Linneman's Riverwest Inn

Linneman's is an intimate music venue with divey, Riverwest charm. The husband-wife duo that own it are personable and welcoming. They host poetry readings, open mic (Wednesday nights @8pm), and live concerts (currently on the weekends). The tables are socially distanced and masks are required when you leave your seat to walk.This is a music venue/bar. To my knowledge there isn't food and the drinks are pretty standard bar drinks (i.e. not craft cocktails). That said, this place exists for the music as a sweet neighborhood staple. I enjoyed my time, love it for what it is, and the owners are so kind!

The sound is great in this small Riverwest venue. There is poetry night on Mondays then mostly folk, some blues, some rock, and some other stuff the rest of the week. There is usually a cover when there is music, but I am not sure that there always is. It can be a little on the loud side, but you can always escape to the front bar if it gets to be too much in the music room.As far as beer goes, they have it. There are a lot of local and localish brews, some on tap and other bottled, as well as a full bar complete with friendly bartenders. Linneman's is a good bar with good music and great sound. Dig it.

I'm going with five stars for Linneman's because there isn't an abundance of places like it around Riverwest. Some, for sure, but Linneman's has its own special brand of dive-bar music venue. I certainly haven't enjoyed every performer I've seen in here, but the place is always very warm and welcoming. The employees are friendly, and the beers are local and super cheap. I'm always amazed at how cheap even good beers like Lakefront are here (and in Mke in general, since I live in Minneapolis). Linneman's usually has a diverse set of acts that range in style, age and aesthetic. I usually end up here with my Dad because he's come here for years and years. The cover is usually reasonable, and you never know what sort of music might be playing. I most recently went to the John Lennon tribute, which was a fundraiser against gun violence. The performers played a song or two, maybe three, and then passed the baton to the next act. There was a kaleidoscopic spectrum of bands, some old, some young, some performing big Lennon-penned Beatles hits and others more obscure, or solo stuff. I heard some good versions of Beatles classics, some pretty awful versions, and some stuff you really don't get to hear live very often, like 'Happiness is a Warm Gun', 'How Do You Sleep?' and 'I'm So Tired'. The crowd was very diverse and everyone was having a good time. Linneman's just has a very cool vibe to it and it's run by people who obviously care about music, even if they're not hosting big-name bands or putting on the most top-notch show out there. They support local music, and that's just plain cool, no matter who is playing or how good they are. Linneman's is a good default place when you're not sure what is going on around town; they usually have something going on, and whether it's summer, winter, or somewhere in between, you will feel cozy and welcome within the friendly confines of this Riverwest Inn.

This is THE place to go for music in Milwaukee. Wednesdays are open mic (sign ups at 9pm), and I believe Mondays are open mic for poetry. This place has the best sound for any place I've played in the city, and they promote their shows well. Jim and Marty (the owners) are great and have truly made this place their passion and it shows. Drinks are a tad pricey and you have to pay for water (only bottled), but its worth it to know that you're supporting the most important and influential (specifically musically) bar in Riverwest.

So much the type of music place that you would think you could not find in Milwaukee. Much like the great music rooms in Chicago, like Schubas, Linneman's opens from a corner door into a general tavern or tap room. There is a nice bar and a few tables around. Pictures of the owners musical heroes are up along side of notable past performers. The beer selection is Milwaukee through and through. Your local micros alongside the standard Miller/Coors choices.From the front room you walk through the back opening into the music room which is just a bit larger than the front room. The total capacity of the place is 180, but that would be pretty crammed in there. I was there this weekend to see a few bands and there were probably about 120 and the place felt pretty full. I have seen acoustic acts here and there are more tables and seats out, but this night was more rockers and it seemed there were fewer tables to make room for more standing/dancing.One really nice thing about Linneman's is that the music seems to vary a great deal, but it is all pretty darn good. It strikes me that Jim Linneman is a music fan and he pick pretty good bands. This does not mean that the place is one note. You can see bookings for a singer songwriter one day, a rock band the next, and a jazz trio the next. There are even some country twangers every once in a while. The stage, as noted by others, is right sized and set up just perfect. Jim, the owner, does the sound himself and really does a great job. Every band sounded full but also under control.While not as large as Chicago's Beat Kitchen or Schuba's, this is the Milwaukee version and it is an absolute home run!

I love this place on Monday nights for open mic poetry. Its medium in size,quaint, the people are nice and the open mics are quite eccentric at times. Loads of fun.

Jim and Marty run a wonderful corner bar that has great live music, good beers on tap, and a super cool hippie vibe. I spent SO many mights here, seeing shows (the stage used to be at the end of the bar, and some musicians would walk down the bar while they played!). It's been over 10 years, but this place is still going strong and will always have a place in my heart. If you're there, sit in the giant tree throne in the back. My butt was there many times.If you're in Riverwest, Linneman's is a must-visit for great music, cold beer and warm vibes!

I always look forward to seeing a show at Linneman's. Another truly great small venue for Milwaukeeans to enjoy.It's a pretty small stage set in a room that holds maybe about 50 or so...though I have seen it with waaay more than that. And it was awesome. Locust Street festival...oh man. Despite the small stage/room, some of the shows I've seen have been so crazy and loud. Really great stuff.The bar area is separate from the stage, so that's a nice feature. Beer/taps are good, though I don't think I've ever had a cocktail here. Not that you shouldn't, it just feels like more of a beer place to me. The bartenders are super nice.I know they have one night a week set up for open mic (I think Wednesday), and Monday night is poetry night. Other nights are filled in with other music or speaking events.Check out their website for the current month's schedule!

Linneman's is and always has been a great, locally-owned venue, with great owners. Simply put: it's a real and fantastic place to play or be played to in MKE.It's small enough: you'll catch a great show in an intimate setting (capacity in the back room is *maybe* 75... )It's large enough: the sound is good, the stage is set-up well, and if you really wanted to, you could dance.If you're a musician: the downstairs/backstage area is pretty rad, and Jim (one of the owners who does the sound) is super accommodating and terribly generous w/ both his time and the money that comes through the doors.Linneman's also has a great open-mic night, to booth. Round it all off w/ a relatively good selection of beers on the cheap-ish and a real community-centric vibe, and you've got a small(ish) venue that does what they do super well. Many moons ago, when I still played music, I loved playing here. I also love going here, and it's a super bonus when a band I like is playing right down the street from my house at Linneman's.Four stars for an all-around winning establishment!

Really nice neighborhood pub offering serious music w a cold brew. The owner has a strong sense of community participation as well