Jay-Z's Atlantic City Nightclub Closes

Jay-Z's nightclub outpost in Atlantic City closed last fall after ending its lease early, The Press of Atlantic City reports. The rapper co-owned the 40/40 Club, which shut its doors October 27th in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, and never re-opened. A spokesman for the club said the hurricane damaged the building that housed the upscale sports bar, though a representative for the landlord, Tanger Outlets, disputed that claim.

The 40/40 Club opened in Atlantic City in October 2005 and had hosted a plethora of stars, including Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. The club's lease extended through 2015, but a dispute last year between Tanger Outlets and Jay-Z's partners, Juan Perez and Desiree Gonzalez, led both sides to agree to end the contract in 2012 instead. Tanger last year filed a civil suit against Perez and Gonzalez, claiming they owed the company more than $115,000 in rent and other charges.

The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time: Jay-Z, '99 Problems'

While a spokesman for the 40/40 Club said Hurricane Sandy left a hole in the roof and caused water damage, Tanger Outlets said the only damage they found in the building was left over from when the club closed. "There was no water damage to the space and no hole in the ceiling," Donna Danielson, the general manager of the retail center that included the bar, told The Press in a statement. "The club was in disarray from (operations) prior to the storm, and Tanger incurred costs of $4,970 to clean the space."

There were no reports of flooding near the club's address, which is one of the highest points in the city, according to The Press.

Jay-Z is also part owner of a 40/40 Club in Manhattan, which he renovated last year, and one at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team, of which Jay-Z is a minority owner. The rapper has also eyed a deal to bring the club to as many as 20 airports. He's been busy more recently preparing for a summer tour with Justin Timberlake.

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Jay-Z's Atlantic City Nightclub Closes

Jay-Z's nightclub outpost in Atlantic City closed last fall after ending its lease early, The Press of Atlantic City reports. The rapper co-owned the 40/40 Club, which shut its doors October 27th in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, and never re-opened. A spokesman for the club said the hurricane damaged the building that housed the upscale sports bar, though a representative for the landlord, Tanger Outlets, disputed that claim.

The 40/40 Club opened in Atlantic City in October 2005 and had hosted a plethora of stars, including Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. The club's lease extended through 2015, but a dispute last year between Tanger Outlets and Jay-Z's partners, Juan Perez and Desiree Gonzalez, led both sides to agree to end the contract in 2012 instead. Tanger last year filed a civil suit against Perez and Gonzalez, claiming they owed the company more than $115,000 in rent and other charges.

The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time: Jay-Z, '99 Problems'

While a spokesman for the 40/40 Club said Hurricane Sandy left a hole in the roof and caused water damage, Tanger Outlets said the only damage they found in the building was left over from when the club closed. "There was no water damage to the space and no hole in the ceiling," Donna Danielson, the general manager of the retail center that included the bar, told The Press in a statement. "The club was in disarray from (operations) prior to the storm, and Tanger incurred costs of $4,970 to clean the space."

There were no reports of flooding near the club's address, which is one of the highest points in the city, according to The Press.

Jay-Z is also part owner of a 40/40 Club in Manhattan, which he renovated last year, and one at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team, of which Jay-Z is a minority owner. The rapper has also eyed a deal to bring the club to as many as 20 airports. He's been busy more recently preparing for a summer tour with Justin Timberlake.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Jay-Z's Atlantic City Nightclub Closes

Jay-Z's nightclub outpost in Atlantic City closed last fall after ending its lease early, The Press of Atlantic City reports. The rapper co-owned the 40/40 Club, which shut its doors October 27th in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, and never re-opened. A spokesman for the club said the hurricane damaged the building that housed the upscale sports bar, though a representative for the landlord, Tanger Outlets, disputed that claim.

The 40/40 Club opened in Atlantic City in October 2005 and had hosted a plethora of stars, including Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. The club's lease extended through 2015, but a dispute last year between Tanger Outlets and Jay-Z's partners, Juan Perez and Desiree Gonzalez, led both sides to agree to end the contract in 2012 instead. Tanger last year filed a civil suit against Perez and Gonzalez, claiming they owed the company more than $115,000 in rent and other charges.

