Area Spotlights: Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret

As we get ready for summer to return to APT, we’re excited to launch our Area Spotlight series and highlight some of our fantastic community partners in the Driftless Area. This week, learn more about a favorite local Spring Green hang out, Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret. With it’s live music, specialty cocktails and great company, Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret is a local hub with a lot of heart. Read on for more!

The Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret

137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green, WI, 53588
slowpokelounge.com | [email protected]

APT talked with owner and operator, Michael Broh about what makes Slowpoke special to the Spring Green community and why it's the perfect spot for a post-show nightcap.

A Little Background

Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret is a cocktail bar and event space in Spring Green. We host live music one night each week, as well as some other free events. Slowpoke is a hangout spot, a place for music, games, poetry, or to just lay back and chill on the comfy couches. It’s a place that feels like home. We’ve got a nice collection of records to throw on the turntable, and even a wall of cassette recordings from our shows. Sometimes folks will even gather around one of the pianos for a treat. No television screens here, but there’s always music.

At Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret we believe that music and theater matter, and that life is a little better when we share them together. We’ve been lucky to bring lots of live music to our community, the opportunities that come with that. We’ve given space to singer/songwriters to try out their new work, brought in world class performers to share their work with Spring Green, classical music, jazz, rock and roll, and more. And, yes, we’ve made space for local performers, open mics and spoken word nights, as well as trivia nights. We hope we’re bringing some vibrancy to the community, a place where art and music are front and center.

We’ve been around coming up on four years, and hope to be here a long time into the future.

The Experience

What we hear most from our customers is how much they like the vibe. Though people don’t say it a lot, I think that has a lot to do with no TVs on the wall. There’s something about hanging out in a place where conversation takes the foreground, and there’s always music in the background. I think we like taking a break from our screens, and focusing on each other. I know people love thumbing through the record collection and the freedom to play whatever they want without counting their quarters. And yes, the cocktails are fantastic, as are the snacks.

We have ticketed shows most Saturdays, year-round. These are touring bands as well as bands from Madison and the Driftless Area. When you’re not seeing the work at APT, stop by for something a little different. We try to vary the style, so you’ll see blues, jazz, Americana, country, indie pop, and all kinds of music that doesn't fit nicely into a category.

This is definitely the place to chill at the end of your day. Where you can sip on something special and talk about your adventure. Where you can smile in nostalgia at the music from your youth someone decided to play, and hear something new that will forever remind you of your trip. Trust us when we say we’re the perfect nightcap after your APT show.

The Community

River Valley has a lot of things, and art is just one small part of it. But art matters. It matters that we gather together, that we listen to music, that we turn off the screens for a bit and talk with each other. It matters that we dance. That we dare to get in front of the mic to read the poem we’re not sure anyone will like, the song we’re not sure is ready yet. That we hear world class music at our own doorstep and surprise ourselves with something we didn’t know we liked. It matters that we create space for new voices, that we have safe spaces where folks can be themselves and feel welcome.

We’ve been home to local fundraisers, have created space for aspiring River Valley High School students to share their music, and for our local community theatre, River Valley Players to perform. We’ve welcomed local bands and inspired the creation of new ones. We’ve created space for folks to share their art with open mics both for music and spoken word. We’ve made space for community conversation and special readings, and partnered with other local businesses. We are nothing without our community.

What's up this summer?

Summer is special in Spring Green. We get to welcome visitors from all over the country. We get to see national bands who tend to schedule their Midwest tours in the warmer months. As the weather warms up we open back up the beer garden for the true summer experience. And, of course, we get to welcome our APT cast and crew back for our favorite part of the year!

Find out more about upcoming events here.

Want more Slowpoke? Find them on social media!

Facebook: Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret
Instagram: @slowpokelounge