From the Rumor Mill
Written by Glen Hughes on March 5th, 2009 5 Comments
If you follow us on twitter @saleminsider, then you might have seen some interesting ongoings regarding Spirits. For the rest of you I’ll fill you in with the official info.
We received an email and a tweet from a performer who was scheduled to play at Spirits but when he showed up they were not open. He attempted to contact them but never heard back. Shortly after that one of our Insiders reported back to us that they were in fact closed. I then sent an email off to Spirits inquiring as to the accuracy of this info and the future implications.
The next day a promoter contacted me stating he got a message that his event was cancelled. He also sent an email to Spirits but had not received an answer. Our friends who run a monthly night contacted the venue and were told that their night is on as usual.
Over the next few days there was a flurry of emails and tweets regarding the status of events at Spirits. Finally our contact over there emailed me. I had sent an email to the general email and not her specific email which accounts for the delay in communication but here is the low down straight from the owner of Spirits.
Spirits celebrated its one-year anniversary on January 31 and, to quote Mark Twain, the rumors of our death are greatly exaggerated. Spirits is and continues to be open for business and we look forward to serving the Salem community for many years to come.
We have been making changes to ensure Spirits’ continued success during this difficult economic climate. These changes include modifying our menu and trying out different forms of entertainment – both in the dining room and upstairs.
We also have been using our second floor for private functions and events, which has been working out very well. Over the past few months, Spirits has hosted the Build Guild’s monthly meetings, holiday parties, weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and baby showers. We have several events booked in the coming months.
This is good news for our community and anyone looking for a great space to hold an event. I swung by there the other night and they are already getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day. It looks like the have attempted to try and do some new things, some have worked and others haven’t. We will keep and eye on it and let you know how things go.
And now you know… the rest of the story.
5 Responses to “From the Rumor Mill”
Leave a Comment
Related Posts
It never seems to amaze me the amount of things an owner will go through in order to “save face”. I Dj’d at Spirits for 4 weeks, started to get the word out, started having people show up, and to be honest, I have never seen a bigger lack in effort to make something happen. Spirits promised to get Radio ads, fund fliers, and finance the promotion, they also said they would be installing a full sound and lighting system.(ALL OF WHICH NEVER HAPPENED) Spirits negotiated a flat rate fee for us as DJ’s as well, WE NEVER RECEIVED A DIME FROM SPIRITS, but continued on, for the love of the music, and eagerness to create a great club night.
Now, on to the specifics,
I would go here, set up all the equipment and sound for a 4 turntable set with myself and another DJ. After promoting for weeks, and getting the word out that we would be throwing parties here, the barkeep would say to us “if nobody is here by 11pm, we are closing and going home”…..now as everyone knows, nobody goes out around here until 11-11:30pm. The last Thursday night we were there, 15 people walked in the door at 11:15 as we were breaking down… This was 2 days before the Saturday they chose “not to open” and not inform us.
Now what I want to know is, how do you expect to be successful If you’re promoting Djs and music and live entertainment, If you don’t stay open for customers to partake in the entertainment?
The reality of the situation is, the management of this place has no idea what they are doing. They’re trying to squeeze blood from a stone and create a successful entertainment business with zero investment.
I would like to see Spirits be a successful nightspot once again, but it wont, as long as these people own it. Its going to take some drastic changes in attitude and the realization that you don’t get something for nothing.
AND SPIRITS, IF YOU READ THIS, AND YOU’RE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS, I WANT MY $1500 DOLLARS. THANKS.
The rest of the story? These guys are posers for the guy that owns the buiding. They are just trying to make the place look moderatly attractive for some sucker to come along and buy the business. $7,000 a month rent and a triple net lease, expenses at $8-10,000 a month and the building itself is a hole. The plumbing is shot right down to the drains, the roof leaks like a running river and even the ghost have moved on. That is the rest of the story!
I will not be surprised when they close their doors for good. I’m sympathetic to whomever follows in that space – a great location with a dubious past. Good Luck!
Are the shills from Spirits denying that a lawyer went before the licensing board last night to notify them of a pending liquor license transfer?
This place is a joke. They do not know what they are doing. The food is horrible. The owners clearly do not know what they are doing. And they don’t even check ID’s I know of 3 girls that got in and were drinking and they were only 19 .. This place just needs to fold there hands. Sad but true. Whoever buys this plance will be sorry