The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time: Jay-Z, '99 Problems'

While a spokesman for the 40/40 Club said Hurricane Sandy left a hole in the roof and caused water damage, Tanger Outlets said the only damage they found in the building was left over from when the club closed. "There was no water damage to the space and no hole in the ceiling," Donna Danielson, the general manager of the retail center that included the bar, told The Press in a statement. "The club was in disarray from (operations) prior to the storm, and Tanger incurred costs of $4,970 to clean the space."

There were no reports of flooding near the club's address, which is one of the highest points in the city, according to The Press.

Jay-Z is also part owner of a 40/40 Club in Manhattan, which he renovated last year, and one at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team, of which Jay-Z is a minority owner. The rapper has also eyed a deal to bring the club to as many as 20 airports. He's been busy more recently preparing for a summer tour with Justin Timberlake.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Jay-Z's Atlantic City Nightclub Closes

Jay-Z's nightclub outpost in Atlantic City closed last fall after ending its lease early, The Press of Atlantic City reports. The rapper co-owned the 40/40 Club, which shut its doors October 27th in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, and never re-opened. A spokesman for the club said the hurricane damaged the building that housed the upscale sports bar, though a representative for the landlord, Tanger Outlets, disputed that claim.

The 40/40 Club opened in Atlantic City in October 2005 and had hosted a plethora of stars, including Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. The club's lease extended through 2015, but a dispute last year between Tanger Outlets and Jay-Z's partners, Juan Perez and Desiree Gonzalez, led both sides to agree to end the contract in 2012 instead. Tanger last year filed a civil suit against Perez and Gonzalez, claiming they owed the company more than $115,000 in rent and other charges.

The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time: Jay-Z, '99 Problems'

While a spokesman for the 40/40 Club said Hurricane Sandy left a hole in the roof and caused water damage, Tanger Outlets said the only damage they found in the building was left over from when the club closed. "There was no water damage to the space and no hole in the ceiling," Donna Danielson, the general manager of the retail center that included the bar, told The Press in a statement. "The club was in disarray from (operations) prior to the storm, and Tanger incurred costs of $4,970 to clean the space."

There were no reports of flooding near the club's address, which is one of the highest points in the city, according to The Press.

Jay-Z is also part owner of a 40/40 Club in Manhattan, which he renovated last year, and one at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team, of which Jay-Z is a minority owner. The rapper has also eyed a deal to bring the club to as many as 20 airports. He's been busy more recently preparing for a summer tour with Justin Timberlake.

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Brazil Nightclub Fire Creates Blowback for Concert Industry

Flowers are placed at the doors of the Kiss night club after a fire ripped through the premises.Jefferson Bernardes/AFP/Getty Images

This week, the special effects company Strictly FX will meet with fire department officials in New Orleans, where they'll present a massive workbook full of licenses, insurance forms, product information and checklists. It's part of the process for big-time pyrotechnicians; Strictly FX is doing the special effects for Beyoncé's halftime performance with Destiny's Child at the Super Bowl.

At most major performance venues, the process has become routine. A handful of big-tour effects companies have developed close relationships with local authorities and promoters in recent years, and they know which fireworks and flamethrowers are safe for which venues and the specific do's and don'ts in each city. But in the aftermath of the Brazil nightclub fire that killed at least 235 people on Sunday, special effects technicians are bracing for another round of heightened scrutiny. Like the Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island in 2003, when 100 people died at a show by the band Great White, accidents caused by the unauthorized use of pyrotechnics put a bigger burden on industry professionals, they say.

Club Owner, Band Members Questioned Over Brazil Fire

The state of Rhode Island was known to have a very comprehensive law about effects and fire safety, notes Strictly FX co-founder Ted Maccabee, whose partner, Mark Grega, began his career designing stage shows for Deep Purple and Pink Floyd in the Eighties. "But nobody ever bothered to call an authority. Had it been vetted, there's no way that would've ever happened."

That seems to have been the case in Brazil, where the crew for the country band Gurizada Fandanguiera reportedly used cheap outdoor flairs in an indoor venue, igniting soundproofing foam in the ceiling. The club had only one exit and no sprinkler system.

"Every time there's an accident, it's usually from a non-licensed pyrotechnician," says Dave Greene, head of Stage and Effects Engineering in Albuquerque, which worked with the Scorpions, Mötley Crüe and Nickelback in 2012. "This is what's causing our business so much turmoil."

