The Music Box of Rockford is quietly welcoming guests as it gears up for a grand opening
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Kelly Steward and Miles Nielsen belted out a short but powerful performance Thursday night from the stage of their new downtown listening lounge.
But before the couple christened the stage, Nielsen delivered a declaration and a request.
Seated with an acoustic guitar in his lap, he first declared The Music Box of Rockford as officially open. Then he followed that with a plea to the packed house on hand for Thursday’s private event: Don’t tell too many people yet.
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The new downtown small music venue and cocktail bar, 218 E. State St., is rolling out a series of soft opening events over the next few weeks as it fine tunes its operation in time for a grand opening this summer.
“We feel like the best way we can deliver quality is to take some baby steps with it,” said Drew Gibson, who is part of the ownership team of The Music Box along with his wife Trea Mihalovich, Steward and Nielsen.
The Music Box will be open Friday night, but it’s not yet in its final form. That will come with a grand opening near the end of June, when they’ll start booking national recording artists for intimate shows in the 2,600-square-foot space.
“We’ve got some really great musicians who want to come here,” Gibson said. “They’re waiting for us to give them the dates and then they’ll work their schedules and when they can swing through the Midwest to come here.”
The Music Box is named as an homage to Ralph Nielsen’s Music Box Gift Shoppe, which Nielsen’s grandfather ran on Seventh Street for roughly four decades until the late 1990s.
This iteration is designed to add to downtown’s entertainment scene with a space that allows performers to connect with the audience in a cozy setting. There’s room for roughly 70 to 80 people seated and approximately 175 standing.
Gibson and Mihalovich live in Phoenix, Arizona, but recently bought a home in Rockford, too, as they launch their new venture with Steward and Nielsen. The four met through music and forged a plan together to create the new venue.
“We wanted a safe, intimate place where the musicians can open up. Where they would feel comfortable maybe trying out new songs, or maybe telling little stories,” Gibson said. “Sometimes a little pop-up like this can be a little more intimate.”
The more than century old building went through extensive renovations before reopening with a Great Gatsby art deco interior theme. It previously housed The Midwest Rustic, which closed in late summer 2022.
The bar was handbuilt by artist Jeremy Klonicki, whose work also lines the walls of the venue. The sign, which has glowing lights that can flow with the music when a performer is on stage, was made by Klonicki and Tim Hawley.
Upstairs from the lounge is an Airbnb that will double as a space for performers to stay. Downstairs is a future green room that will be designed to give artists a comfortable off-stage home.
The goal is to book a range of artists from musicians such as Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, to Leigh Nash and Kevn Kinney from Drivin N Cryin.
Cover charges will range depending on the performer, but the goal is to make seeing a show accessible.
“Not everybody can afford to go see Pink or go see Aerosmith’s final tour and spend $500 to $1,000 on tickets,” Gibson said. “We want to make it reachable with quality.”
There’s still more work to be done before the grand opening, including the green room buildout and installing mosaic tiles with The Music Box logo at the lounge’s exterior entryway.
The lounge also has a membership-based VIP club that allows early access to tickets and discounts on merchandise.
“Because of our size, I expect there will be a lot of concerts that we’ll have to add a second night to because the first night is going to be all sold out VIP,” Gibson said.
Gibson said he views The Music Box not as a competitor to but a partner with other downtown venues such as Carlyle Brewing Co. across the street, CJ’s Public House, the recently reopened Oasis micro pub and the soon to open Disco Chicken, to name a few.
“We want to add and be a part of that. You’ve heard the saying less is more, I think sometimes more is more,” Gibson said. “Getting a vibe down here and really celebrating live music in small venues.”
About | The Music Box Rockford
Where: 218 E. State St., Rockford
Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight Monday; closed Tuesday; 4 p.m. to midnight Wednesday and Thursday; 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
On the web: themusicboxrockford.com
On social: @the.music.box.rockford on Instagram; on Facebook go HERE
Contact: 815-986-7396; info@themusicboxrockford.com; booking@themusicboxrockford.com
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
