The popular Brooklyn metal bar Saint Vitus in Greenpoint has closed for good.
The owners of the rock club posted a kind of epitaph on Instagram on Saturday evening, along with a photo of them sitting on the abandoned stage. On a wall behind them, next to a pentagram, the club’s lifespan was spray-painted: “2011 – 2024”.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the many metalheads who compared the venue to a rad CBGB. “Saint Vitus Bar to follow… Thanks to everyone involved. Love and respect,” the owners wrote.
In February, city officials closed the venue in the middle of a performance by the band Mindforce. The move followed dozens of complaints to the city that the venue did not have the necessary permits to host large rock concerts, Gothamist reported.
Agency spokesman Andrew Rudansky had previously stated that Saint Vitus was an “illegal restaurant and liquor store” in premises intended to be used solely “as a commercial store and for the storage of machinery.”
Building Department records show outstanding violations at the site resulting from improper use permits.
Rumors circulated online that the club had been targeted by someone with a grudge. Council member Justin Brannan – a member of the hardcore band Most Precious Blood – said earlier this year that the closure “represents an element of the exploitation of the 311 system, which is a real problem.”
After the closure, owner Dave Castillo told Gothamist that staff was working on reopening. Since then, the group has been booking shows at various venues across the city under the name Saint Vitus Presents.
When Saint Vitus opened in 2011, the owners declared, “Finally, Greenpoint has a real damn ROCK BAR!” The bar’s name is a reference to a Black Sabbath song, which in turn is named after a neurological disorder that can cause involuntary movements and loss of emotional control, such as random crying and laughing.
“All three of us are musicians, so we designed this place to be a musician’s dream,” co-owner Justin Scurti told Gothamist at the time.
The club has hosted legendary shows over the years. In 2014, after Nirvana was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the surviving members played a secret show at Saint Vitus on the night of the ceremony, along with a group of special guests, including Joan Jett, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and J. Mascis of Dinosaur, Jr.
Councilman Lincoln Restler, who represents the district where the club was located, said Saint Vitus will be sorely missed.
“I spent many great evenings with live music at Saint Vitus and even sang karaoke with a live band,” he said.
Restler said he was surprised by Saturday’s announcement. He said he had recent conversations with the owners that led him to believe they were on track to comply with city regulations.
“I’m disappointed that we couldn’t find a way to keep Saint Vitus in our community because it really is a great place,” he said.
The club’s owners have said the reopening process is moving slowly due to “multiple” city authorities. In a March 2024 Instagram post, they wrote, “Unfortunately, we do not have a definitive answer on how long it will be before we can reopen.”
“But we are determined to find a solution to come back stronger than ever,” they said.
