Saint Vitus is closing down in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, after multiple complaints to the city about their allowed capacity. As Stereogum posited in its report, it’s possible that the noise could have also been a factor. Saint Vitus showcased such heavy genres as metal, punk, and the like; for a relatively quiet residential neighborhood like Greenpoint, that could have been a problem.
However, the official reasons for the complaints were allegedly that Saint Vitus was allowing more people inside than the venue could hold. According to a complaint issued to the NYC Department of Buildings in September 2023, “Saint Vitus Bar does not have any maximum occupancy signs posted anywhere, and more often than not they host more people than their allotted maximum capacity.”
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The complaint included other supposed violations, such as not being certified as an eating or drinking establishment. The complaint concluded with a terse, “I will continue to make this complaint on a daily basis until either the Department of Buildings performs an inspection or until Saint Vitus Bar can remedy their situation.”
Allegedly, the Department of Buildings attempted to make an inspection in November 2023. The document notes that “at time of inspection, door closed, no answer to door bells or knock on door.” In February 2024, the main complaint was filed, stating, “Operation of a place of assembly as per when current C/O [Certificate of Occupancy] does not allow such occupancy. Prermises [sic] is a 3 story mixed use building in which ground floor is being used as a [sic] eating and drinking establishment with a [sic] occupancy of approx. 250 persons.”
Saint Vitus Club in Brooklyn Shuts Down Due to Complaints, Owners Hint at Continuation
On February 16, city officials shut the bar down mid-show, as the band Mindforce was performing at the time. The owners of Saint Vitus—Arthur Shepherd, Dave Castillo, and George Souleidis—recently posted on social media, sharing a grim eulogy for the original club but hinting at something hopeful for the future. The post on Instagram features the three club owners sitting on the empty stage with the club’s start and end dates spray-painted on the back wall—2011-2024.
“Saint Vitus Bar to be continued…” they wrote in the caption, signing the post “Love and Hails; Arty, George, David.” This little hint should serve as a glimmer of hope for Brooklyn metal fans.
New York City councilmember Keith Powers, who was a regular at Saint Vitus according to a recent report from Gothamist, said that the news was “devastating,” but had some insights into the closing.
According to Powers, “a lot of capital improvements” needed to be made for the building to be up to code. However, he added, “I think ultimately they decided it was better to pick up and start somewhere new.”
Currently, the three owner of Saint Vitus are booking shows at various venues under the name Saint Vitus Presents. When the more than a dozen complaints came through initially, it was speculated that there was someone with a grudge against the venue.
According to a February report from Gothamist, the complaints began in 2017, with this year’s being the most recent. Councilmember Justin Brannan, who is in a metal band that has played Saint Vitus, claimed it felt like “an element of weaponization of the 311 system [citizen complaint hotline], which is a real problem.”
Featured Image via Instagram/Saint Vitus
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