Echo Curio shut down for lack of permits
Flickr photo via aileenrobot
The Echo Curio has been a long-time performance and art space, and a great space for local bands to play – we’ve been in the crowd for many of our friend’s performances and are grateful to have a place in Echo Park for great music to happen. But on Friday night (October 1), the LAPD shut down the Echo Curio during a show, even after they complied with the city to cease the BYOB policy last August.
“As you know,” said co-owner Justin Justin McInteer, “we have been a dry space for over 3 months now, so were a little confused as to why the police are spending time shutting down a community art and performance space.” They then learned that this time, the violation seems to be a lack of permits, specifically a Cafe-Entertainment license required for any business with any form of entertainment (including karaoke) on a regular basis.
With several shows coming up, including the Culture Collide fest and full schedules through November with local and touring bands, other nearby spaces are helping redirect shows while the shop is closed through October 18. In the meantime, the Curio owners are doing their research and are even meeting with Eric Garcetti to find out what they should do.
“…hopefully we’ll pass the class and get the info we need together that day and start the process… What would be great to find out is if we can get temporary permission to have shows while this period of waiting for the next step – the inspection and then vote by the commission to (hopefully) approve our license,” a recent post on the website blog says.
Other classes and workshops will continue to be held at the shop, and the art gallery will still be open (an art opening for Justin McInteer will take place either Thursday or Friday). We hope things happen smoothly for the guys at the Echo Curio, and look forward to seeing some great shows soon!
If you’re interested in showing your support for the Echo Curio, tell Eric Garcetti at councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org
Look if I get cited for not cleaning up my yard i get cited and I clean up my yard. You where luckey enough to stay open enough to cause someones boots to see ya as compitition, they want you gone, maybe the Echo guy needs another location and he wants yours, who nows. Just comply get the friggin permits and lets party.