If you're someone who is supporting the Clubhouse Music Venue and its owner during the current brouhaha over the recent shooting outside the concert hall, tonight's the night to let the City of Tempe know about it. Ditto for anyone on the other side of the issue who'd like to the venue punished or shut down.
A public forum will be held at 6 p.m. tonight at the Tempe History Museum regarding the Clubhouse. According to museum employees, the town hall will take place during a meeting of Tempe's Neighborhood Services Division in the facility's community room.
Eugenia Ruven, the owner of both the Clubhouse and the adjacent Horse & Hound Sports Grill who was arrested by the Tempe Police Department on Friday for failing to adhere to the establishment's security plan, made a plea on Facebook for fans of the music venue to show their support at the meeting.
As we reported last week, the Clubhouse's security plan has been revoked by Tempe officials, which could ultimately cause both the concert hall and the adjacent Horse & Hound Sports Grill to close. Ruven, however, is fighting to keep that from happening, and encouraged others to help join in the battle.
Per her Facebook message, the club owner is hoping to counter allegations that her venue, which opened in 2004, is "not safe for our customers or this city."
"Because of the unfortunate events in front of my places last Friday March 2nd The City of Tempe is taking legal action against me and my places," Ruven stated in the post. "We have been in Tempe for close to 8 years and the Horse and Hound has been a staple here for over 18 years. Please take the time to show up for that meeting we need all the positive voices we can have to outshine the negative ones."
Ruven, who is also encouraging supporter to create supportive signs to bring to the meeting, stated the following: "How they can tell me it is my fault this happened and not the people that did the violence makes me ill."
Ricky Goltz, a member of local rock act Property Six, has also been attempting to drum up support for the Clubhouse online over the weekend by creating a Facebook invite to the meeting entitled "Save the Clubhouse and the Horse & Hound."
The musician, who's band performed at Chasers Bar and Nightclub on the same evening that a second shooting took place in the Scottsdale music venue's parking lot, is using the group to help drum up support for the Clubhouse.
Goltz adds that the potential loss of the Clubhouse would be a blow to the Valley's music scene.
"The Clubhouse is an extremely important venue because it is one of the few All Ages clubs that we have left," he states. "If Tempe shuts this place down without a fight....who knows what else could happen to venues in AZ."
