06/23/2026
A Final Order of Business from Madison Theater Presents LLC: Ticket refunds will be issued via Ticketweb for all of our shows. It is the preferred policy of Ticketweb that once a concert entity has gone out of business, in this instance Madison Theater Presents LLC, refunds are automatically issued. The refund process has started and ticket holders do not need to take any further action.
A Final Goodbye from Madison Theater Presents LLC: Since the closing announcement was made a few days ago, Tiffany and I have received thousands of comments from people locally and nationally offering their love and support...some people wanted to share happy memories, others wanted to reaffirm their loyalty and others simply acknowledged the pain of the moment. Every single comment was deeply appreciated.
To all of you who have reached out to me privately with texts and emails or tried to call, just know that I appreciate you and I will reply to each of you once the chaos of the recent days subsides. Until then I want to say one last goodbye:
I love music and I love our city. I've spent the majority of my life trying to make our music scene as strong and vibrant as possible. No one taught me how to be a concert promoter or venue owner. At age 22 I rented out VFW Halls and Banquet centers in the suburbs and would haul in my own sound system, make my own flyers, be my own security. At 24 I opened my first venue, Radiodown, a rundown banquet hall on the second floor of a sports bar...in that room we went on to host Rise Against, The Qu**rs, My Chemical Romance, Motion City Soundtrack, plus scores of legendary local bands...at 26 we moved to a bigger room The Madhatter. I won't speak on The Madhatter other than to say if you were a part of it you know deep down you witnessed something special. If you weren't there you missed how a crumbling building located in between a fried chicken shack and a homeless shelter became one of the most beloved and respected PunkMetalIndieHardcoreSkaHipHopHardRock clubs in the entire country.
I've done shows in Madison Theater off and on since it first opened in 2001 and Madison Theater Presents took over the venue in March 2024. The guiding principles I embraced at Radiodown and Madhatter lived on at Madison Theater: providing a place for young bands under 21 a place to play, hosting diverse acts of all different genres, and providing a musical home and a safe, encouraging place to attend shows for people of all colors, ethnicities as well as our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community. These things matter and our scene is stronger for it!
I am incredibly grateful to so many people:
Since Madison Theater Presents LLC began managing the venue in March 2024 we have produced 427 shows and hosted over 1100 bands, both local and touring. To the bands I say thank you...I know how incredibly challenging it is to make original music and to try and put it out into the world and to grow it and sustain it. I live you all.
To my bartenders, security guards, sound and light techs: thank you all for your amazing efforts and for making Madison Theater and Madison Live and The Rooftop amazing places to see a show!
To my comrades: Pat Jones at Powerhouse Factories-thank you brother for all your amazing posters you created for my shows over the years and thank you for your counsel and all the laughs. Kevin McNamee thanks for all your efforts and for fighting in the trenches against our corporate competitors who have a stranglehold on our industry...never give up the fight.
Wade Searcy thanks for your fantastic and consistent work and for all the laughs and conversations. Having one of my oldest friends on this adventure has been a blessing.
Steve Liberatore-Boss thanks for being my mentor all these years, for being an invaluable source of advice and for being like family.
Most importantly, I'd like to thank you Tiff, my Love. Thanks for always being the strongest of us, the fighter, the one who always sees the light at the end of the tunnel, the one who never let me give up. Now babe we have a little free time ahead of us, so let's live it up and move on to the next adventure together. I love you completely.
Please support Chris Alsip and W wherever they do their shows...they have been the backbone of the DIY hardcore, metal and punk scenes for decades now and I'm proud to call them old friends. Please support all the independent venues in our city. They are worth supporting and fighting for! Go see a local concert. Start a band. Support our scene forever!!!
While things have come to an end for Madison Theater Presents LLC the Madison Theater will reopen in the near future with new management. Please show them your love and support the local bands on their stages!
Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.
Be well,
Frank
