ReMixx

After college, Micki Baumann was living in Green Bay and bartending at The Loft.  When the bar's liquor license was jeopardized, Micki stepped in and became a licenseholder and co-owner of The Loft for the next seven years.  During her tenure, she transformed the space from a strict women's-only space to a space where everybody was welcome.

She took a job with UPS and commuted for five years from Green Bay to Oshkosh.  She and her wife Linda found a new house in the Fox Valley, and soon afterwards, found a new home bar.

"The owner of the bar said, 'I want to turn this into a queer bar. Do you want to help me?'" said Micki.  "And I was like, 'do I have something written on my forehead of what?'"  After looking around, she agreed: the space would make an awesome queer bar, but she wasn't interested in running the kitchen. 

"We didn't really know anyone when we moved to Oshkosh," said Micki. "We didn't really go out much. I knew about Spare Time, and I heard that the cooking was really good. So, I went in there and met with Deb Resop.  I asked her if she wanted to do this place with me.  She came and checked out the space, and the rest was history."

There was just one problem.  Things kept disappearing:  first equipment, then cash.  Finally, Micki and Deb had to make a hard decision. 

After nine months, Micki and her business partner severed ties with their third partner. They reopened (without him) on October 1, 2014, a date that Micki considers their "clean slate."

"We wanted a space for everything that's gay that you can't get in a small gay bar," said Micki. "We wanted to use our space for dancing, drag, events, sports, everything. There was no shortage of gay bars in Green Bay in the 1990s -- 6, 7, maybe 8 -- but we never had that many in the Valley.  When I walked into the ReMixx for the first time, I knew immediately this was going to be it."

How did Neenah feel about a new gay bar?  Surprisingly, the owners received no pushback at all.  Micki fondly remembers the first Cher impersonator shows as best-in-class blowout events.  As the restaurant became known for fish fries and broasted chicken dinners, many neighbors would stop by for takeout. Locals, including farmers, campers, and boaters, thought nothing of swinging by the ReMixx for happy hour.  There were never any issues. 

Micki and Deb continued the take-out dinners throughout the pandemic, when they couldn't always be open for bar service.  After COVID restrictions lifted, they noticed the same drop-off in business that all nightspots continue to experience.  Fortunately, they became the home bar for a new generation of queens, including Anita Bobbypin, Ivy Viola, Ellah Maeuaux, and Krystal Kuttabish, who brought new energy, new friends, and new life to the ReMixx.

Micki was approaching the point in her life where retiring and selling the ReMixx might have been an option. A few prospective owners actually approached her about buying the business.  But then, something strange happened:  a local customer mentioned that the town was buying up land around the bar. 

Suddenly, it seemed like something weird was going on.

"I'm like, what? I hadn't heard anything like that, so I asked our landlord," said Micki. "He said the town had approached him, but nothing had ever come of it.  So now we had this rumor hanging over us, and then more rumors were swirling around, and yet nothing was happening for months."

Finally, Micki got the call from her landlord.  There was good news and bad news.  Bad news: the property had been sold.  Good news: the ReMixx should be safe for at least three years.  Micki breathed a sigh of relief.  Three years was a reasonable timeline for selling the business.  

Oddly enough, they never got a call from the new owners. 

"There was no hello, no introduction, no 'we're looking forward to partnering with you,'" said Micki. "I just started getting holding tank bills."

The rumor mill went wild.  Local government was trying to force out the queens, people said.  The neighbors didn't want those kind of people around, people said.  But that just wasn't true.

"Could it have been handled better? Yes.  Did I feel targeted because we were a queer bar? No."

Simply put, the village of Fox Crossing was buying up land, but Clayton didn't want to be annexed, so they centralized their offices and became a village. 

Micki spoke to the administrator, who simply said that the town attorney felt the city should not and could not own a property where alcohol was actively being served.  It was as simple as that.

On July 28, 2025, the ReMixx announced it would be closing.  The news made headlines throughout Wisconsin.  Customers were shocked and devastated to see the Facebook announcement.  

"Dear ReMixx Peeps – After informing our staff and show directors, we now have to break the news to everyone. We found out last week that the building we have been renting for 11 amazing years has been sold to the Town of Clayton. We originally thought that nothing would change for at least three years, but the Town Board voted to honor our current lease, but to not renew it because they need to utilize the space. Our current lease is good through September 30th of this year. The Town will then use the space for offices and possibly a fire department further down the road.

We have been blessed with the very best employees and volunteers imaginable, all of whom helped make The ReMixx the warm and welcoming space that so many of us have called home. We love you sooooo much! To our show directors and the many performers who have graced our stage, it breaks our hearts to lose this venue that you absolutely lit up! We encourage everyone to keep following our wonderful drag, burlesque, and other performers as often as you can to help keep the performance arts alive. And to our customers, thank you so much for supporting us and helping to create so many cherished memories and friendships. You entered our doors as guests, and you will leave as friends and family. These friendships and the feeling of community will continue long after our doors close – until they do, it isn’t goodbye yet! Please join us through August and September for business as usual."

And oddly enough, there were also some people who came in for the first time, saying they'd never known the bar existed at all. 

"This really dumbfounded me, because how did we find gay bars in the 1980s without cell phones, without Google, without anything?" said Micki. "How do people in this day and age not know there was a gay bar in Neenah?"

After a week of "lasts," the ReMixx closed on October 18, 2025.

With the closing behind her, Micki still credits her team for making the ReMixx such a long and lasting success.  She's grateful for good people like Missy and DJ Mark Bray, who were there from the beginning;  Avery, who joined two years later; Ivy Viola ("Miss ReMixx Forever") for eight years of performances; Kyle and Scoop in the kitchen; and everyone who helped make the magic happen.  She's thankful to her wife, Linda, who did everything and anything over the years. 

On Sunday, January 18, the ReMixx was named "Best Safe Space" in the 2025 Wisconsin Drag Awards.  Other ReMixx favorites took home awards, including Missy (Best Bartender,) DJ Mark Bray (Best DJ,) Krystal Kuttabish (Best Rising Star and Best Alternative Performer,) Anita Bobbypin (Best Makeup Artist,) Mistruss Lola (Legend of Drag,) and more.    Micki attended the awards in person -- bringing over a dozen of her ReMixx family members with her -- for what will always be remembered as a bittersweet but victorious night.

Is the ReMixx gone for good?  Sometimes Micki isn't so sure herself.

"There's really nothing like the ReMixx in the Valley anymore.  Green Bay now only has a handful -- and that's an hour away. People might follow Ivy or Anita or Krystal to their shows, but there aren't huge crowds of ReMixx people showing up anywhere at the same time. The togetherness is gone."

"We looked, and we continue to look, for a new space.  The fact is, there just isn't any space open that's big enough to do what we want to do.  I don't want to do another 'stand around and watch people sit and drink' bar.  I want somewhere people will have more fun.  And I don't feel like we should lower our expectations."

"So for now, we're just biding our time, waiting, and watching the listings. Anything could happen."