CLEVELAND: With a bit less fanfare than LeBron, Mike Miller, a Chicago ad man, recently returned to his native Northeast Ohio to start a new music venue on the West Bank of the Flats called the Music Box Supper Club.
The concert hall and restaurant opens Sunday for a “Bloody Mary Brunch” with Nhojj and Anne E. DeChant, and will have its first full show on Friday, featuring HoneyHoney, a roots-rock and Americana act from Los Angeles.
Miller, a seasoned businessman, is new to the music and entertainment world, but his business partner and wife, Colleen Miller, is an industry veteran who has been booking major musical acts in Chicago since the 1990s, most notably with City Winery, an important stop in the Windy City for well-known performers.
While the couple lived in Chicago for many years, Colleen says on their very first date, Mike made it clear that he planned to return to Northeast Ohio someday.
“I’ve always known we were going to land here and it’s exciting,” she said.
The Millers’ new multivenue entertainment complex is located in the industrial site that had been a disco called Club Coconuts in the 1980s. The location has a stunning view of the river and the city through its enormous new plate glass windows. “We have automatic blinds so you can enjoy the view right up until the show starts,” said Mike Miller. “Then they close so we can control the lighting.” The new space was designed by local architect David Krebs of AODK in Lakewood.
For those who are old enough to recall the original disco, the couple has upcycled a few elements for nostalgia’s sake and to tie the present to the past.
Although the interior of the building has been almost a complete teardown, the original central staircase has been preserved. The winding staircase is made from translucent glass block and is lit up by colorful lights from below. A few original doors have also been repurposed and restored.
The new venture at 1148 Main Ave. has two separate stages. The downstairs is a smaller supper club that can hold 220 people and upstairs is a concert hall with a capacity of 320.
The downstairs room will be open most days for lunch, happy hour seven days a week, then for dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. “We will have an American grill menu, which will be the only fine dining location on the river,” Mike Miller said. “We love Shooters, we go there too, but they do a different thing.”
For concertgoers who are on a budget, Mike Miller pointed out that the menu will not be all high-end and will include burgers and flatbreads: “We have something for everyone.”
The ground floor of the Music Box also includes a private dining room that can be reserved for business or social functions. Diners in the private room can enjoy a quiet meal and then enter the upstairs concert venue through a back staircase.
“Because seating in the concert hall is all ticketed, you can relax and show up at the last minute for the concert. You can even arrive late and still order dinner while the show is going on,” Mike Miller said.
Colleen Miller said the concept is to use the smaller stage downstairs for late night blues, jazz, local performers and touring acts that appeal to a younger audience. “There are a lot of talented players here and we’ll mix them in with traveling acts,” she said.
The concert hall upstairs will showcase a range of styles. After the first show with HoneyHoney on Friday, alt-rock band Cracker is booked for Aug. 17 (with Kent sister act ShiSho as openers), Bruce Cockburn on Aug. 20 and soul and gospel great Mavis Staples on Aug. 21. Later dates include acts like Ukrainian folk punk band DakhaBrakha and L’il Ed and the Blues Imperials. See the full schedule and order tickets at www.musicboxcle.com or call 216-242-1250.
For both venues, Colleen Miller said, the emphasis will be on music with a roots element. “That’s sort of my thing,” she said.
Mike Miller said that the most important thing to know about the Music Box is that shows will begin early. “We’ll start at 7:30 or 8. You’ll have a nice meal and be home in bed with a smile on your face by 10,” he said. “Most places don’t start until 10 or 11. And people don’t want to have to stand all night. So we have reserved seating.”
The Millers said the prices will be moderate and there will not be a food or drink minimum in either performance space. “You can eat somewhere else and see the show. You can just order a glass of water,” Mike Miller said. “So we’re going to have to serve some great food so people want to order.”
Daryl Rowland can be reached at darylvrowland@gmail.com.