Stage and Effects was founded in 1998 based on a concept by "Pyro" Pete Cappadocia, who has worked with Kiss, AC/DC and other bands credited with helping popularize the massive special effects shows that have become so prevalent in the industry.

Maccabee says he saw a turning point when the boy bands of the late Nineties – 'N Sync, the Backstreet Boys – began incorporating elaborate pyro displays into their arena shows. Such effects no longer belonged exclusively to hard rock acts like Metallica. 

"Now it goes without saying, any meeting you have with creative people, they want to know what's new and cool – lasers, pyro, flames, confetti."

In an industry where live touring has become ever more important as a source of revenue while record sales disappear, bands want to create as much spectacle as possible, says Greene. "Nickelback's 2010 show was incredible – too much stuff. It was like, OK, whatever you want, Chad [Kroeger], sure."

After the Great White fire, the concert industry cracked down hard. "Back in the day, insurance was very inexpensive," says Maccabee. "I believe our first policy was a $1 million policy, and I'm pretty sure it cost us $1,500 for the whole year. It's massive now." Today, if a production company checks the box marked "pyro," "it's another $25,000-plus," he says.

As a result, many small-time shops have been forced out of the effects business. After the Station incident, "we started getting all these phone calls to buy their equipment," recalls Maccabee, who says the safest products are typically made in North America. "I'd say your concerts these days, especially in the U.S., are incredibly safe.

"Part of the thing for us, without blowing own horn, we're kind of like magicians. We make things look a little more dangerous than they really are."

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Brazil Nightclub Fire Creates Blowback for Concert Industry

Flowers are placed at the doors of the Kiss night club after a fire ripped through the premises.Jefferson Bernardes/AFP/Getty Images

This week, the special effects company Strictly FX will meet with fire department officials in New Orleans, where they'll present a massive workbook full of licenses, insurance forms, product information and checklists. It's part of the process for big-time pyrotechnicians; Strictly FX is doing the special effects for Beyoncé's halftime performance with Destiny's Child at the Super Bowl.

At most major performance venues, the process has become routine. A handful of big-tour effects companies have developed close relationships with local authorities and promoters in recent years, and they know which fireworks and flamethrowers are safe for which venues and the specific do's and don'ts in each city. But in the aftermath of the Brazil nightclub fire that killed at least 235 people on Sunday, special effects technicians are bracing for another round of heightened scrutiny. Like the Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island in 2003, when 100 people died at a show by the band Great White, accidents caused by the unauthorized use of pyrotechnics put a bigger burden on industry professionals, they say.

Club Owner, Band Members Questioned Over Brazil Fire

The state of Rhode Island was known to have a very comprehensive law about effects and fire safety, notes Strictly FX co-founder Ted Maccabee, whose partner, Mark Grega, began his career designing stage shows for Deep Purple and Pink Floyd in the Eighties. "But nobody ever bothered to call an authority. Had it been vetted, there's no way that would've ever happened."

That seems to have been the case in Brazil, where the crew for the country band Gurizada Fandanguiera reportedly used cheap outdoor flairs in an indoor venue, igniting soundproofing foam in the ceiling. The club had only one exit and no sprinkler system.

"Every time there's an accident, it's usually from a non-licensed pyrotechnician," says Dave Greene, head of Stage and Effects Engineering in Albuquerque, which worked with the Scorpions, Mötley Crüe and Nickelback in 2012. "This is what's causing our business so much turmoil."

Stage and Effects was founded in 1998 based on a concept by "Pyro" Pete Cappadocia, who has worked with Kiss, AC/DC and other bands credited with helping popularize the massive special effects shows that have become so prevalent in the industry.

Maccabee says he saw a turning point when the boy bands of the late Nineties – 'N Sync, the Backstreet Boys – began incorporating elaborate pyro displays into their arena shows. Such effects no longer belonged exclusively to hard rock acts like Metallica. 

"Now it goes without saying, any meeting you have with creative people, they want to know what's new and cool – lasers, pyro, flames, confetti."

In an industry where live touring has become ever more important as a source of revenue while record sales disappear, bands want to create as much spectacle as possible, says Greene. "Nickelback's 2010 show was incredible – too much stuff. It was like, OK, whatever you want, Chad [Kroeger], sure."

