The year was 1964. In Chicago, Herb and Sylvia Frank packed the kids in a white Rambler and moved their young family to Madison, Wisconsin where they would forever change the music and performance landscape in the city by the lakes.

Through the eyes of their young boys, business chops cut on the streets of Chicago, and an empty stage in Madison, Herb and Sylvia understood the power of live music. From The Beach Boys to Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and Johnny Cash, Madison is now an annual home to hundreds of international rock stars.

Sylvia, or “Sylvee” as she was affectionately known, passed away in 2006. The Matriarch of the Madison Music Family. The Glue. The Fashion. The Diamond. The loving center of Frank Productions was gone. Now, over 50 years after she rode into town in that white Rambler, the company she helped build, the brand that she formed as Frank Productions is investing even deeper into the place they call home.

The Sylvee is the new epicenter for live music in the Midwest. It’s a venue for emerging artists, established cultural icons, and community events located in the East Washington corridor known for its grit, work ethic, and industrial past.

To provide an evocative and meaningful identity for this destination, ZEBRADOG directed the discovery of the name and realized a brand that celebrates the Frank Productions family history.

The vintage style of The Sylvee is infused into the intricate neon signing, pulsating illuminated logo marks cut into the oxidized skin of the building, and a two-story, hand-painted portrait honoring Sylvia comprised of over 2,370 cassette tapes donated by local music scene fans. It’s the best photo op in live music.