Speak in Tongues had similar problems.

They had a SHOW closed down and two of the guys running the place were arrested when they HAD PROPER PERMITS.

Folks involved with the Church know Speak in Tongue folks. You might talk with them about how they handled such matters.

The show I reference above was closed that night (a local show the night after the Crash Worship concert - which was pretty major at the time) BUT the venue remained open for several more years.

Adam - beautifully stated.

yes, very well said adam.

literly hundreds of tremonters enjoyed coming out to see local & out of town bands at the church including many readers of tremonter.
i'm not surprised to see only a couple comments here showing support, many people are wary & gun-shy or perhaps scared to voice their opinion because they know that their place of 'worship' could be next.

its easy to say "they should've had the right permits" though we know many galleries, bars, restaraunts go without the proper papers.
does anyone ever wonder what would happen if the watering-hole they hangout in had a similar raid, with drug sniffing dogs, vice units and a k-9?
how about their business? you have all the right permits, smoke alarms, fire extinguisher? are they all working?

most bars in tremont have a patio, does the manager know whats going on out there? all the time? if they get busted, how will they take the comment: 'well, you should of had a security guard out there'?

how about the bathroom? what goes on in there? is that weed i smell? what are you doing about that? whats that paper behind the bar? a superbowl pool or your tabs? did you just get that guy who parked his car in the wrong direction across the street another jagr? is that young lady you just served a drink to of age? is that a real ID? oh, you have a minimum of 10 dollars for credit card, i thought when you signed that aggrement with the CC that there was stipulation of no mimimum? wow all these dogs are cute, can i bring mine in?
i could go on and on..

i been in every joint in tremont, none of those places are without 'sin'. it is immpossible to guarantee 100 percent that your patrons are not partaking in something illegal [gambling, drugs, over the limit & driving, concealed weapon, pron, etc] none the less that all YOUR 'ducks are in a row'..

so for those feeling all high & mighty: remember what mama said about people in glass houses before you castigate someone about not having the correct paper work.

Now this is a story in Cleveland that is as old as the land negotiations of the Western Reserve; Free space, independent art venues being counter acted by the powers that be. The most notorious of these witch hunts being the legendary, Cleveland’s Speak In Tongues, or perhaps arguably the thoughtless painting over of The Temple of Lost Love (subnote: The Green Room). Since then, and with little financial support from the community in which resides, and more so depending on the performance art, and gallery donations to keep the place going, The Church is trying to uphold an artistic directive passed down over Cleveland’s years and tired winters to The Church and its patrons. After the city, again in the national register as the one of the poorest cities in the nation; a consistency for I don’t know how many years, and estimations of considerable emigrations out of the City the ‘righties’ feel the need to pounce on valid and important art venues that if as harmless to the moral right as a hornet in the snow. It is forever amazing how diligent, positive, and organized that the free spaces have been here. To spite all odds and financial assured disasters, there are mores free spaces than ever in the city, and even more suprising is the foreces that want to destroy these venues.

TO: the right,

These are simply venues through which the artists of a city may experiment with artistic ideas to grow upon a transcendental understanding of the importance of such a catalyst in order to not only continue, but to also further a higher consciousness in the realms of art preservation and reformations of cultural ideals that parallel as well reflect the ever evolving mass conscious. Free space venues keep the culture of a place bright and focused in the distant eyes of a neighbor hood, in a city, in a nation, and in a world.

I will admit it, I have thought of leaving this city, like everyone else probably 150 times a day in the winter, when work is sparse, days are dark and long, and always snow outside the window. I have been feeling this way as of late, I attended a show at The Church, to some how reconnect myself to Cleveland’s importance and uniqueness.

