O'Cayz Corral

O'Cayz Corral was a downtown Madison, Wisconsin bar and music venue that featured local and national punk, rock, and grunge musical acts.

History

Located at 504 E. Wilson Street in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, O'Cayz Corral was originally named Don's Shell (Owned by Don & Cay Millard). Later named, 'Millard's Bar'.^[1] Catherine "Cay" Millard became owner of the tavern in 1980 and changed the name to O'Cayz Corral, a country-western themed bar with a capacity of 150. It was operated by "Cay" until her death in 1990. Four of the children (Mike, Mary, Pat, Don) formed a corporation " Cayz Corp " and ran the business. then leased the club to Cathy Dethmers in 1994, Cathy Dethmers, leased the business until 2001.^[2] Referred to as the "CBGB's of the Midwest,"^[3] O'Cayz featured many underground punk, grunge, and rock bands that later became major contributors to pop culture. People best remember two events at O'Cayz, aside from the many fine performances there. A drunk truck driver smashed into the front of the building, killing a 22-year-old University of Wisconsin student and destroying the band Surgery's van. On another occasion, the floor caved in on the dance floor during a Royal Crescent Mob performance.^[4] O'Cayz was destroyed by a fire that began in the 'Cay's Comic-Strip', a neighborhood bar at 502 East Wilson St., also owned by the family of Cay Millard, on January 1, 2001. Dethmers reopened nearby in 2004 as the High Noon Saloon.

Featured artists

Some of the bands that played at O'Cayz Corral between 1985 and 2001:
Alex Chilton, Roger Miller (from Mission of Burma), Beat- the Naked!, Tar Babies, Johnny Thunders, True Believers, Eugene Chadbourne, Queens of The Stone Age, Plasticland, Firehose, The Rousers, Snakefinger, Scratch Acid, Die Kreuzen, Urge Overkill, Laughing Hyenas, Appliances-SFB, Run Westy Run, Glass Eye, The Reivers, Jonathan Richman, Savage Republic, Thin White Rope, The White Stripes, The dB's, Doctor's Mob, Soul Asylum, Negative Trend, Tiny Lights, The Burnin' Ernies, Salem 66, The Gomers, The Young Fresh Fellows, Cattleprod, E*I*E*I*O, Celibate Rifles, Tav Falco, Brian Ritchie, Soundgarden,^[5] D.R.I., Deerhoof, Ivory Library, Killdozer, Naked Prey, The Willies, Nashville Pussy, Fu Manchu, At The Drive-In, Elliott Smith, Green Day, Nomeansno, Art Paul Schlosser, Cop Shoot Cop, The Weeds, The Jesus Lizard, Timbuk3,^[6] The Smashing Pumpkins,^[7] Mike Watt, The Windbreakers, U-Men, The Replacements, Nirvana, Living Colour, The Funeral Party, L7,^[8] Old Skull, Tortoise,^[9] Big Black, Son Volt, The Feelies, Camper Van Beethoven,^[10] Nebula, The Atomic Bitchwax,^[11]GG Allin, Calexico, Superchunk, Sparklehorse, Lyres, The Fleshtones, Moe Tucker, Exene Cervenka, The Mekons, The Woggles, Xerobot, Fuzzdolly^[12]

References

The Tragically Hip