During the COVID‑19 pandemic, Kate Voss moved out of her Seattle apartment and into an RV. She piled all her possessions on a corner — including antiques, furniture and vintage clothing she loved — and left in search of a new start.
Voss and her husband, Jason Goessl, wound their way to Goessl’s home state and haven’t looked back. They have found their home in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The couple spent about four years living out of the RV and working as touring musicians. But Oshkosh’s art scene and Midwest Nice ethos reeled them in. And today Voss is putting down roots as a business owner in the city where her baby daughter was born last year and where she has even recruited other Seattle friends to relocate.
Can Can, which opened two years ago, is inspired by a Denver thrift store Voss once visited called Garage Sale Vintage. It was the first store Voss had ever been to, she says, “that had a bar.
“I mean, if I got to do whatever I wanted all the time, I would go have a drink and I would go shopping,” Voss says. “Like, that’s just what I want to do.”
So she created Can Can, located at 584 N. Main St., a place where people can shop for clothing, housewares, jewelry, art and music — things Voss loves — while also enjoying their choice of 50 canned beers, seltzers or non‑alcoholic drinks. Everything is served in a can; hence, the business’ name.
“There’s something for everybody, and I think I bring a lot of whimsy to this end of Main Street,” Voss says.
She admits it can be challenging to juggle all her passions, including motherhood, owning the label Sun Goose Records with Goessl and continuing to tour as a musician two or three nights per week. Voss sings and plays bass with Kate Voss and the Hot Sauce, of which Goessl is also a member, and as a duo they perform under the name Sundae and Mr. Goessl. Like her taste in fashion and home decor, which dates back to seventh grade, Voss’ taste in music is distinctly vintage. She and Goessl forged their relationship on a shared love of 1930s jazz music.
“I tell people I like to play music from the ’20s to the ’60s,” Voss says. “If I start creeping into the ’70s it gets a little too modern for me.”
The same goes for Can Can, where everything but the beer is aged. Voss says she wants her store to reflect a young, fresh and fun personality while celebrating her passion for all things vintage. The store plays and sells music from Sun Goose Records as well as music from her friend Jeff Davis’ label, Tsurumi Records.
“I love it, and it’s slowly getting to where I had the vision for it,” Voss says.
One part of the vision is making Can Can an immersive art experience. At the shop’s two‑year anniversary celebration in February, Voss showed off Can Can’s remodeled bathroom, which now has a switch that allows you to “change the vibes” within. She also recently added a pump organ and encourages customers to play it.
She’s also been adding events that bring people into the store, including things to do that are “just more fun when you have a drink in your hand,” Voss says. This spring, Can Can is playing host to a comedy performance, a custom hat bar and a lingerie pop‑up.
Voss says she is proud to live and work in Oshkosh and has been proud to play a part in its ever‑growing cool factor.
“I moved to Oshkosh for a reason,” she says, “and I will never stop advocating for the community.”
