Saint Vitus (venue)

Saint Vitus Bar
Exterior of Saint Vitus in 2023
Map
Address1120 Manhattan Ave
LocationGreenpoint, Brooklyn, New York
Coordinates40°44′12.5″N 73°57′18.7″W / 40.736806°N 73.955194°W / 40.736806; -73.955194
TypeBar and music venue
Capacity250[1]
OpenedApril 11, 2011[2]
ClosedFebruary 16, 2024
Website
saintvitusbar.com

40°44′12″N 73°57′19″W / 40.736803°N 73.955201°W / 40.736803; -73.955201 Saint Vitus was a bar and music venue located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

Opened in April 2011, the 2,500 square feet (230 m2) venue was known for its heavy metal atmosphere.[3][4] The magazine Kerrang! described Saint Vitus as the "one of the most important locations to see loud music in the entire world."[2] Pitchfork named it "The Best Metal Bar in New York City".[5]

In February 2024, the New York City Department of Buildings shut down Saint Vitus over multiple violations. In August 2024, Saint Vitus' owners announced that the venue was permanently closed.

History

Saint Vitus was opened in April 2011 by Arty Shepherd, Justin Scurti, and George Souleidis, along with two silent owners.[6] The space was formerly a plumbing school and before that a social club, and the owners hired Matthew Maddy to design the space, with the main intention to be a metal-themed bar that only occasionally held live shows.[7] The name was chosen because it was shared with the doom metal band Saint Vitus, a Bauhaus song, a Black Sabbath song and the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.[6]

The first show held there was Liturgy on May 6, 2011.[8] The band Saint Vitus played the venue on September 25, 2012.[9] In its early days, Pitchfork writer Brandon Stosuy booked bands such as Converge, Deafheaven and Iceage to play the venue because, in his words, "if you’re into loud music, and you live in New York, it’s where you want to go to see a show."[5]

In 2013, Shepherd and David Castillo, Saint Vitus's talent buyer, started up a record label called Sacrament Recordings and Merchandise to release an album by the band Sannhet.[10]

On April 10, 2014, the surviving members of Nirvana played an invite-only show at Saint Vitus directly after their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Barclays Center. Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic were joined by guest vocalists Joan Jett, J Mascis, Annie Clark, John McCauley and Kim Gordon.[11]

In April 2016, Saint Vitus celebrated its five-year anniversary with five nights of shows featuring headlining sets from Pallbearer, Corrosion of Conformity, Royal Thunder, and 13th Chime.[12]

Saint Vitus hosted weekly metal yoga sessions run by Metal Yoga Bones.[13] In addition, visual artist Karlynn Holland periodically curated day-long art shows under the moniker Dreams Were Made For Mortals.[14]

The music video for St. Vincent's "Fast Slow Disco", released on June 21, 2018, was filmed at Saint Vitus and named the tenth-best music video of the year by Rolling Stone.[15]

On April 7, 2020, the venue launched a Kickstarter page to help the business stay afloat while it was forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign's goal was set at $15,000, but wound up raising upwards of $125,000 in less than two months.[16]

In 2023, the venue announced a 346-page book, Saint Vitus Bar: The First 10 Years: An Oral and Visual History, featuring essays and interviews from figures including Dave Mustaine, Laura Jane Grace and Chuck Klosterman.[17][18]

Closure

On February 16, 2024, Saint Vitus was indefinitely shut down by the New York City Department of Buildings for multiple violations, including the absence of maximum occupancy signs and improper certifications for assembly and drinking. The venue was raided in the middle of a performance by the band Balmora, opening for Mindforce.[19] The organizers continued to host shows in other venues across the city under the banner "Saint Vitus Presents" while promising a potential reopening, but on August 17, 2024, the venue confirmed that it was now permanently closed in an Instagram post reading: "1120 Manhattan Ave. 2011-2024. Saint Vitus Bar to be continued… Thank you to everyone who was a part of it. ???? Love and Hails, Arty, George, David."[20]

Several artists and bands who played at Saint Vitus, including Thursday, Chelsea Wolfe, Ethel Cain and Saetia, paid tribute to the venue on social media.[21]

