Saint Vitus Bar Responds to Sudden Closure by New York City Officials
Over the weekend, the world-renowned heavy metal watering hole Saint Vitus bar in Brooklyn, New York was forced to shut down during a Mindforce show, as the New York City Department of Buildings decided 8 p.m. on a Friday night was the perfect time to issue multiple citations to the venue. Since then, the bar’s been unable to operate as it tries to address the situation the best that it can.
In the wake of the unexpected closure, the folks behind the Saint Vitus bar released an official statement on the matter, hoping to clear the air with regular patrons and potential concertgoers about the situation. From what they describe, it sounds like they’re going to need some outside help to get things back up and running.
“On Friday February 16th in the middle of a scheduled show, the DOB shut down all operations at Saint Vitus.
“We are saddened and deeply frustrated by the circumstances and are working to remedy the situation as fast we can. This closure is temporary, but we want to address everything that directly affects our community of artists and fans alike. Please be patient as we work through this, and thank you for your continued support.”
“I HAVE TICKETS TO / AM PLAYING AN UPCOMING SHOW, WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
“We are announcing venue changes for the immediate upcoming calendar as they come in. We are sorting each show in chronological order-artists are already in contact with our team and will be updated ASAP, and public announcements will also be rolled out shortly.
“You will not need to do anything if you have an advance ticket, just keep an eye out on the email associated with your DICE account and our Instagram for continued announcements.
“HOW CAN I SUPPORT SAINT VITUS BAR AT THIS TIME?
“For now, do what you do best: show up to see live music. Buy your ticket in advance. We are continuing to announce Vitus Presents shows at our partner venues, and again, will reopen for business as usual as soon as we are able to.
“We’ll be rolling out ways to support our onsite staff who have been affected by this closure soon, and if you want to help on that front, continue to let us know. Our online merch store was unfortunately undergoing a relaunch when this occurred, but we’re working on next steps. Watch this space for updates.
“If you live in Greenpoint, reach out to your local representatives and let them know how much SV matters to you. We deeply appreciate everyone who has reached out, posted in support-even worn our merch out in solidarity.
“I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION…
“With all due respect, we’re a little swamped at the moment. Please bear with us and know we are working around the clock to get through this. We will share more information as we navigate this process.”
According to the initial complaint that led to the bar’s closure, the building department claims that the bar was missing a list of things that would keep it compliant with city regulations, including a maximum occupancy sign and the fact that the Certificate of Occupancy that the city has doesn’t allow for the bar to “operate as an eating/drinking establishment.” Which seems kinda important if you’re going to operate a bar.
People online are quick to note that it all seems to stem from a single dude with an agenda against the venue. While we’re not one to want to throw something like city politics at the feet of an unknown individual on Twitter, that person definitely seems to have it out for the bar, so you take with that what you will.
We’re hoping Saint Vitus bar will be able to reopen its doors soon. After all, the world needs more metal bars, not fewer.
