Music

Major Comeback

Club Isabella returns as That Place on Bellflower.

By D.X. Ferris 

Isabella Basile, former owner of the defunct Major's Club Isabella, is bringing the spirit of music past to her new establishment, That Place on Bellflower (11401 Bellflower Road, University Circle). Major's closed last year after hosting acoustic tunes and jazz for two decades. The cozy club wasn't forgotten.

"Every place I go, people say, 'Oh, I wish it wasn't gone,'" says Basile. "So we're turning [That Place] into, we hope, Club Isabella."

Basile's new club feels a lot like her old one. The L-shaped carriage house resembles a cottage, with brick walls, dark colors, and old paintings gracing its various areas. On Saturday evenings, musicians move from room to room, playing for guests. After dinner, the unplugged acts settle into the bar near the entrance. In the spring, artists will play outside in the courtyard.

"As a performance venue, it's nicely set up," says Scott Ryan of Crooked Timber, an acoustic duo that recently wrapped a standing engagement at the venue, regaling guests with standards, folk nuggets, and original indie tunes. "The acoustics in each room are good. The bar is a comfortable place to hang out in the evening."

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