Saint Vitus Bar, iconic Brooklyn metal venue, shut down by NYC DOB
Laura Jane Grace sings with a fan onstage as Against Me! performs during a secret aftershow party at Saint Vitus Bar on May 4, 2014 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Saint Vitus Bar, an iconic metal venue in Brooklyn, was shut down in the middle of a show Friday night by New York City's Department of Buildings.
The band Mindforce was performing in the Greenpoint venue when city building inspectors found out it was operating illegally as a bar, according to the New York Post. Concertgoers and workers were immediately escorted out of the building.
"We are saddened and deeply frustrated by the circumstances and are working to remedy the situation as fast we can," Saint Vitus said in a statement. "This closure is temporary, but we want to address everything that directly affects our community of artists and fans alike."
According to the Buildings Department, the space is only designed for a commercial store and for storing machinery.
A spokesperson for the NYC DOB told The Post that there were more than a dozen 311 complaints about Saint Vitus.
Records show 16 complaints about the bar's proper certificate of occupancy which dates back to May. The records also show that the complaints have been coming from one person.
Saint Vitus also posted on their Instagram story that they are helping bands find venues to switch their shows to and are assisting ticket holders. Current shows on their calendar can be found here.
The New York Post said the DOB issued the business a violation and noted that it did not issue any vacate order.
"As a result of our inspection, we issued a violation to the property owner for operating the unpermitted place of assembly, contrary to the legal occupancy of the building," a spokesperson for the department told the Post. "During our inspection, DOB did not issue a Vacate Order at the building. The building can still be occupied."
Back in July, the DOB issued the same violation, but they say that the property owner never corrected the issue.
Saint Vitus opened in 2011, and the 250-cap venue has showcased performances by big names like Blink-182, Dave Grohl, Megadeath, the Decendents and more.