CLEVELAND — Stella’s Music Club has closed for good.
Late Thursday, the club located across East 9th Street from Progressive Field shared the news on its Facebook page.
"We are so saddened to say that as of today, Stella’s will be shutting it’s doors," the post read. "We cannot express enough how grateful and honored we are that we got to spend time with you, rock out with you, laugh with you. We will miss our Stella’s family so much. Our doors will be open today until close for anyone who wants to come in and see us. Keep your head high, Cleveland, and never stop head banging."
Just last week, Stella’s had begun posting fall shows on its calendar. In late May, the club that opened in August of 2018 re-opened with limited capacity and mask requirements. A banner on the top of the page announced Stella’s Indians Nights, at which fans could watch games on TV across from the field.
The response was immediate on social media, with musicians who had played Stella’s sharing their regrets.
"So very sorry to hear this," Steve Grabbe wrote. "Whiskey Bound played there several times and loved every second of it! You all will be missed! Wishing you and your staff the very best!"
"What a great venue to play at," John Loske lamented. "I’m glad we were fortunate enough to play there a few times. The whole staff was wonderful to work with and how they treated bands was amazing."
Other club owners also weighed in.
"I’m sad to see this Cleveland club close - my thoughts are with (co-owner) Christopher Barone and the rest of the Stella family," said Kathy Simkoff, owner of the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights.
Simkoff tagged her post #saveourstages, referring to the campaign launched by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to preserve independent live music venues and promoters in the United States. The group has been lobbying Congress to pass the #SaveOurStagesAct to prevent independent music venues, most of which have been temporarily closed since March, from closing permanently.
Stella’s is the second Cleveland club to close in two weeks. On Aug. 4, the Wolf’s Den jazz and R&B club on Cedar Avenue, opened in 1997, closed permanently.
"CLOSING FOR GOOD LOVE YALL," owner Lysander Sanman Mosely wrote before the last day. "Please wear your masks. Thank you."
