{image1}Barry Lewis, owner of The Gig in Riverwest, will soon open a new bar in Bay View called The Groove.

Lewis bought the building at 3007 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. two months ago and hopes to have the space completely remodeled and ready for business by mid-December.

"We're remodeling big time," he says. "But it should be ready by then."

The space was formerly the neighborhood watering hole, Clowning Around.

The Groove will feature a music theme, honoring genres from classic rock to jazz to r&b. It will also have couches, pool tables, a jukebox, darts and murals painted by local artist Adam Nilson (pictured in photo; stay tuned to OMC for a full feature on Nilson) and what Lewis describes as, "artsy photos featuring classic jazz musicians.

"Basically, it will have a loungey, laid back atmosphere," says Lewis, 46.

Lewis is one of the few African-American business owners in Bay View, but feels very comfortable with the location. He says a lot of Bay View-ites frequent The Gig, which is how he originally got the idea to open something on "The Other East Side." Plus, he says, he has many friends in the area.

"I've known Leslie (Montemurro) and Scott (Johnson) from Palomino as well as a number of other business owners over here (in Bay View) and these are all people I got into the business with long ago," he says.

Lewis, who grew up on Milwaukee's North Side, opened The Gig in 2001. He also owned two other businesses that are no longer in operation: Sugar Magnolia, a sandwich shop in Shorewood, and The Corner Grill on the East Side.

Although the building still needs a lot of work, Lewis has four or five artists and trades people working almost around the clock, including a number of MIAD graduates like Nilson, members of Flux Design and others.

"We don't have a sign up yet," laughs Lewis. "But we have covered up the clowns on the one that's out there."

For more information, call (414) 486-1503.