It was October first, and the city was looking grim as always and the internal dialogue was chattering with curses of an impending winter. “Shit, already!� I thought as a pre adolescent chill zipped through my ‘hoodie’ sweat shirt as I rounded the corner of West 14th and Auburn. I remember thinking to myself that it seemed important to go to this show. The Fate of Ripper Played first as I walked in to a non rowdy, but attentive crowd of neo hippies, calmly as if watching an animal documentary. On the stage stood two young girls, one dressed in a polka dotted thrift store blouse badged by an electrified ukulele, and the other girl, blonde wearing large grey old granny glasses, her head surrounded by synthetic animal fur smiling wide and squeezing not entirely impressive sounding accordion. It was their last song, breezed with the cutely passionate vocals of the singer. The crowd responded with applause and the rattling of costume jewelry.

I was pleased, and ran down stairs to grab a smoke and was startled to find Queen May and the Bells in full costume, looking like some sort of weird black -painted tree people, I think one had a kid’s drum, some bells were involved and the tree person with the costume hunch back had these pyramid shaped wooded blocks, three to each hand and the clucked and banged and jingled past me, minstraling up the starcase to the stage. I thought to myself, “..only in Cleveland..only at The Church.�

The crowd was shuffling around, but again was attentive and respectful for the performance art in front of them.

The next act was Tara Jane Oneil, and was a hypnotic and genuine take on the solo girl with a guitar, and creating Sonic Youth/Blonde Red Head-like guitar hymns cast under the soothing and amazing voice of Oneil that would rattle in everyone’s heads for the rest of the night. I have seen many solo performers and Oneil performed with concentration, focus and expert control between the guitar and vocal dynamic. The crowd was silent as a congregation, allowing the hypnosis of Oneil to set instinctually into the room. It was delicate and strong all in the same breath. The show was climaxed when the drummer tree person, now in common hipster gear, joined Oneil along with Cleveland poet, Matt Waskovich, spiting improve poetry over Oneil and the tree person, and then was pulled together with another Cleveland Poet, and key member of Blk Tyger, R.A.Washington responded from the darkest corner of the room with the slow and smooth lull of the trumpet. The song ended gracefully and the collective energy was nearly tangible.
Simply with the closing of that set, and walking out into the chill that no longer seemed to bother me, all my doubt about Cleveland were cast away out into lake Erie.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his essay, ART:

“…historically viewed, it has been the office of art to educate the perception of beauty…It needs, by the exhibition of single traits, to assist and lead the dormant taste. We carve and paint, or we behold what is carved or painted, as the students of the mystery of Form. The virtue of art lies in detachment, in sequestering one object from the embarrassing variety. Until one thing comes out from the connection of things, there can be enjoyment, contemplation, but no thought.�

S.Mishak

I've got a few comments about The Church:

One, it's a damn shame. I went there a couple of times on Art Walk nights and while I wasn't a frequent visitor, I appreciate the fact that the space exists. It serves a need in our neighborhood and in our city.

Two, the police have admitted they won't respond to calls about OPEN drug use/sales due to cutbacks and a lack of man/womanpower, but they can show up en force at the Church with a drug-sniffing dog? What the f***?!!

I'm calling the Mayor's Action Line to suggest that my tax dollars be spent in better ways, like responding to legitmate calls about stolen cars and home break-ins, painting over graffiti, moving faster to redevelop boarded-up and repoed properties, attracting new businesses to Cleveland, supporting neighborhood organizations instead of cutting funding programs, supporting the arts, improving the schools...the list is endless. I am personally pissed off and offended that some s***head managed to get the police out to shut down The Church when I couldn't get them to respond to 20 kids fighting with chains and knives in the middle of my street at 2 a.m.

Third, I wouldn't be surprised if the "do-gooders" (because that's how they see themselves) who turned in the Church spread their reach to other Tremont businesses. So, if the folks at the Treehouse, the Flying Monkey, Fahrenheit, Lolita, Lago, Lava Lounge, Lincoln Park Pub, La Tortilla Feliz, 806, Fat Cats, Edisons, Southside, Parallax, etc., don't have all their ducks in order (Correct number of parking spaces, anyone? Having live musical acts without the proper occupancy permit? Sprinklers up to code?) they'd better watch out.

