A DIY-style music venue known for throwing late-night parties with up-and-coming indie acts was raided by cops early Sunday morning just as its owners were closing down for the night.
Chief Bodega was participating in BAM’s “Sounds Like Brooklyn” Music Festival, hosting DJ Dirty Finger, DJ Teenwolf, Mr. Andersonic and Murdertronics in what the venue's co-owner Andy Smith describes as "One of the better parties yet!" At 3 a.m. the cops showed up to douse that flame.
Smith writes on Chief Bodega's blog, "After nosing around for a few minutes as kids cleared out, the police grabbed me." Summing up the consequences, he writes "I narrowly avoided jail time, a $500,000 fine, and further complications."
As a result, Smith and the rest of the Bodega crew have been forced to cancel all upcoming events for an unforeseen amount of time, while they sort through the remaining paperwork to get an official liquor license in order. It's not the way they wanted this to work. "It makes me sad to cancel parties and fail to keep commitments to promoters and performers," Smith confides, adding "but we have no choice."
But no worries, DIY music fans of New York, Smith wants you to know all will be ok, and they'll be back, "Bigger, badder, and stronger."
