Baltimore People! Sonar shuts down!

[Lazarus.Bird]

We here at Sonar regret to inform you that we are no longer able to operate as a venue. Mr. Lonnie Fisher, corporate owner of Sonar, has shut the building down. He has refused to renew the liquor license and the corporate charter for 407 Saratoga Inc. All of the money in our account went into paying our taxes with the promise of the license being renewed and transferred to the new owners.

Now that we do not have a license and can not obtain one, Lonnie Fisher has given us no means to continue. It is with great despair and frustration that we must announce this to all of our friends, employees, and customers, but we have been given absolutely no choice. If you are owed money by 407 Saratoga Inc, we will do everything in our power to help you recover it.



Posted to their facebook a few minutes ago. Super lame

[Din Of Win]

Hmmm... i'm torn...

I saw some great shows there... Mogwai in peticular sounded AMAZING there.

However, they ran that place SO incredibly crappily. Last summer they TOTALLY screwed us over at Insubordination Fest... false advertising on beer sales, non-free water that climbed in price as the weekend went on (this was week 2 of those consecutive 100+ degree days), no ins-and-outs, and general crappyness to the bands.

This year we already have the fest booked between Ottobar and Sidebar, with possible CCAS and Hexagon (and house) shows intermixed.



But...

*** will happen with:

-Maryland Death Fest
-Shellac
-The Talking Head

[jaywa]

Just on principle, I always hate to see a live music venue close its doors.

OTOH I really have no use for clubs that gouge patrons, jack their staff and screw bands all to squeeze a few more bucks down to the bottom line.

Hopefully a new stage will open in that area to replace the one that has closed.

[Lazarus.Bird]

I already talked to Evan and MDF is absolutely still on, working on relocating. I'm glad I didn't preorder deftones tickets.

I totally get what you're saying about how the place was run, however when a place like this falls another rarely rises in it's place. They let us open for The Ocean with no ticket presales and we got some great exposure from it. Bummed this happens right as we start making our way into the Baltimore scene.

[Lazarus.Bird]

I'd also like to add that $8 for a maker's and ginger ale is retarded. Unfortunately most things that people complain about are controlled by the owners and the staff that puts in blood and sweat to make the place work gets **** on in multiple forms. Working in the bars and night clubs in college at Penn State you will rarely find an establishment that what I just said doesn't apply to :/

[Din Of Win]

There are plenty of rad venues in Baltimore for ya to play still!!! CCAS, Ottobar, Sidebar, Hexagon, Bell Foundry... etc etc etc...


But yeah, MDF is on the ball: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maryla...13388912032955

[Lazarus.Bird]

Yeah we've got a good relationship with sidebar I love those guys and doing a CCAS show soon. Ottobar requires presale tickets (pay to play!) but I love going to shows there.

[diosito]

Maryland Death Fest IX !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thedude77md]

There is a lot more to it than that. Per this article Lonnie has not had any ownership since 2009 and the management/current owners slept on it. I tend to put more faith in the Baltimore Business Journal than the club owners posting on Facebook but who knows.

Sonar nightclub shuts down | Baltimore Business Journal

[Lazarus.Bird]

Yeah, seems the "truth" is now surfacing and that the current owners dropped the ball and are blaming Lonnie. Apparently the guy posting under Sonar's FB page is one of the current owners. He's acting incredibly unprofessional with this whole thing.