The Rave/Eagles Club (commonly known as simply The Rave, formerly known as the Eagles Club and Central Park Athletic Club and Entertainment Center or commonly Central Park Ballroom) is a concert venue and landmark in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Divisions

The building is divided into 5 venues, making it theoretically possible to have six different acts playing at the same time.

The Eagles Ballroom

The Eagles Ballroom is the building's showpiece, featuring a oval wooden dancefloor, originally installed when the building was constructed, in addition to a large, old-fashioned domed ceiling and a stage on one side. Originally a ballroom, it has hosted everything from boxing matches to concerts to ethnic dances. There is a second floor, with a row of balconies around the oval, from one side of the stage to the other. The Ballroom hosts the most popular acts, and its history includes Bob Dylan (six times),

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...

, Weezer,

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

, The Killers, The Offspring (nine times),

Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...

(five times), The Grateful Dead, The White Stripes,

Pantera Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...

, Matchbox Twenty,

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

, Pierce The Veil, Shiny Toy Guns,

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...

, Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Replacements, Paul Westerberg (solo), Social Distortion,

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

, Twenty One Pilots, Kings of Leon, The Smashing Pumpkins, The All-American Rejects, Atreyu, No Doubt,

Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

, Velvet Revolver,

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

, James Blunt,

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

, Sublime with Rome, Infected Mushroom, Benny Benassi, My Chemical Romance, Nick Jonas & the Administration, All Time Low, Ed Sheeran,

Kesha Kesha Rose Sebert (; born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on America ...

, Lil Pump, Lil Uzi Vert,

21 Savage Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He became known after releasing two m ...

and many others. The

Jonas Brothers The Jonas Brothers () are an American pop rock band. Formed in 2005, they gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in W ...

performed their first major concert as a headliner here, and filmed portions of the show to use in the music video for their top ten single "When You Look Me In the Eyes."The Eagles Ballroom
Retrieved August 7, 2008 All Music: The Jonas Brothers Retrieved August 7, 2008 Jason Mraz also filmed an entire live DVD here, called Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom. The music video for

CKY CKY may refer to: * CKY (band), American rock band, formerly "Camp Kill Yourself" ** ''CKY'' (video series), named after the band **CKY crew, people involved in the video series and related projects *CKY-DT, a television station in Winnipeg, Manito ...

's song Close Yet Far was shot at The Rave. Certain interview clips from All Time Low's 2010 DVD, ''Straight to DVD'' were filmed on the roof of the building. The Rave hosted

ECW ECW may refer to: Professional wrestling * Extreme Championship Wrestling (originally Eastern Championship Wrestling), a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001 * The Alliance (professional wrestling) (originally the WCW/E ...

events in 2000 such as Hardcore Heaven in May and various ECW on TNN episodes. The Rave Eagles Grand Ballroom currently hosts Milwaukee based combat sports promotions North American Fighting Championship (NAFC) MMA & Knockout Kings Kickboxing.

The Rave Hall

The Rave Hall on the main level is a large concert-style venue, second in size only to the Eagles Ballroom above it. Most national touring artists that visit Milwaukee have played here, including

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...

, Sevendust, GWAR, Regina Spektor,

moe. Moe (stylized as moe.) is an American jam rock band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are Rob Derhak ( bass, vocals), Al Schnier (guitar, vocals, keyboard), Chuck Garvey (guitar, vocals), Vinnie Amico (drums), and J ...

, Tiësto, Seaway, Chiodos and

Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...

.The Rave Hall
Retrieved August 7, 2008

The Eagles Hall

The Eagles Hall, previously called the Basement, (or the Underground) is a Miami-style venue built in the basement of the building. Featuring a unique hardwood floor, it is often rented by members of the public for wedding receptions. It has hosted acts like the Buzzcocks, Owl City, Muse, Nickelback,

Boys Like Girls Boys Like Girls is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2005, the group gained mainstream recognition when it released its self-titled debut album which went on to sell over 700,000 albums in the United States earning a ...

, 3 Doors Down, Gov't Mule, and Third Eye Blind.The Eagles Hall
Retrieved August 7, 2008

The Rave Bar

The Rave Bar is a small intimate club.The Rave/Eagles Ballroom Review
Retrieved June 8, 2007 Numerous acts have made their Wisconsin debut here, including Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana, Les Claypool, The Features, Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth, Blink-182,

Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets. The ea ...

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

, Red Is The Sea, Cody Hansen
Unlimited Production Music-UPM (featuring: Ewill, Rob, Killah and Prod)
and Tantric.The Rave Bar
Retrieved August 7, 2008 There is an unused swimming pool in the basement.

The Rave Craft Beer Lounge

The Rave Vibe Room was designed to feature up and coming bands, similar to The Rave Bar, while also catering to DJ's.The Rave Vibe Room
Retrieved August 7, 2008

The Penthouse Lounge

On the concierge level (2nd level) and comfortably holds a group of 200 or so with a full bar, table seating, and an optional stage. Notable events include the Trevin SkyDiving incident.

Eagles Club

The Eagles Club was named to the National Register of Historic Places on July 29, 1986. In March 2014, Dennis Munson Jr. died hours after his amateur debut as a kickboxer at Milwaukee's Eagles Club. An investigation by the Journal Sentinel uncovered a series of errors by the officials responsible for safety during the unregulated fight – part of the fast-growing world of combat sports.

History

The Milwaukee

Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

' Aerie #137 was formed in 1901 by a group of actors, theater managers, and other stage men. It was the first Eagles lodge in the state. They met in a headquarters on Second Street until it burned, when they moved to 6th St. The aerie grew quickly and by 1925 was the second-largest Eagles chapter in the U.S. With In 1925 the chapter broke ground on a new clubhouse. Russell Barr Williamson designed the building, five stories tall, with Mediterranean Revival styling. The walls are stone, framing three round-topped recessed windows above the front entrance. Near the top of the wall is a wide frieze with a relief sculpture of human-eagle forms, rather similar to Assyrian art. The roof is covered in tile, typical of the Mediterranean Revival style. The grand opening for the Eagles Building was September 13, 1927. Since its construction in 1926, the Eagles Club has known several incarnations. Prominently among them, it housed the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, a notable organization whose considerable impacts on America's cultural landscape remain in effect today. The Eagles pushed for the foundation of Mother's Day, provided the impetus for a national Social Security program, and campaigned to eliminate job discrimination on the basis of age. Notable former Eagles include Theodore Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. The building now operates as The Rave / Eagles Club, a purveyor of music to Milwaukee for twenty years.

References

External links

*
Club details at milwaukeerocks.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rave, The Avenues West, Milwaukee Buildings and structures in Milwaukee Culture of Milwaukee Music venues in Wisconsin Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin National Register of Historic Places in Milwaukee 1927 establishments in Wisconsin