A new music venue will open in Salt Lake City on April 1 — and that's no joke.

The State Room, at 638 S. State (former home of Salt Lake Repertory Theatre), will kick things off with jazz guitarist Stanley Clarke.

For State Room owners Darin Piccoli and Chris Mautz, the grand opening is the culmination of an idea that started two years ago.

"We had talked about starting up a new venue in Salt Lake," said Mautz, who books shows for Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre. "And this just kind of fell into our lap."

"The space was available, and we decided to lease it and fix it up," said Piccoli. "Everything was here — the stage, the dressing rooms, the seating tiers. We just needed to touch things up a bit. You know, put some lipstick on the place."

The "lipstick" included insulation to keep heat and sound in, a new air-conditioning system and concession stands.

"We are also installing new seats and a sound system," said Piccoli.

The stage itself is 45 feet wide and 22 feet deep. "And we have space between the seats and stage to set up tables and chairs or for people to dance," said Mautz.

The total area of the venue is 35,000 square feet,

While concessions will be sold in the State Room, Piccoli and Mautz said the venue isn't "just another club."

"We wanted to focus on the music and not what we serve," said Mautz. "There's a lobby where people can gather and talk, but when they go into the house, they will have no choice but to watch a concert."

"The State Room is a music theater," said Piccoli, who books Snowbird's summer concert series and the Utah Arts Festival. "There are plenty of eateries close by — the Bayou for one, which is right across the street. We're hoping people eat there and come over for a show."

"We also wanted the musicians to understand that they would be playing a concert and not have to compete with people shouting out orders or calling for waitresses or bar maids," said Mautz.

Both Mautz and Piccoli said they aren't worried about opening a new music venue during one of the worse recessions in the country's history.

"You know, things like this have happened over the course of history," said Mautz. "It's a cycle, and we'll come out of it. Sometimes, it's good to have options, especially when people want to get away from reality for a while.

"Our goal is to make it a sanctuary of live music. We want people to come in and forget troubles and stresses. And the same goes for the artists. We want them to enjoy playing this venue."

"After work, people want to be able to relax and kick back," said Piccoli. "That's one of the reasons why we're doing this now."

The other reason was the timing and availability of the venue.

"Like we said, it just fell into our lap," said Mautz.

For now, Mautz and Piccoli said the shows will be aimed at the 21-and-older crowd.

"But who knows?" said Piccoli. "There are some all-ages shows that we will be interested to look at in the future. For now, though, we are going to be open for adults."

E-mail: scott@desnews.com