After the Great White fire, the concert industry cracked down hard. "Back in the day, insurance was very inexpensive," says Maccabee. "I believe our first policy was a $1 million policy, and I'm pretty sure it cost us $1,500 for the whole year. It's massive now." Today, if a production company checks the box marked "pyro," "it's another $25,000-plus," he says.

As a result, many small-time shops have been forced out of the effects business. After the Station incident, "we started getting all these phone calls to buy their equipment," recalls Maccabee, who says the safest products are typically made in North America. "I'd say your concerts these days, especially in the U.S., are incredibly safe.

"Part of the thing for us, without blowing own horn, we're kind of like magicians. We make things look a little more dangerous than they really are."

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Hundreds Die in Brazilian Nightclub Fire

Firefighters try to put out the nightclub fire.Germano Roratto/AFP/Getty Images

More than 230 people were killed in a fire that raged through a nightclub in Brazil early Sunday morning, the Associated Press reports. The majority of the victims were local students, who had packed the Kiss club in the university city of Santa Maria.

According to witnesses, the fire began shortly after 2 a.m., during a set by the local band Gurizada Fandangueira, when a flare from the band's pyrotechnic display ignited the soundproofing on the ceiling. The band's guitarist, Rodrigo Martins, told a Brazilian radio station that the group was around five songs into its set when he noticed that the roof was burning. "It might have happened because of the Sputnik, the machine we use to create a luminous effect with sparks," Martins said. "It's harmless, we never had any trouble with it." Martins escaped safely with four of his bandmates, but their accordion player, Danilo Jacques, died in the blaze.

Victims of the nightclub fire receive medical assistance in Santa Maria, Brazil.Germano Roratto/AFP/Getty Images

An official with the city's fire department said that the club's security guards had locked the exits, hampering escape and adding to the panic. As of Sunday afternoon, 232 people had been declared dead, making it the deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade.

For many, the incident brings to mind the deadly Rhode Island blaze that broke out in 2003, when pyrotechnics during a set by the band Great White ignited soundproofing on the walls and ceiling. As a result of the incident, which took 100 lives, Rhode Island banned pyrotechnic displays in all but the state's largest venues. 

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Hundreds Die in Brazilian Nightclub Fire

Firefighters try to put out the nightclub fire.Germano Roratto/AFP/Getty Images

More than 230 people were killed in a fire that raged through a nightclub in Brazil early Sunday morning, the Associated Press reports. The majority of the victims were local students, who had packed the Kiss club in the university city of Santa Maria.

According to witnesses, the fire began shortly after 2 a.m., during a set by the local band Gurizada Fandangueira, when a flare from the band's pyrotechnic display ignited the soundproofing on the ceiling. The band's guitarist, Rodrigo Martins, told a Brazilian radio station that the group was around five songs into its set when he noticed that the roof was burning. "It might have happened because of the Sputnik, the machine we use to create a luminous effect with sparks," Martins said. "It's harmless, we never had any trouble with it." Martins escaped safely with four of his bandmates, but their accordion player, Danilo Jacques, died in the blaze.

Victims of the nightclub fire receive medical assistance in Santa Maria, Brazil.Germano Roratto/AFP/Getty Images

An official with the city's fire department said that the club's security guards had locked the exits, hampering escape and adding to the panic. As of Sunday afternoon, 232 people had been declared dead, making it the deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade.

For many, the incident brings to mind the deadly Rhode Island blaze that broke out in 2003, when pyrotechnics during a set by the band Great White ignited soundproofing on the walls and ceiling. As a result of the incident, which took 100 lives, Rhode Island banned pyrotechnic displays in all but the state's largest venues. 

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Drake and Chris Brown Sued Again Over Nightclub Brawl

Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images; Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Chris Brown and Drake face another lawsuit stemming from their June 14th brawl at a New York club, this time from a model who says he received a severed tendon in his right hand, The Associated Press reports. Romain Julien was sitting at a nearby table at Greenhouse in Manhattan when Brown, Drake and their entourages began throwing glasses and bottles at each other, resulting in cuts, cosmetic deformity and mental distress, Julien claimed in a complaint filed Monday in New York Supreme Court. 