I hope that all other business owners in Tremont who probably are soon to be targeted by the same jackasses rally around the cause before their businesses and livelihoods are on the chopping block. When it was the Starkweather or the Mutt Hutt, business owners in "historic" Tremont were pretty complacent. I hope, for their sakes and the sake of our neighborhood, that they're not so complacent now. The plague is spreading folks...

In rsponse to Sandy. You make a valid if mistaken point. I support the arts vehemently.I also support equal opportunity.Not acquiring the proper permits or zoning for any business venue as instructed by law creates an unfair advantage or disadvantage to those who went through the arduous task navigating Clevelands bldg&hsing in order to be above board and beyond reproach.Yes, it is expensive and is a mitigating factor in dtermining if you are able to operate a legal business one may need to save a little more or encourage investors it's referred ta as a business plan.Yes, Tremont has many marginal albeit successful business and why aren't they being targeted by city inspectors? So it does seem unfair to target one venue over the other.As someone who did everything legal ie parking, electrical,plumbing architect plans, etc...I am also enraged at the arbitrary and favors for dollars way of doing business that Cleveland City Hall engages in,-including council members. So the solution is be legal be fair and present your business to the public with no opportunity for the city to target you. If the door is left wide open someone just might walk through it.

While they are not always acurate, my spies tell me it was not "he who shall not be named" who dropped the dime on the Church. Of this I am resonably confident.

So who dropped the dime on the Church? Actually a number of residents complained but from what was explained to me it was TWDC's complaint that rang the bell. Then again I could be being fed inaccurate or incomplete information. Certainly incomplete. e.g. It was not explained to me why TWDC decided to wack the Church.

TCJ

"It was not explained to me why TWDC decided to wack the Church."

a sad cry for attention and relevance?

Well, hopefully we'll find out for certain who filed the complaint if the police ever mail it to Rafeeq.

I sent the Church link to all the local news stations. Here is an email from my friend commenting on the closing: "... i'm thinking that the city of cleveland is just not wanting anymore culture than a rib fest and an insane clown posse show.... fuckin sad... and people call Tremont "the artsy part of town" yea if you call selling a rich couple from Beachwood a painting with a bottle of wine in it "artsy" ... man cleveland is progressive... i can't keep up..."

TWDC did not shut down the Church. Certain "neighbors," and I use that term loosely because from what I've been told, some don't live near the Church, filled out Hot Spot forms that TWDC distributes to all block clubs and has available at the TWDC offices. All TWDC does is supply the forms. What people write on them is their own responsibility/concern/complaint.

And I agree that in a perfect world, all businesses operating in the city of Cleveland would have the proper permits. Too bad the system is so effed up, expensive and generally annoying that many choose not to go that route and try to operate without proper permitting.

More importantly, many businesses that DO have all their permits still are targeted by certain people trying to take away their legally obtained permits, which I'm sure, sometimes, makes those business owners wonder why the eff they bothered trying to open a business in the Tremont neighborhood in a small-business-unfriendly city like Cleveland.

It's one thing if the city is conducting a general crackdown or sweep of businesses operating without proper permits. It's another thing if residents systematically are targeting businesses in their neighborhood that they don't like, just because those businesses don't fit into their world order.

If these independent business owners/residents are driven out of Tremont (and Cleveland, in some cases), the people who drove them out will celebrate. But it will be a pyrrhic victory, because the neighborhood and the city will suffer from the loss of these creative, independent, innovative people, while deriving no real benefit from the people who drove them out.

On another note, I wish someone could explain to me why Hot Spot forms targeting other neighborhood concerns go ignored by the city and police department and calls to the city and police department from other residents are ignored, while calls and complaints from this group are acted upon. Personally, like I said earlier, I'd rather see my tax dollars put to better use.

