An addition to the local Phoenix music scene has taken root along Van Buren, one block west of the light rail station near the Downtown campus.
Crescent Ballroom, a mid-size music venue, lounge, full-bar and restaurant, will debut its first show Monday night with bands Blind Pilot and Dan Mangan after construction began three months ago.
The venue is set to feature a variety of musicians, from nationally recognized acts to local bands from the Valley, with possible restrictions for concert-goers under 21 years old based on the band’s key demographic. Tickets are expected to range from $10 to $20.
Owner Charlie Levy, head of the promotion company Stateside Presents, told the Downtown Devil in August he felt the restored building on North Second Avenue near West Van Buren Street was a prime location for a new music venue, as it was minutes away from the light rail, Downtown campus and other new developments.
The venue’s lounge is open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, with a small stage and piano area that will host live music every day in the historic building, which has taken many forms since its original construction in 1917. It started out as a garage when Van Buren was known as the Dixie Overland Highway, or US Highway 80.
“I really tried to keep the historical sensibility intact,” Levy said.
Levy partnered up with local chefs Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco and Doug Robson of Gallo Blanco to house Cocina 10 – the dining portion of Crescent Ballroom. The menu will consist of Mexican-inspired “road food.”
“Knowing Chris, it will be with the best ingredients he can possibly get,” Levy said.
Tickets are currently being sold through the Crescent Ballroom website and at Stinkweeds, a music store near North Central Avenue and West Camelback Road that has been heavily promoting the venue to customers through social networking, employees said.
Crescent Ballroom is “kinda the buzz right now,” said Dario, a Stinkweeds employee. “There is an essence that this is something the town needs.”
Even as more local music venues are opening in downtown Phoenix, Dario said there is no sense of competition between businesses.
“It’s all about the options,” he said.
Maggie Spear, a journalism student who frequents the local music scene, said she is excited to have a venue opening so close to Taylor Place, even though there are age restrictions for some shows.
“I would have to drive to the Rhythm Room or the Trunk Space,” Spear said, “but I can walk to Crescent Ballroom.”
A full calendar of events can be found on the venue’s website. Bands are booked two to three months in advance, and the site is updated twice a week.
Levy said the venue currently is focused on providing live music entertainment, but there is the possibility of eventually incorporating comedy or theater acts.
“I am definitely open to anything,” he said.
Contact the reporter at domenico.nicosia@asu.edu
