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Venue supporters crowd outside the building where the State Liquor Authority held a meeting on Club Cumming's venue license (via @clubcumming on Instagram)

live music returning to Club Cumming, but with restrictions

Venue supporters crowd outside the State Liquor Authority meeting room (via @clubcumming on Instagram)
Club Cumming supporters outside the venue (via @clubcumming)

Alan Cumming‘s East Village venue Club Cumming had to temporarily suspend live music and DJs, due to the club’s “rookie mistake” of not applying for a live music license. We’re happy to report that singing, the playing of instruments, and DJs will soon return — but with some restrictions — after a recent ruling at a NYC Community Board 3’s State Liquor Authority licensing committee meeting Monday night (4/9)

Many turned out to the meeting in support of the club, with many describing Club Cumming as an “LGBTQ community center.” After deliberations, the committee members voted unanimously to alter the venue’s license but, as Bedford and Bowery notes, live music and performances can only happen “provided they are not scheduled and that there are no ticket sales or entrance fees” because the venue’s zoning “does not provide for them” and the committee doesn’t have the power to change that.

This wouldn’t affect Club Cumming’s open mic nights, but puts in question many of the venue’s other regular events and parties. More from Bedford and Bowery:

“All I can say now is that board’s ruling is confusing,” says Jason Napoli Brooks, an author and a curator of The Enclave, a reading series founded in 2006 that moved to Club Cumming from Cake Shop in February. “Does the board expect the club to have only impromptu performances and dance parties?” Still, he tells B+B he’s trying to stay optimistic until he has a clearer picture of the future.

You can read a full statement from Club Cumming below via their official Instagram, saying, “The ruling was in our favor, but please be patient while we wait for the final decision from the State Liquor Authority.”