The legendary Saint Vitus venue in Brooklyn, NY was shut down by the New York City Department Of Buildings (DOB) in the middle of a Mindforce show on February 16. The DOB issued numerous citations to the venue, though it's still a mystery as to why they showed up at 8pm on a Friday night and not during the off-hours… or like, during daylight hours at all.
Saint Vitus has now issued a statement saying the closure is only temporary, and that they're working through everything. The root of the issue also seems to stem from one Twitter user who has a bone to pick with the venue over their politics. Real "Blue Checkmark In 2024" energy, man.
"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."
