Standing in the former Club Coconuts space on the West Bank of the Flats, where glittering disco balls once illuminated the dance floor, Mike and Colleen Miller had an epiphany. "We both looked at each other and knew this was what we were going to be doing for the rest of our lives," says Colleen of the couple's new venture, the Music Box Supper Club.
Opening Aug. 6, the new concert venue carves a niche in Cleveland's burgeoning music scene with a riverfront fine dining restaurant, two stages and an eclectic lineup.
"We're putting a new spin on an old concept," says Colleen, who has booked artists for Chicago blues bar Biddy Mulligan's and founded the Chicago Folk and Roots Festival. "People like to be super comfortable and be entertained at the same time." The club's unique 550-seat, two-level setup — a small stage, restaurant and wraparound deck on the first floor and a main stage and deck on the second floor — offers a variety of ways to take in shows.
Plus, the supper club concept means concertgoers can eat and drink at their seat during all shows, digging into options from upscale sweet potato Gorgonzola ravioli to late-night artisan flatbreads.
"Supper clubs are starting to pop up all over the country," says Mike, who grew up in Cleveland Heights and attended St. Ignatius High School. "It's a more intimate experience for the performers as well as the audience."
The impressive schedule, which includes Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mavis Staples, jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and blues-rock veterans Hot Tuna, is thanks to Colleen's 25 years in the music business. "I try to book a wide range of artists," she says. "I like folk and roots music, but I know audiences want to see other music in this type of setting."
The Music Box also makes catching a show any night of the week easy with on-site parking and early concert times.
"I call it the perfect night out," says Mike. "You'll have dinner, see a show and get home by a decent hour with a big smile on your face."
Three To See
DakhaBrakha, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. With one of the largest Ukrainian communities in the country, Cleveland is the perfect spot for this folk-punk act from Kiev. "They're going to blow people's socks off," says Mike.
X: 4 Nights, 4 Albums, Sept. 9-12, 8:30 p.m. The original members of the punk-rockabilly group from LA will play each of their first four albums from start to finish. "They chose us because we were the right venue for their audience," says Mike.
Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle, Sept. 13, 8 p.m. The two Americana legends will share the stage. "Their onstage chemistry is excellent," says Colleen. "It will be a really unique show."
