The State Bar will close its doors following Freakfest early Sunday Morning after eight years at the top of Madison’s iconic State Street.
Co-owner Larry Schmock said he would lease the property to Frida Mexican Grill owner Moe Barketallah, who will begin remodeling in December and reopen the establishment with a new theme in spring 2009.
Schmock said his family is already busy running other area bars, such as the Blue Velvet Lounge and Blue Moon.
When the bar opened in 2000, it was very different from other places in Madison, Schmock said. It operated as a nightclub and played MTV music videos on more than a dozen TVs throughout the multi-level structure.
Schmock called the crowd in those days “eclectic” and “crazy.” He added the crowd mostly consisted of “upscale Europeans.”
“We used to have lines all the way around the block and limos and there would be 10 cabs lined up on both sides of the street,” Schmock said. “We had an international student crowd because they were the most familiar with that type of a nightclub.”
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said members of the City Council were opposed to giving the State Bar a liquor license because it was the first establishment on the 100 block of State Street to get one.
“It was the newest, hottest place when it opened,” Verveer said. “When it first opened, the line went all the way down State Street to where Dayton turns into Fairchild.”
The bar has since been known for its various levels, drink deals and dual entrances on State and Carroll streets.
Schmock said it is fitting the bar will close on Halloween, since it has been a central point for interesting costumes in the past few years.
The building itself dates back to the 1800s, Schmock said. The rear of the building, along Carroll Street, was a delivery stable for horses, and the front of the building was a paint shop.
Barketallah, who owns Frida. the Icon and Tapas Bar, was not available for comment Thursday night.
Verveer said Berketallah will have to obtain another liquor license.
“Moe is a competent, well-established State Street operator,” Verveer said. “He has had these liquor licenses on State Street for many years now so I don’t think that his operation will cause any problems.”
There is a perk to staying open for Freakfest because due to the daylight saving time shift: the State Bar will have one extra hour of music videos from the 1980s and 1990s.
