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'The Throne Room' Music Venue Continues Lakeview Family Legacy

 The new Lakeview East music venue focuses on local rock.
The Throne Room
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LAKEVIEW — Kamila and Mark Bruscianelli met through Craigslist.

She was a bassist with a band called Urgency. He had answered an ad seeking a percussionist. The pair instantly hit it off and soon found themselves married with a toddler.

Playing music "was something that we always did as a way to stay sane and creative," Kamila Bruscianelli said. "But once the band starting having children, it fell to the side."

The couple were itching to get back to the music scene, and Mark's dad had some extra space above his restaurant. The Throne Room was born.

The intimate music venue at 2831 N. Broadway holds about 100 people. Since its launch on May 30, The Throne Room has focused on Friday and Saturday night shows from local artists.

"Lakeview doesn't really have a venue that's focused on live, local rock," Kamila Bruscianelli said. The Throne Room is "pretty intimate, but for the local band, it's just the right size. That's definitely who we cater to."

On July 13, the venue will kick off a Sunday afternoon series called "The Rub." Local performers will be invited to "a structured, improvised session" while guests can relax with a beer and watch the creativity flow.

Come August, Thursday night shows will be added to the mix.

Kamila Bruscianelli said The Throne Room prides itself on its sound system "given that we are musicians ourselves."

She hopes the venue will have a long run in Lakeview, building on the legacy created by her husband's parents, Frank and Georgeann Bruscianelli, who have been serving Sicilian-style pizza at Renaldi's, 2827 N. Broadway, for more than 40 years.

The Renaldi's brand expanded in 2010, when neighboring Mickey's Grille & Pub shut down. Frank Bruscianelli bought the bar and created Renaldi's After Dark, a laid-back bar that features a pool table and access to the full Renaldi's menu.

The family renovated the loft-style area above Renaldi's After Dark, thinking it could be used for special events. For various reasons, it sat dormant.

Mark and I "saw the space and thought, 'It's perfect for us,'" Kamila Bruscianelli said, adding that she and her husband had been kicking around the idea of a venue for some time.

Frank and Georgeann Bruscianelli "were very open to [us taking over the venue], given that they knew it would be something a little different for the community to have in its back pocket," Kamila Bruscianelli said.

After the June 29 Pride parade, The Throne Room will host a show benefiting the Center on Halsted. Guests include Miss Jackie and The Sass, Gorilla Tango Burlesque, Skirt Steak and Emcee Heinz.

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