There are also quality of life issues surrounding the opening of a business, Tremont especially, considering there is so much residential property.If residents filled out hot spots they were excersing their democratic right to do so.It amuses me that the smug untouchable attitude that many illegals in Tremont share is now being challenged. Yes, these business' should be swept and closed until they comply to the legal requirements Legislated by Cleveland City Council. Perhaps Sandy, would like us do away with all of the laws and regs and let people do their own bidding and create more anarchy than already exists in Cleveland. It is a severly flawed system. I hope the city does what they are elected to do and levels the playing field and in the course steamlines bldg&hsing even going so far as to provide a written guideline from a-z to assist those who want to invest in Cleveland. Not just the endless pages of ordinances but an easy to read guideline. There has to be more variation in developement bar after bar after bar is poor develepement and greatly affects quality of life for the residents. There should be a limit to how many any given community is saturated with but that would take legislation and political contributions rule Cleveland. Sandy speaks of complacency by the other business. NO, it is culpability. Do you really believe an illegal business is going to jump to the aid of another illegal? It's in their best interest to sit back quietly and pray that the spot light doesn't shine on them. It is fair to say that all this boo-hooing over a business that was not legal annoys me. Do the work get legal and prosper.If you try to do something and its illegal and you get caught suck it up and enjoy the time you had.Respect yoour fellow business that are legal ask their help I am sure they would assist you if only in the sense of fair play.Sandy worries that her tax dollars aren't being well spent. Well so am I. Shut ALL illegal business and start anew so that those of us who went the extra mile to be in accordance aren't resentful to Tremont including TWDC. People don't resent you because your so fabululous that your own vanity. We resent you because you've been allowed to get away with metaphorical MURDER! And like any criminal you don't shed a tear until you get caught.

"metaphorical murder?" you lost me there.

i, too, am upset that there is no more church. i think that i am more upset with the way in which it was shut down...was a vice squad really needed or was that overkill? would a letter ordering a shut down or warning not have served the same function without wasting the vice squads time and energy? i have a list of other matters that are linked more closely to public safety that i would rather have the vice squad addressing.

the legal issue is moot at this point. the church did not have proper permits and all parties agree on this fact. i am looking forward and i am worried that nobody will step up, or be financially able to step up, and fill the void that the church has left. i follow the rule of law. i want the businesses in the neighborhood and in the city to follow the rule of law, but i also know that that is becoming more and more difficult for those that have limited means to do so. (I reference NPRs "talk of the nation, oct. 4 show The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor"-take a listen.) i also know that certain businesses get more help from the city and support from the neighborhood. There is not an even playing field for businesses in the tremont area. i can only hope that those with the means will step in and do the right thing for the sake of the WHOLE neighborhood.

From Chatter on today's Free Times

ON THE ROCK OF OUR FAITH

Another DIY music venue has come and gone. According to proprietor Rafeeq Washington, the tiny BYOB club known as the Church closed Wednesday after police responded to a noise complaint, issued citations for open containers, and ultimately shut the doors because the place didn't have an occupancy permit.

Washington says the Church, located in a storefront once used as a Guatemalan Pentecostal church at 2681 W. 14th St. in Tremont, hosted four or five shows a week, drawing 10 to 100 people, depending on the band. Rising from the ashes after the Inside Outside gallery closed, the Church ran as a cooperative, with seven members splitting the rent. Admission to shows was by donation.

Online discussion has blamed Scranton Road resident Henry Senyak — who lives two blocks away on the other side of Interstate 90 — for complaining enough to draw the police. Senyak says he's flattered, but doesn't have that much power. He did call the police about an incident in early September, when he says a member of the congregation jumped in front of his car, but hasn't called about anything else.

Tremont West Development Corp. Executive Director Colleen Gilson says the development corporation did fax the 2nd district police a "hot spot" report on the address on behalf of an unnamed resident, alleging numerous violations.

Washington is trying to raise money in the hopes of re-opening, but he needs an occupancy permit and also a permit to hold live performances. He's due in court to answer for one of the open-container citations on Friday the 13th.

Washington says police told him holding more shows at the Church could lead to jail time. He's noncommittal about whether he'll try to re-open. "To get an occupancy permit, we just apply and prove we can make it happen. But I think that would be blocked. I won't know more until I go to court." — Michael Gill

Rafeeq says they weren't cited for open container...

MMMMMMMOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY the big meanies took my toy away. WWWWWAAAAAA

Oh Christ shut the fuck up already. Jeeezzzz you think the Church was something special something new, the magic "business" (LOL) that would save Tremont and Cleveland!!!! IT WASN'T not by any fucking twist of the imagination. Places like the Church pop in and out of existance all the time. It works like this.

Ya run an illegal venue. It has it's time. It gets shut down. Well duh. That's how it works, if you speed everywhere you go eventually you get caught. Suck it up you knew it was gonna happen, stop feeling sorry for yourself and trying to blame everyone else. Now you have a choice kids, get the permits and fly right (if you really do have something special, yeah your the next CPT or whatever), or go back underground, wait and pop up somewhere else for another 3 months till they shut you down again. Oh I suppose there is a 3rd choice, cut a deal with someone with the right permits, Pat's in the Flats maybe, and do your little shows there.

The "Church" has existed in Tremont before granted not for quite sometime. It's always been the same 3 months or so then poof. Move along folks nothing too see here.

Re: Sandy's continual pounding of the "certain neighbors" drum. A bit like Bush's constant Straw Man arguements really. I am reminded of what that great cartoon philosopher Pogo once said "We have seen the enemy and they is us".

TCJ

Isn't the "underground" way of life to pop up and fizzle away, over and over, here and there, wherever you can, for as long as you can until you're shut down and pop up somewhere else? Seems to me that the closing of the Church is right in line with the music, the poetry, the art it represents. The art of rebellion. Revolutions cannot afford to survive, otherwise they turn into the things they revolt against. Art should not be sanctioned by the state (in the terms of the "right" to exist). It should thrive despite those who work against it. So, they closed you down. Move. You lose only if you are paralyzed by something like this. If you're artists, you'll test the limits, not break under the weight of a loss. Artists don't thrive about not getting their way, they relish in the fact that they never will.

Underground, well put.

reality check.

this hurts me way more than it hurts the rest of you.

things tremont is not:

beruit
jacobian france
13th century venice
the american west circa 1845
paris or vienna between the great wars
a hotbed of cultural revolution
anarchy, in any form

get a grip.

i admittedly enjoy the flowery prose being spilled here like wine at an orthodox greek wedding, but i'm apalled that people are putting these positions forth as personal gospel.

tremont has one fucking anarchist: frank.

that's it kids.

one.

one dude with the balls to tell city hall and his neighbors to get bent.

and he's paying the price.

the rest of us are engaged in different forms of attack and collusion within the ill-defined social mafia that is cleveland's social heirarchy. including me. i still pay parking tickets and pay for my daily java at civ with legal tender.

let's take into account some facts:
1. it's pretty easy to keep tabs on somebody these days.
this pretty much takes all the fun out of being an anarchist.
and pretty much precludes any sort of leisure time activity.
like, i dunno, art?
if you seriously believe that you can exist as a unregulated
self supporting social activism venue in cleveland then i
need your help shoring up some foundation problems in my
own little house of "what if?"

2. it's pretty damn hard to run a business unless you're already
fucking rich.
self explanatory.

3. it's pretty damn hard to get anything done in the public
sphere in cleveland without powerful allies or a lot of
untraceable cash donations.
corruption is a greedy mistress.
see also: #2

4. tremont is pretty damn safe.
sorry folks. i ain't seen anybody get knifed in this 'hood
just because they were the wrong color or didn't feel like
sharing their beer. is there a high theft prob? yep. is it a
violent theft problem or race riots? nope.
you can walk around pretty much as you damn well please
without any real trouble day or night. that's safer than most
suburbs.

5. public safety concerns seem to be generated solely from the
p.o.v. of "looking-out-for-number-fucking-one".
where's the sense of engagement and give and take that are
supposed to be part human of communities?

tremont was once a wrecked little outlaw of a 'hood filled with the disenfranchised poor that attracted the attention of folks who came for the rent and stayed for the atmosphere.
i wasn't here at that time but that doesn't mean that i don't understand the lessons of history.

you're killing tremont.

this venal, pendantic, self interested crap about who the fuck is the real tremont is ruining any chance of making an unstable situation livable, sustainable and fun.

smile tremont! everybody's losing the war!

