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Content from our friends over at Barking Dogs

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Lower Greenville bar & grill Suede shuts down

by Avi Adelman of of Barking Dogs

Suede

The rumors floating around the street last weekend were almost too good to be true - Suede was going to close their doors on Saturday evening for the last time.

Sources all over Lower Greenville - and a few inside the bar - told Barking Dogs that Suede was already on a month-to-month lease, operating under the not-so-steady hands of Tony Avezzano and his son. The deadline for this month's lease was Tuesday, but it looks like they threw in the towel. A locksmith sealed the doors shut on Wednesday afternoon, according to people who called BD.

The body's not cold yet, but a few wise wags on the street on Wednesday evening told BD that the space was already leased by a new owner; there was no information on whether they are changing the name or when they will reopen.

To describe Suede as a pain in BD's rump would be putting it mildly - this is, after all, a family website.

In BD's website search engine, Suede pops up a record of 79 times - search for loud rooftop bands, extortion claims, Joe Avezzano, Matt Mankin, dance violations, smoking in restaurants that are really bars, and personal but very subtle threats on BD and his family. Like a bunch of spoiled kids, they kept trying to tell everyone they were right and we were wrong.

If they ever tried to operate as a real restaurant - the way they promised back before they opened - they might have made a positive contribution to the neighborhood.

BD feels sorry for the 25 people who lost their jobs due to bad management and poor judgment, and the investors who found their money going into a grease trap. But believe me, BD will never ever miss Joe Avezzano, Matt Mankin or any of the other fools who truly believed the garbage they dished out about the neighbors who could not stand their noise or bad attitude.

Pegasus News content partner - Barking Dogs

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Anonymous

Robert Kelly, says:

I always have to comment what a huge douche this guy is.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Pavel Lishin, says:

What the hell is a dance violation?

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Scott Doyle, says:

Get some class, Avi. Christ.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Tracy Yost, says:

A dance violation has to do with obtaining a "dance hall permit" from the city. Which is required if any 2 people ever dance in your establishment. Very common violation as I understand it.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Pavel Lishin, says:

They allowed dancing? EVEN ON SUNDAYS!?

Burn them down!

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1 year, 3 months ago
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xdavidwattsx, says:

This is why people hate Avi. It's not so much that I give a crap about Suede, but Avi's so damn pompous and militant that he won't stop until everything on lower Greenville is closed and replace by a CVS. I feel sorry for his neighbors.

Anonymous

1 year, 3 months ago
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Scott Doyle, says:

I've never stepped foot in Suede. Don't have to know the establishment to see that Avi's an ass.

Need more clarification on that dance hall permit, imo. I'm interested in seeing how they define "dancing" versus other body movements.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Pavel Lishin, says:

"I was wrongfully arrested, your honor! I wasn't dancing at all, but having an purple lectic fit!"

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Tracy Yost, says:

your buddy Avi has the city code re: dance halls on his website here - http://www.barkingdogs.org/news/node/181

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Alex Bentley, says:

(2) DANCE HALL means a place where:

(A) dancing by patrons or customers is permitted; or

(B) dance or any similar live performance is presented to the public.

(3) CLASS A DANCE HALL means any place where dancing is permitted three days or more a week.

(4) CLASS B DANCE HALL means any place where dancing is permitted less than three days a week.

(5) CLASS C DANCE HALL means any place where dancing is scheduled one day at a time.

(6) CLASS E DANCE HALL means any place where dancing is permitted seven days a week for persons from age 14 through age 18 only.

Dancing is permitted at my house 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- shut me down! But, man, that's some vague definition -- IMO, there should be a difference between "permitted" and "encouraged." Any place with a jukebox is gonna have the occasional person getting down. Doesn't mean it's a "dance hall."

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Scott Doyle, says:

Not seeing anything defining 'dance' itself.

Bored.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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xdavidwattsx, says:

This really IS like a Kevin Bacon movie.

Anonymous

1 year, 3 months ago
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jtmbls, says:

Good luck to the new owners. Hasn’t this war been waging long before this place was named Suede? I pray that the new owners run a 24 hour marching band studio. With special emphasis on the drums and bugle. But no dancing.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Tracy Yost, says:

Alex - you are right on the money. As far as I can tell, the city uses this permit for two reasons - one, revenue. Next thing you know, we'll need a permit to have restrooms in the club. Also, they tend to whip this one out against clubs that they are having other issues with.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Pavel Lishin, says:

Alex: I don't think your house has "patrons" or "customers". Then again, I don't see those terms defined.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Alex Bentley, says:

Got a little confused when Tracy followed "permit to have restrooms" with "whip this one out" -- started to wonder what happens at her and Rick's bar.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Pavel Lishin, says:

All sorts of things, Alex. Feel free to join us whenever we go out there - we'll be the creepy folks sitting in the private room up top, peering out at the crowd and occasionally retreating further back into the shadows to do whatever it is we do.

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Tracy Yost, says:

sometimes dancing, and sometimes in the restrooms ;-)

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Jake Shuler, says:

I seriously can't stand this guy. Hopefully our site will be a voice for some of these bars and help extinguish some of this morons childish games!From what I hear he's pretty ruthless though . . .

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1 year, 3 months ago
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Tony_B, says:

If Avi wants to clean up the neighborhood, he should start with his own house. What a classless human being. And certainly hypocritical regarding the charges of extortion, right, Avi?