Vets on Frets
Back porch concert
Monona
A suburb in the Madison area
Monona is a quiet Madison suburb on the Yahara River and Lake Monona, and its live-music offerings lean casual and community-minded rather than late-night. Breakwater is a riverfront bar and restaurant with a rooftop area that hosts live music, and sits along the Yahara River with direct boat access inside a 5,000-square-foot facility that includes two levels of outdoor patio seating and a rooftop bar. Isthmus has listed jazz acts performing there, and the Madison Jazz Society also tracks it as a regular stop. Dean House is a Victorian-era house maintained as a museum by the Historic Blooming Grove Historical Society that doubles as a music venue. The Society hosts outdoor Back Porch Concerts on the historic Dean House porch, with jazz groups like All That Jazz and Subterranean Jazz among the performers. Concerts take place at 7 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket, with a free-will donation requested. The Tasting Room of Monona rounds out the local options. The annual Monona Community Festival, one of the largest July 4th celebrations in southern Wisconsin, also features local and regional live music.
Venues3
- Breakwater6308 Inland Wy, Monona
- Dean House4718 Monona Dr, Monona
- Tasting Room of Monona800 W Broadway #100, Monona