Well spoken madbunny.

...still giggling about the frank comments - sweet, but true...

here here. and for god's sake--a tremonter t-shirt does not a tremonter make.

to quote madbunny, "see #6:"

"this venal, pendantic, self interested crap about who the fuck is the real tremont is ruining any chance of making an unstable situation livable, sustainable and fun."

So jimmy Dimora supports Joe Santiago ward 14s criminal$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ (favors for donations) A steak dinner from Joe Is only $3,400.00 and your unwanted niteclub will be open and supported.The money ought to keep YOU in cigs in prison and jimmy in doritos. Maybe they can share a cell and share the embrace as the they at Teresa harts, rosemary vincie, Emily Lipovan -party for Stricland. Did he even show? Maybe He was foewarned IT was meagerly attended as the community becomes aware that criminals can only drag you down. Criminals on tax dollar money what a shame for us. I love Jimmy embracing Joe Santiago it explains volumes.Corrution and ego always exposes itself so share the love boys and the laughs. Santiago the character assisinator. Wonder how illegal business get started and supported ?unlike his questionable college degree from college. He has a phd in egomaniacle torture of his constituents.If Jimmy dimora supports this then he supports corruption. Joes introduction to area business on Jan3rd 2006 was I am the queen of Ward 14 who wants to be my princess? These were open mindedaccepting heterosexual men, yet they were deeply isulted and shocked by this lack of professionalism. He wandersd why they don't like him. Well the last queen who said Let them eat cake-lost her head. It took awhile but they displayed that head in glee and I hope to see Santiago political head swwung around for all to see. It's coming folks. Joe cimpermann will probably pretend he barely knows joe but the damage will be done. Think Bob Ney and your looking at the junior Bob He is JOe cimperman and Santiago. Time will reveal these self proclaimed heroes to be the monsers they are. Rosemary how will you weasle out, I'm sure you will. Emily Lipovan the puppet master your strings are about to get cut. You had better run fast the villagers want your head.Illegal business? Look no farther than the above mentioned. Great at parties or in backseat of cars or bathhouses not so great as politicians. They believe your stupid and as voters you allow it. Blame yourselves make a change the power is in the vote.

Well that certainly was a train wreck.

*Shudder* Not a pretty sight.

TCJ

indeed.

calm down and try again.

in english.

What

Thanks folks - and I feared I was the only who thought things had gotten silly.

ah, the "be legal" person should take the meds more often and mad bunny is correct but it is not that friggin hard to do things "more or less" correctly. The Church did it in a fashion that allowed "the man" to fine them. what amazes me is that everyone thinks that the couple of grand it would take to solve all this is absolutely unattainable. it is a friggin fine not the wrath of god. madbunny, welcome to capitalism ... yup, it sucks! on the other hand it doesn’t really take that much capital to give it a shot (insurance, permits, exits …blah, blah, blah). now staying alive AND jumping all the hoops does require a PAYING audience (or a grant). if the basic concept of the club is not flawed then it can be done.

They can't just move. They are locked into a long lease at the moment.

It comes down to economics in the end. The collective approach was a good way to divide the financial/time burden, but I don't think that held together for very long there.

I am more interested in considering how a place like this could actually fly than pointing fingers.

It's occurred to me that the Tremont Food Store or whatever the name of that convenient store on W. 14th is might want to donate to the cause here. I am sure they've noticed a drop in revenue since the closing.

About the only place I'm aware of that seems to be successful in running a small venue for regular art/avant garde performance etc is the Passport Project on the east side near Shaker Square. It's a non-profit with a solid mission and a very conscientious Director who gives back to her community through the programs offered at her space. That's very full-time and involves grant funding and a leader with a strong vision, firm commitment and tireless energy. Quite a different scene from the Church aesthetically and schedule-wise, but not too far off, not a different situation altogether. It's something to consider, aiming perhaps for a combo of the outstanding music bookings the Church revolved around and community-oriented art programs for children and adults. Hmm.