“What
have we done” was said multiple times after answering questions on this week’s
podcast. The podcast featured Lynn and Tony, owners of 42 Lounge which is a popular
nerd bar in Milwaukee. At the time of the podcast on April 21st 2014
the bar was coming up on it’s one year anniversary and David and Shawn wanted
to talk about the start of the bar and how the bar is growing.
Lynn
and Tony first came up with the idea of 42 Lounge after going to Pax, an event
that is exclusively for gaming. At Pax Tony connected to a sense of belonging
while Lynn who didn’t play video games or read comics didn’t connect as much,
but went along with Tony in opening a bar. While the sense of belonging came
from Pax, the impact on how they wanted to create their bar came from a bar in
Australia called Mana Bar.
In
listening to Lynn and Tony talk about the bar, 42 Lounge was meant to be a nerd
bar, but still open to many types of people. They talked about how the common
people who go to the bar are labeled as unsocial or people who do not like
large crowds, but it is the context that comes along with the crowds and
parties not the crowds and parties themselves. The goal of this bar was to have
an open place for people who didn’t like going out to regular clubs and bars.
Lynn and Tony did not want to feel like a second place to a regular club, but a
club where people could express themselves and feel comfortable doing it. The
bar is filled with people who have never dressed up for cosplay or even read a
comic book, but they still are able to converse with many other people.
The
podcast about 42 Lounge had been recorded right after Lynn and Tony had
returned from Pax East, another event for gaming. In the earlier part of the
podcast Lynn had mentioned not connecting or feeling a sense of belonging at
Pax until this past visit. During this visit she was able to take the
connection she had with the people who come to her bar every day and connect
with those at the Pax event. Lynn had originally expressed herself as being a
nerd by collecting items instead of dressing up in cosplay or playing video
games. It was Tony who bought her her first Nintendo DS and connecting with the
many people at her bar to connect with the all types of nerds of the world.
42
Lounge is now booming with a wide array of people, but it took a while for Lynn
and Tony’s plans to become a reality. The setting for the bar was to be in
Waukesha originally, but the planning process was taking a very long time so
they decided to back off on the idea for a while. One day in Craig’s list they
found a place downtown, went to check it out and decided it would work for what
they wanted. Now the bar had different activities on different nights and
events for anything that is going on. If this is not enough Lynn and Tony are
thinking about adding food into the mix in which they both ask themselves what
have we done? Although I have not been able to check out 42 Lounge yet, it
sound like a great place to let out you inner nerd and get to know knew people.
https://www.google.com/search?q=42+lounge&biw=1547&bih=1212&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6o7K8gI_MAhVisYMKHU03DK0Q_AUICSgD#imgrc=xbFqUz8AA1SStM%3A
I myself have never even heard of a nerd bar. I just assume all bars were bars. To be able to play games and cosplay in 42 Lounge was very interesting to hear about. When Lynn came to class and talked about how she came up with the bar and what she expected from it was awesome. After hearing what she has to say and the atmosphere she intended for her bar made me want to go there. For me if I go there one day I feel like I could get along well with the individuals that go there and be able to express myself because I’m a pretty big nerd myself.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed having Lynn come to class and talk of the development of 42. What stood out was that I have been there as well as some other nerd bars in the area and each other them has their own aesthetics, their own feel. 42 was the bar that felt most inclusive so when she spoke of how her staff is trained to interact with the patrons it stood out to me. Binary was a decent bar to go to if you want some food and a few drinks and to sample a giant selection of games (it was almost as if a Board Game Barrister added a bar). The other nerd bars i went to simply seemed like a normal bar with a random stack of a few board games. The whole concept just showed how much more effort Lynn put into 42 than the other owners put into theirs.
DeleteGarson Moecker
The podcast and the visit from Lynn were both great introductions to 42 lounge. I love how involved she has remained in the everyday culture of the bar and it is obvious that the goal of the owners really is to have a fun place for everyone. You mention how they have made 42 into a sort of hybrid bar that while it is a nerd bar, it really is a bar for everyone that even has a club-like feel sometimes. One of the worst things in the world is walking to a bar that has the “cliquey” feel with all the regulars at the bar and you, as the newcomer, clearly aren’t in the club. Hearing how passionate Lynn felt about avoiding this is awesome, and I’m sure it is a large part of the bars rave reviews and success. Going out to the bar is supposed to be fun and having games to play, events to look forward too, and a friendly staff and involved owners is a recipe for success. After taking this class and learning about all the subcultures and hearing about the success of 42, I’m honestly shocked there is not more geek bars sprinkled in all the busy nightlife scenes in the city. It made me really sad to hear stories about people who walk into the bar and don’t even know how to order a drink because they’ve never felt comfortable in a bar before. I’m really excited to check out the 42 lounge someday and really glad a place like it exists in Milwaukee.
ReplyDeleteI too have never heard of a nerd bar up until Lynn came in and talked to us about the 42 Lounge. Right away i was very interested after hearing the setup and how everything in there is related to some type of nerd reference. Also she talked about how her bartenders are trained to recognize a situation where someone maybe from outside the community comes in and feel un welcome, the bartenders will help them feel like part of the community including them in conversations. I thought that was a brilliant way to assimilate both kinds of communities that the 42 Lounge probably brings. It seemed like Lynn put in a lot of thought when coming up with the 42 Lounge and how it would fit into Milwaukee. Her event planning seems like something fun to do with someone or in a group. Activity night is a great way to draw in specific crowds that will all have something in common with, plus its a great way to supply fun for everyone! I am exited to go to the 42 Lounge for the first time once finals are all done!
ReplyDeleteMy brother has been trying, for years, to get me to come to 42 Lounge. At the time, I had never heard of it or really knew what it was. I kind of avoided the place because my brother is kind of annoying and I assume that the bar would be filled with people who are just like my brother... If you can understand how I put that together, then you probably have an annoying sibling. It wasn't until the ANthro Pop Culture class and our small chats that actually introduced the club to me in a positive light. In defense of my int ital thoughts, if that annoying kind in class told you to go to a club with them, would you?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I still haven't gone to the 42 Lounge, but I am waiting for an event that catches my eye to go have a good time. My messy moral is, don't let the fear of the unknown stop you from experiencing things.
After Lynn’s presentation in class about 42 lounge and the podcast we listened to, I was really intrigued about going there myself. I loved hearing how they started out because of Pax East and then used the Australian lounge as their model to build their own. My favorite part of Lynn’s presentation was when she pointed out that her bartenders know how to look out for new people. My friend and I are planning to attend an event and are really excited because the atmosphere is seems so nice. It was also reassuring to know how Lynn did not start out a geek but gained a lot of knowledge through her husband and meeting tons of new people. I am not really a geek but I am very open to new experiences and am excited about going to the lounge.
ReplyDeleteSara Nur
After Lynn’s presentation in class about 42 lounge and the podcast we listened to, I was really intrigued about going there myself. I loved hearing how they started out because of Pax East and then used the Australian lounge as their model to build their own. My favorite part of Lynn’s presentation was when she pointed out that her bartenders know how to look out for new people. My friend and I are planning to attend an event and are really excited because the atmosphere is seems so nice. It was also reassuring to know how Lynn did not start out a geek but gained a lot of knowledge through her husband and meeting tons of new people. I am not really a geek but I am very open to new experiences and am excited about going to the lounge.
ReplyDeleteSara Nur