COVID has crippled local live music clubs, but a new Eastern Kentucky one is thriving

Despite the COVID pandemic causing hundreds of bars and live music venues around the country to close — including Cosmic Charlie’s and Best Friend Bar in Lexington — a new one has been born in Eastern Kentucky inside a building rich in regional history.

Opening last September, The Venue is a music club located inside Morehead’s historic Trail Theatre building, which was built in 1937. And expansion is already in the works with plans to add 50 more seats on an outdoor patio with a firepit for occasional live music and food truck access by early spring.

The business is co-owned by Damon Ballinger, a long time auctioneer and Realtor in the region who has leased the building for close to 14 years, and Hannah Hansford, a former bartender at both Redmon’s and Bluegrass Tavern in Lexington.

Early indications show approval of both sound and space, with The Venue having “COVID sellouts” for four of its first seven Saturdays of live music.

“It wasn’t an ideal time for us to open up by any means, but I just couldn’t stand to let this beautiful and historic building sit vacant any longer,” said Ballinger. “The community has been incredibly supportive of us and understanding of our safety protocols.”

Those coronavirus protocols include temperature checks and ID scans (for contact tracing) upon entry, staff wiping down all surfaces with Lysol after use, no ordering from the bar counter, tables six or more feet apart, masks required at all times when not seated and a 60 person reduced capacity from 138.

After a lull in December over the holidays and following a three week order from Gov. Andy Beshear closing bars and restaurants to indoor service, Ballinger says business has gotten off to a booming start in 2021.

The Venue has shows scheduled for every Friday and Saturday through the end of February. Also planned are weekly trivia nights on Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m. that are preceded by a piano bar from Bedford Band’s Kolby Swiney from 5-6 p.m. and followed from 7:30-8:30 p.m. And a Sunday afternoon Bloody Mary bar from 2-4 p.m.

Bloody Mary’s and other cocktails, like the VenueRita (with Hornitos tequila, cointreau, simple syrup, Grand Marnier and fresh lime juice) are made by Hansford using a mix of family recipes, knowledge obtained from her days working at bars in Lexington and her own personal touch. The Venue also features a small selection of wines and a full lineup of American Lagers on both tap and in bottles. They also have a rotating selection of daily soups from Miss A’s cheesy potato soup, vegetable soup, chicken tortilla soup and soon tomato basil-bisque soup.

Originally the Trail Theatre, the building was constructed in 1937 by local businessman and entrepreneur Elisha Edward “Ed” Maggard, who moved to the city in 1903 from nearby Sandy Hook. Soon thereafter he brought electricity to the city by helping found the Morehead Power Company and later on helping to lure Morehead State University to the city, among other accomplishments.

Designed and engineered by Maggard himself, the theatre opened on Dec. 25, 1937 with an upscale look that featured 430 plush, upholstered chairs and wine colored carpeting inside what at the time was the city’s first commercial building with air conditioning.

While the fancy seats no longer remain, much of the classy mystique of the original Trail Theatre remains in The Venue, such as the red carpet that rolls out of the building’s sweeping front door. Once inside, The Venue’s entryway offers up a historical time capsule of the building with pictures showcasing musical performers since it’s launch flanked by pictures from yesteryear when motion pictures were still the spot’s biggest attraction.

“We were going for a classy look without the classy, high-dollar price of admission,” said Ballinger. “We’re all about treating the customer to a top notch experience, like they’re not just another person attending but rather one of the red carpet stars themselves.”

The Venue

Where: 109 North Wilson Avenue, Morehead

Hours: Thursdays 5-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 6:30-11 p.m., Sundays 2-6 p.m., closed Monday-Wednesday

Online: TheVenue109.com

This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 12:07 PM.