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Harken Hall venue shows promise with new bookings — including the return of Music City Roots

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Harken Hall
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Madison’s ornate music venue Harken Hall hoped to be like a Ryman Auditorium. Its creators built the stage with 100-year-old barn wood and installed eight high-definition cameras into the space. 

That hasn’t panned out — yet. But after fits and starts, and a couple name changes, the venue has booked a fresh slate of shows, including the big-name series that was part of the plans from the beginning.

Early on, Harken Hall wanted to be a home for Music City Roots, the beloved Americana variety show — important for the rise of Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and Billy Strings. The venue was designed with that show in mind, as a sound stage and video production facility.

But the 2019 deal fell through.

In the time since, Music City Roots has been in limbo. Meanwhile, at Harken Hall, other booking efforts also got off to a slow start. 

Now, starting Nov. 26, Harken Hall and Music City Roots will move forward together. The show will be broadcast on WMOT. It’s the high point of a series of show announcements from Harken Hall. Last week they announced a show of “stories and strings” with Americana artists Sam Bush and Tim O’Brien. And for Halloween they are hosting Boo Ray’s Honky Tonk Halloween, featuring a costume contest.

Justin Barney, Music and Culture Reporter

Hi, I’m Justin. I was born in Milwaukee, WI. I started as an intern at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and worked my way up to Music Director. There I started a segment called “From the Music Desk” where I interviewed over 500 artists including Thom York, Lizzo, Steve Martin, and Phoebe Bridgers. At 88nine I also got to speak passionately about the music I love on the radio, which is a true gift and I still get to do every day. There I also made a podcast called “Backspin: The Search for Milwaukee’s First Hip-Hop Song” which I enjoyed doing more than anything else I’ve ever done and was acclaimed in The New York Times. Highlight of my life. I love music, I love people and I love a good yarn. At the end of the day my goal is to tell stories that are as good as the ones my dad tells me. I’ll tell em on the radio, in print, or next to you at the corner bar.

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