His suit accuses Brown of having incited the incident, describing the singer as having a "hot temper." Julien included W.i.P., the owners of Greenhouse, for allegedly creating a public nuisance not providing adequate security and serving liquor to patrons already intoxicated. 

Neither Drake nor Brown's camps have responded to the suit. Greenhouse and W.i.P. said they would "respond appropriately" after looking over the legal filing. 

Last week, Greenhouse and W.i.P. filed their own suit against Brown and Drake, seeking $16 million over the brawl. Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., the company that owns the trademark to Greenhouse, claimed that the brawl led to bad press, which ruined a $4 million licensing deal. The suit called the behavior of the two musicians "beyond the bounds of reason" and added that the two "should have foreseen that their notoriety and celebrity would ensure that their acts had far-reaching and devastating effects." 

NBA star Tony Parker has also sued Greenhouse and W.i.P. Parker, a bystander who claims he suffered a "corneal laceration of the left eye and other injuries," doesn't include Drake or Brown in his filing, which holds the club responsible: "The defendants were reckless, careless and negligent in permitting Drake's entourage and Brown's entourage to be in the club at the same time despite known tension between the two."

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Drake and Chris Brown Sued Again Over Nightclub Brawl

Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images; Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Chris Brown and Drake face another lawsuit stemming from their June 14th brawl at a New York club, this time from a model who says he received a severed tendon in his right hand, The Associated Press reports. Romain Julien was sitting at a nearby table at Greenhouse in Manhattan when Brown, Drake and their entourages began throwing glasses and bottles at each other, resulting in cuts, cosmetic deformity and mental distress, Julien claimed in a complaint filed Monday in New York Supreme Court. 

His suit accuses Brown of having incited the incident, describing the singer as having a "hot temper." Julien included W.i.P., the owners of Greenhouse, for allegedly creating a public nuisance not providing adequate security and serving liquor to patrons already intoxicated. 

Neither Drake nor Brown's camps have responded to the suit. Greenhouse and W.i.P. said they would "respond appropriately" after looking over the legal filing. 

Last week, Greenhouse and W.i.P. filed their own suit against Brown and Drake, seeking $16 million over the brawl. Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., the company that owns the trademark to Greenhouse, claimed that the brawl led to bad press, which ruined a $4 million licensing deal. The suit called the behavior of the two musicians "beyond the bounds of reason" and added that the two "should have foreseen that their notoriety and celebrity would ensure that their acts had far-reaching and devastating effects." 

NBA star Tony Parker has also sued Greenhouse and W.i.P. Parker, a bystander who claims he suffered a "corneal laceration of the left eye and other injuries," doesn't include Drake or Brown in his filing, which holds the club responsible: "The defendants were reckless, careless and negligent in permitting Drake's entourage and Brown's entourage to be in the club at the same time despite known tension between the two."

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Drake's Party Gives Oklahoma City Nightclub Trouble

Drake's Party Gives Oklahoma City Nightclub Trouble

An Oklahoma City nightclub owner wants Drake to pay for damages from a party resulting in at least one arrest and heavy marijuana use, shutting down the club, TMZ reports.

The owner of the Dollhouse Lounge and Burlesque says the Young Money rapper arrived at the club with an entourage for a private party March 1st. Employees noticed marijuana smoke from his VIP area, the owner says.

Police shut down the party and arrested the club manager after finding a partially burnt marijuana cigarette in the VIP section. The Dollhouse's owner is asking for compensation totaling several thousand dollars. Drake's representatives were unavailable for comment.

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Drake's Party Gives Oklahoma City Nightclub Trouble

Drake's Party Gives Oklahoma City Nightclub Trouble

An Oklahoma City nightclub owner wants Drake to pay for damages from a party resulting in at least one arrest and heavy marijuana use, shutting down the club, TMZ reports.

The owner of the Dollhouse Lounge and Burlesque says the Young Money rapper arrived at the club with an entourage for a private party March 1st. Employees noticed marijuana smoke from his VIP area, the owner says.

Police shut down the party and arrested the club manager after finding a partially burnt marijuana cigarette in the VIP section. The Dollhouse's owner is asking for compensation totaling several thousand dollars. Drake's representatives were unavailable for comment.

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