M
icheal Ocello steps through an open panel in a tent recently erected in the parking lot outside one of his strip clubs in the Metro East. “This will be the club,” he says, arms extended from his sides as he gestures to the full sweep of the place. It’s a rainy afternoon, two days before Country Rock Cabaret reopens for the first time since mid-March when Il-
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 3-9, 2020
linois restaurants and bars were forced to shut down in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The sprawling, cowboy-themed interior — think barn wood and horseshoes fixed to walls — will have to remain closed for now, but the state’s rules allow for outside operations. So Ocello’s crew is improvising with the tent. “I feel like I’m setting up a titty bar in a mining town,” he jokes.
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There will be lights hung overhead, a stage installed along one of the tent walls and tables spaced appropriately along the pavement. A booth constructed of wood and blue tarps is off to one side to accommodate private, if socially distant, dances. Capacity will be limited. The conditions, Ocello concedes, are not optimal. But it’s the first step toward returning to business.
