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PAXTON, Ill. (WCIA) — A new event venue in Paxton is just days away from opening, and they already have a big name booked to perform at a later date.
That big name is Gina Miles, a Paxton native and the most recent winner of “The Voice.” She won’t be the first to play in The Cadillac, but organizers said the timing couldn’t have been better.
Venue co-owner Scott Harden said they just bought the space in February.
“This place was completely full, floor to ceiling when we bought it,” Harden said. “So, once we started to unbury it and see exactly how big the place was, we’re like, ‘Holy cow, this is a lot of space.’”
Harden said he was originally looking for office space when he came across an abandoned car dealership near downtown. After clearing the clutter, he and co-owner Alan Meyer had a better idea.
“So, we got into the building and looked around and realized it was big enough to host some concerts, make it a venue for weddings, parties Christmas parties,” Meyer said.
They’re not even officially open and they already have a sold-out show. Meyer said that after a bunch of tries, they were finally able to figure out a date for the hometown hero Gina Miles to perform. Tickets sold out so fast that they added a second show for the following night.
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Meyer said Miles grew up right across the street.
“I know her family and that, and when she was on ‘The Voice,’ I watched her first episode and I said, ‘This girl is going to win it,’” Meyer said. “I’m excited for her to come. I think she’s excited too.”
With the opening of The Cadillac, Miles has the perfect place for a homecoming. And people are coming from far away for other shows too.
“We already know there’s people coming from Iowa to the Priscilla Block show,” Harden said. “They’re going to come to Paxton, probably didn’t know Paxton exists.”
Harden said he’s a dreamer. Now, he’s seeing those dreams become a reality.
“At one time, it was ‘How are we going to get this tow truck that doesn’t run out of here?’” Harden said. “To this point, now it’s like ‘Holy cow, we’re getting ready to load in a band and we’re getting ready to load it in a rock tour that’s got four bands and three tour busses on Sunday.’ It’s kind of crazy to think that it’s come this far.”
The Cadillac has several acts booked so far, and tickets can be found on their website or at their box office. Tickets for Miles’ Oct. 28 show are sold out, but there are still a few left for her Oct. 29 show.
