Karaoke Bar a ‘Total Loss’ After Flood
Downtown bar The High Note closed until further notice after late-July flood.
The High Note Karaoke Lounge, 645 N. James Lovell St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
The High Note Karaoke Lounge is closed until further notice, following a July 20 flood that caused more than $100,000 in damage to the 10-year-old bar at 645 N. James Lovell St.
The closure, initially expected to last only a few days, has now extended beyond a month—and there’s still no end in sight. Videos shared on social media show the progress of demolition and remodeling, with both the bar and surrounding flooring requiring complete replacement.
“We’re looking at a few months of being closed minimum,” The High Note stated in a Facebook post, also noting that portions of the interior were “a total loss.”
In the meantime, owner Evan DuQuaine and general manager Brenna Derenne have launched a GoFundMe to support the bar’s 14 employees. The fundraiser has so far generated $6,095. Insurance is expected to cover the cost of replacing equipment, so the GoFundMe is strictly for employees.
Derenne acknowledged feeling hesitant about asking for help, but said keeping staff paid through the shutdown was a priority.
“The bar fully intends to pay the staff during the shutdown,” she wrote on GoFundMe. “Some of us were uncomfortable at the idea of taking donations, as it can be hard to be on the receiving end of a donation, but allowing community support will help us persevere through this financial hardship, and admitting that it’s okay to ask for help.”
The late-July flood was caused by a leak from an upper-floor apartment, according to The High Note. It came weeks before a “1000-year storm” swept through Southeastern Wisconsin, causing massive flooding in homes and businesses across the Milwaukee area.
The High Note opened in 2015, continuing a decades-long tradition of karaoke bars operating in the James Lovell Street building—a streak briefly interrupted by a sports bar, The Mason Jar.
Updates on The High Note’s progress, as well as its eventual reopening date, will be shared on social media.
Neither DuQuaine nor Derenne responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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