Music venue to open in former Rocky's location in Jeffersonville
Jul. 5—JEFFERSONVILLE — A music venue and event space will bring new life to a building on Jeffersonville's riverfront.
The Jefferson will open in August in the former Rocky's Sub Pub and Italian Grill space at 715 W. Riverside Drive. The space has been vacant since Rocky's closed in April 2018.
Seven Four Events LLC announced the opening of the venue in a Tuesday news release. The Jefferson will present both national headlining concert tours and performances by local and regional musicians. It will also serve as a venue for weddings and other events.
The space will be owned and managed by Seven Four Events, which is based in West Harrison, Indiana. The Jefferson will be the company's fifth venue in the region.
Stephen Bischoff, partner at Seven Four Events, said he is "beyond thrilled to bring a new high-quality music venue and event space to the Kentuckiana community," he said in the news release.
"We are passionate about providing the best possible experience for fans, artists, brides and all that we will serve," he said. "We have an incredible line-up of confirmed shows that we are chomping at the bit to let everyone in on."
The Jefferson has already announced two headliner concerts, including Saving Abel on Aug. 27 and Puddle of Mudd on Nov. 11. More performances will be announced in coming weeks.
The venue is accepting reservations for weddings, holiday parties and other events from mid-August through 2024.
The space will hold about 650 people indoors and about 400 people on the outdoor deck/patio. The indoor space totals more than 9,000 square feet, and the exterior space totals more than 4,000 square feet.
The Jefferson will feature a "top of the line" light and sound system, and the venue will offer live music from a variety of genres. In addition to musical performances, it will also feature comedy, the news release said.
The opening of the new venue follows last year's opening of Upland Brewing Co. in the former Buckhead Mountain Grill, next door to the new venue. Upland is partnering with The Jefferson to provide food and drink.
"We are beyond excited to have such an experienced and passionate group bringing live music and events to our side of the river," Upland Vice President of Operations Padraig Cullen said in the news release. "From conception, this was carefully planned. I think Jeffersonville's riverfront will quickly become an entertainment destination"
DKGR Architects, an Indianapolis-based firm, began the renovations in 2021, and work is expected to finish in the next few weeks. Work included the demolition and rebuilding of the deck, which provides views of the Louisville skyline and the Ohio River.
"Converting this space into a music and event venue was a fun and welcome challenge," DKGR Partner Brian Schubert said in the news release. "Our directive from Seven Four Events was to design The Jefferson with not just live music in mind, but also weddings and events. Creating a tastefully appointed and exceptional experience for concert-goers, artists and brides was also a must. I think everyone involved did a wonderful job, and I believe we hit the mark."
Wendy Dant Chesser, president and CEO of One Southern Indiana, said the venue will check a "big box" as it opens in the former restaurant building, noting that a "sitting vacant structure was not in anybody's best interest."
The Jefferson will also offer something new in downtown Jeffersonville, she said.
"We have wonderful waterfront outdoor venues, but that leaves us pretty high and dry the rest of the year," she said. "This appears to be a nice complement to all of the outdoor concert opportunities."
Dant Chesser looks forward to the potential to bolster tourism in Jeffersonville and Southern Indiana. Those attending concerts or weddings at The Jefferson might stay in the hotels across the street, as well as dine at restaurants and shop at businesses in downtown Jeffersonville, she said.
"It's an opportunity to increase exposure of the downtown Jeffersonville area," she said.
