Last night, Microsoft Zune threw another launch party to celebrate the release of the portable mp3 player (Gothamist reviewed the device earlier this week). The location was secret up until yesterday morning, but once it was announced, we got a whole lot more interested in checking the party out. Why? It was also the official opening of the brand new LES venue, The Box. We were supercurious to see what this place was gonna be like, so we headed down last night to scout out the scene.

While the outside of the club looks like another unassuming neighborhood storefront, the inside looks a lot like the entrance to the Disney World Haunted House. Dimly lit chandeliers over a dark wood bar, patterned wallpaper and a balcony with a faded whitewashed wood banister. Inside the performance space, the balcony continues down each side, with tables set up underneath, and, at least for tonight, standing room only down the middle for the concert. We are told the club was designed to emulate the old cabaret halls that used to populate the neighborhood, and they really seemed to have nailed the vibe perfectly. Despite it being brand new venue, you could easily be convinced this place had actually been around for 100 years.

Despite the antique feel, the light and sound during the Queens of the Stone Age performance was about as good as we've ever experienced in a small club. Clearly a lot of thought went into making this an ideal place to take in a show, right down to the plentiful, polite staff and excellent viewing angles from nearly everywhere we stood, including back at the bar. Not sure yet what the future holds for the space, or even what type of shows will be held here after tonight, but we are already looking forward to our return.

We've got a few pictures of the space after the jump.