. I wish I had ventured to Bay View more that first summer. It reminds me of the "all-ages" clubs of my youth (driving to Louisville, Cincinnati, or Chicago when a well-liked punk or hardcore band wouldn't roll through Indianapolis) -- except it's well put together, run smoothly, not located in the middle of nowhere, and features a bar. Technically, I wouldn't have been allowed in this place if the clubs of yesteryear were so similar. But I digress... Cactus Club is a small live music venue that holds maybe 150 people tops. The history of this place is clear when you first walk around the back of the house with the stage. Posters for past performances from Death Cab for Cutie, Queens of the Stone Age, Spoon, and the like line the walls. I can't even imagine what it would have been like to see QOTSA play this place! My first experience here was last summer (2010) to see a band called Happy Birthday during my 30th b-day bar crawl. We hadn't even intended on setting foot in here but when a friend from Indy found out who was playing here...it was written that we would attend. Most recently, I went to see the new lineup of guitar-god-genius Page Hamilton's NYC epic band Helmet (the thinking person's heavy metal). Both visits have been memorable. The sound is great (probably the best I've experienced at an independent club this size); you can actually hear everything -- but as some reviewers have mentioned, earplugs are a must. The back area is so small that you're enveloped in a wall of sound the moment the band starts playing. I failed to wear earplugs the last time and am pretty sure my ears are still ringing from Helmet; that show was two weeks ago! I also like that you can sit in the bar area and enjoy a beverage and conversation without the music from the next room muddying the natural sound. And hey, they even showed the Brewers playoff game while I was there -- sweet! Cactus Club has now earned a bookmarked spot in my internets browser -- there are great bands coming through on the regular and who knows...you just might be able to say you saw the next QOTSA or Death Cab? I'm already stoked for the next appearance of Russian Circles! This is the type of place the Rave wishes it could be if it wasn't too big for its britches -- but sadly, bands that are just on the periphery of being "too big/too small" probably won't play here. Regardless, if you haven't been here, it's definitely a Milwaukee "must-experience." Cactus Club, I know I will frequent you from here on out. read more

Fun shows and good people. A cheers for cool kids, if you will. currently closed for remodeling, I am looking forward to see the changes. Can get bit on the smokey side, but nowhere near as bad as Landmark. Drinks are priced right, poured right, and the selection is standard. Music, rather it be live, DJ, or Jukebox is always awesome! read more

I checked out the events page and saw that it was a comedy event going on here the following weekend so I decided to stop in. I had never been to the cactus club before and it was a pleasant experience. This is more of a dive type bar mixed with hipsters, no problem for me.I got a couple of drinks before the show started was kind of disappointed that the bar didn't have any amaretto so I got another drink of my choice and waited around for a while. Its dark inside and old school posters and memorabilia line the walls. The band space in the back could fit about 30 standing easy not more than that. The comedy was OK. Not my taste, it was a little dry. Overall I enjoyed it. This is actually like a 2.5 because i didnt have complaints, its just that its deep in bay view not my crown or music type. But there are no issues. You can stop in give it a try. read more

Warm and friendly staff and crowd. It's hipster, but this square feels quite welcome here. Come often and experience some amazing live music in a very intimate and unpretentious space. read more

Cactus Club - Music Venues Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A friend and I caught the Wild Belle show here a few weeks ago. I have seen many shows over the years in small clubs like this all over the Midwest. The venue is very intimate and the sound was excellent. Seeing a show at this venue is a pretty special experience as you are mere feet away from the stage, even in the back of the room. The bartenders are excellent and the doormen Eric is a consummate professional. We showed up at the venue without tickets since the venue was sold out and he offered to take our number and give us a call if something opened up. I can't say enough about this venue, I will definitely be back again. read more

This is the best live music venue to catch smaller shows in the city. Nothing can touch the grandiose nature of the Pabst/Riverside/Turner, but Cactus is the next best thing. The Venue: The back room is fairly small, but I honestly prefer that. The sound is ALWAYS phenomenal here and the covers are inexpensive. It's kinda dingy and I love it. The Bar: The bar is pretty big, but the seating can get a little cramped but it doesn't really bother me that much. When it's packed, it can get pretty loud. Drinks are slightly more than I want to pay for them, but I am cheap and used to going out in Riverwest. Bartenders are super nice. Bonus: Outdoor seating is pretty tight. Packer games here are A+ read more