Notable events

References

  1. ^ Mariela (July 1, 2014). "Music venues: where to go from big to small". Explore Brooklyn. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Saint Vitus Bar: An Oral History Of Brooklyn's Metal Mecca". Kerrang!. April 15, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  3. ^ "Saint Vitus - Greenpoint". New York. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  4. ^ Del Signore, John. "Inside Saint Vitus, The Big New Place To Drink, Eat, Rock Out In Greenpoint". Gothamist. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Stosuy, Brandon (July 19, 2013). "The Best Metal Bar in New York City". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Moore, Doug (October 2, 2012). "Interview: Arty Shepherd of Saint Vitus Bar". Invisible Oranges. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  7. ^ Sposato, Jesse (April 14, 2011). "Greenpoint Does Rock and Roll With New Bar Saint Vitus". Greenpoint News. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  8. ^ a b "new bar/venue "Saint Vitus" opens in Brooklyn, Liturgy playing shows, Horseback collaborating w/ Locrian who play NY today". BrooklynVegan. April 17, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Ratliff, Ben (September 26, 2012). "Saint Vitus, the Band, at Saint Vitus, the Bar". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Leseman, Linda (January 8, 2013). "Brooklyn Metal Bar Saint Vitus Just Launched A New Record Label Because HELL YEAH!". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  11. ^ Pessaro, Fred (April 11, 2014). "I Saw Nirvana Play to Two Hundred People, in 2014". Vice. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  12. ^ Lewis, Catherine P. (April 12, 2016). "Greenpoint Heavy: Five Years of Metal Worship at Saint Vitus". Village Voice. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  13. ^ Valente, Stephanie (July 28, 2015). "Heavy Metal Yoga Changed My Life". Greenpointers. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  14. ^ "The Heavy Lowdown: Dreams Were Made for Mortals, A389 Bash, Gnaw & Malignancy, ++ more". Brooklyn Vegan. January 17, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  15. ^ Ducker, Eric (December 19, 2018). "10 Best Music Videos of 2018". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Shaffer, Claire (June 5, 2020). "Brooklyn Metal Club Saint Vitus Asked for $15,000 in COVID-19 Relief. They Raised Over $125,000". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  17. ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (June 22, 2023). "Brooklyn Metal Venue Saint Vitus Announces 10th Anniversary Book". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  18. ^ Davey, Emma (June 27, 2023). "Saint Vitus Bar Celebrates Their First 10 Years with a New Book". Greenpointers. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Iconic Brooklyn Metal Club Saint Vitus Bar Closed Indefinitely by The New York City Department of Buildings". Ghost Cult Magazine. February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  20. ^ Kennelty, Greg (August 17, 2024). "Saint Vitus Has Closed For Good". Metal Injection. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  21. ^ Hatfield, Amanda (August 19, 2024). "Thursday, Scowl, Saetia, Chelsea Wolfe, Walter Schreifels & more pay tribute to Saint Vitus Bar". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  22. ^ "Tony Iommi signed copies of his new book "Iron Man" at Saint Vitus in Greenpoint (pics)". BrooklynVegan. November 10, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  23. ^ Leseman, Linda (May 7, 2012). "Lasers, Inquisition, And A Cameo By The Wanted: The 10 Most Metal Moments Of Saint Vitus's One-Year Anniversary Week". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  24. ^ "The 9 Most Epic Shows at Saint Vitus Bar in NYC". Kerrang!. May 18, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  25. ^ Leseman, Linda (September 24, 2012). "Saint Vitus the Band Talk About Playing Saint Vitus the Venue". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  26. ^ Moore, Doug (September 30, 2013). "Carcass and Immolation played St. Vitus and Gramercy Theatre (pics & video)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  27. ^ "Judge playing intimate Brooklyn show!". BrooklynVegan. September 25, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  28. ^ "'Nirvana' & guests played Saint Vitus after Barclays Center! (video, pics, setlist)". BrooklynVegan. April 11, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  29. ^ "Zola Jesus performed in the snow outside Saint Vitus (watch)". BrooklynVegan. January 27, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  30. ^ "John Lydon talked about his new memoir at Saint Vitus (pics), will do it again at The Strand on Thursday". BrooklynVegan. April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  31. ^ Kickham, Dylan (October 28, 2015). "5 things we learned from Carrie Brownstein's conversation with Questlove". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  32. ^ "LITA FORD Discusses Her New Memoir At St. Vitus In Brooklyn, New York". Blabbermouth. February 24, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  33. ^ Ramanand, Liz (July 15, 2016). "Gojira Heat Up Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, N.Y." Loudwire. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  34. ^ "THE OBELISK ALL-DAYER: Official Poster & Runtimes Revealed". The Obelisk. June 30, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  35. ^ Sacher, Andrew (September 17, 2016). "Anthrax played an intimate cancer benefit at Saint Vitus (pics, review, setlist)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  36. ^ "Video: MEGADETH Plays 'Secret' Show At Brooklyn's Saint Vitus Bar". December 13, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  37. ^ "Thursday's Last Show Ever Is An Emotional Free-For-All". Kerrang!. March 22, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  38. ^ "Killing Joke at Saint Vitus: See Industrial-Rock Pioneers Play Intimate NYC Show". Revolver. May 17, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  39. ^ Sacher, Andrew (September 20, 2019). "blink-182 just played Saint Vitus (full set video, setlist)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  40. ^ "Saetia: '90s Screamo Icons Reunite for Benefit Show Weekend (PHOTOS x RECAP) | Features". www.noecho.net. November 27, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  41. ^ Kennelty, Greg (November 8, 2022). "GRIDLINK To Play Longhena In Full At Upcoming Show". Metal Injection. Retrieved October 30, 2023.