A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the staff of Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus after being shut down by the NYC Department of Buildings on Friday, February 16th. The sudden closure occurred during a show featuring headliners Mindforce, which the show has since been rescheduled to March 9th at the Meadows. 

Official documents revealed bureaucratic discrepancies against Saint Vitus bar, such as the absence of maximum occupancy signs, potential overcapacity, and an outdated Certificate of Occupancy, which allegedly led to the abrupt closing. 

The incident has raised concerns about the venue’s future, but the team and a supportive metal community are actively seeking a solution. A temporary closure remains, resulting in the staff without income. To further help the staff members before a solution is made, you can donate via GoFundMe since the campaign launched just over three days ago, raising nearly half of their goal with just over $12,000 donations out of $25,000. 

The statement on the campaign reads:

“Hello, my name’s Jim Carroll and I work as a bartender at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn. As many of you may know the venue was recently shut down by the Department of Buildings due to circumstances outside of the staff’s control. As the owners try to remedy this and get the establishment open again the bar, door, production and sound staff are left without income for an indefinite period of time.

The bar staff relies heavily on tips from the patrons that come to the shows and events at the venue. The production staff depend on the doors being open and there being shows and events in general. Unemployment is an option for some but not all. With the venue doors closed we’re left to scramble at an already slow time of the year.

This goal is a projection of what the staff is losing out on over the month of March and what we’ve already lost in February. A reopening is unclear and will probably go well beyond this point. Whatever is raised will go 100% to the staff (with the exception of any taxes and fees) to help them with rent, bills, and the high cost of living in nyc. This is not to raise money for the bar to get its doors back open. Also, if anyone has any employment/gig opportunities send them our way!

Hopefully see you all again soon!”

 

Metal Insider contributors have united to stand behind Saint Vitus as they’ve shared memories through photos captured within the venue, while we all look forward to seeing a reopening solution.