June 22 marks the opening day of Summerfest. That same night will also mark the grand opening of a cocktail lounge and venue that’s located just beyond the Summerfest parking lot. Well, it’s technically the grand reopening of Gibralter, a former Walker’s Point bar and live music establishment that’s getting a second life in the Third Ward five years after it closed.
Gibraltar is owned and operated by Evan Christian, an accomplished Milwaukee musician. The jazz club’s first go-round started in late 2016, when Christian opened Gibraltar at 538 W. National Avenue (now home to Promises). It closed in June of 2018 in order to allow Christian the time necessary to focus on his own music. However, it will be reborn at 131 N. Jackson St. in a space that was most recently home to Saloon and a Camp Bar-affiliated concept called Campsite 131 before that.
Over the weekend, Gibraltar announced its Grand Opening would take place on Thursday, June 22 between the hours of 5 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. Stay tuned for more information as the opening date approaches. Until then, prepare for even more live music in the Third Ward during Summerfest this year because Gibraltar lives on! To quote Yogi Berra, “it’s like déjà vu all over again.”