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| - The Frequency is rapidly climbing up the rankings of my favored places in Madison. It is certainly one of the better music venues in town, and I have experienced only good times here over the course of the last year. This place fills the void for smaller music clubs left by the closings of the King Club and Cafe Montemartre and is a definite improvement in many ways. The bar area is usually less crowded (with the exception of the rushes between sets) and offers a decent tap selection. There's usually a Capital seasonal and Ale Asylum, plus PBR specials for the hipsters. I tried a fairly excellent Magic Hat apricot-tinged beer this past fall during FMF. The bottle selection looks promising as well, although I've never found cause to stray from the taps. The bartenders are friendly, and more often than not you'll find the owner behind the bar. This place is perfectly located as well. I love this particular stretch of W Main. Once while on a smoke break between two bands, I joined in with a couple guys from the Shamrock in heckling an Iowa fan stumbling out of the Dise on a Friday night prior to the football game. While we were quite adamant (and eventually proven incorrect within a day) about Wisconsin's football superiority, it was conceded that Iowa's same-sex marriage laws did in fact rock.
The nicest feature of the Frequency, in my opinion, is that the cover charge is collected when you head back to the stage area, not when you enter the bar. Now I love the experience of seeing live music and I never waver because of a cover, but I happen to be in the minority amongst my friends. It can be very difficult to convince a group of people to go out and catch a show if the band isn't well-known. The Frequency solves this issue, since I can bring them in for a beer and listen to a bit of set. After a beer and a few songs most everyone is cool to drop the $5 or so and head back. I'm sure there are some instances of freeloading with this system, but for me I've got to see the band, not just hear them.
The Frequency has a great variety of bands that come through, both local and national. They have something going on seven nights a week, in most cases for a nominal cover. The sound is good in the stage area, there are a few tables along the walls for people to sit, and in what may be the greatest feature ever, a drink rail along the hallway. During the week most shows start relatively early, but be aware most shows from Thursday through Saturday have relatively late start times. There's a happy hour for the first couple hours of the evening, which works really well for earlier shows. I've spent many a great night sipping a few cold ones and enjoying sets from bands both I've come to see and others that just happened to be on the bill, and I've discovered a lot of new bands this way. You just can't beat this place for a good time with money left over to spend on merch.
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