The Examiner reports today that the Entertainment Commission came down hard on the Rockit Room club at 406 Clement Street, after hearing from SFPD and local residents in a hearing last month.
In the last 12 months, the Rockit Room has been a sore subject for neighbors and the Richmond District police precinct, who regularly deal with fights, noise, drug use and other issues stemming from the patrons that the venue’s live music performances attract.
Last month, the Commission issued 17 conditions that the Rockit Room needs to meet in order to hold on to their entertainment permit.
Most of the conditions require increased security (“Install surveillance cameras inside and outside the door to the venue “, “All security must wear distinctive clothing”, Must pat down and electronically scan every patron”) as well as better handling of the acts that perform at the club (“If using outside promoters, there must be a contract in place prior to event, and they must have special event insurance and be registered with city”).
The most telling condition – that the club must end any live entertainment by 1am and have lights on in the club and bar are by 1:30am every night.
Not long after the Commission laid out these conditions, the club had an incident in early March that resulted in more than 100 people spilling onto Clement Street during a fight, during which an officer was assaulted and one person was arrested. Police permit Officer Tobius Moore told The Examiner that he typically posts two officers at the Rockit Room around closing time every night.
“It’s a huge burden,” he said. “They can be doing police work, answering calls and self-initiated policing as well, and instead they have to sit and baby-sit. It’s ridiculous.”
The club has also been ordered to meet with SF Safe, an organization affiliated with the SFPD that helps residents and businesses with crime prevention and safety issues. SF Safe will complete a security assessment of the Rockit Room and make further recommendations on how to make it a safer environment for patrons and neighbors.
Back in February, police arrested three men at the Rockit Room in conjunction with a concert by Oakland rap artist Philthy Rich, including the rapper himself.
The Rockit Room has been a frequent topic of the Richmond District Community Police Forum meetings over the past several months, and commenters here on the blog often refer to it as one of the rowdiest spots in the neighborhood. Still others appreciate some of the less controversial events that the club hosts like festive salsa dancing nights.
It’s clear the Rockit Room has a lot of work to do to meet the conditions laid out by the Entertainment Commission. Since October, police have responded to 21 incidents at the club. At various times they have seen security staff drinking on the job or missing completely when fights broke out.
Time will tell whether they can clean up their act enough to hold onto their entertainment permit. Even neighboring owner Lee Parmalee of the Dirty Trix Saloon says enough is enough, telling The Examiner, “I want a music venue on Clement Street, but I don’t want it to import crime.”
Sarah B.
Just a few blocks down, the Plough and the Stars manages to have live music regularly without fights breaking out, or police needing to be called. It’s clear that the problem isn’t live music, but the way that the Rockit Room handles its security and chooses its music bookings.
I’m sure I’m not alone among my neighbors when I say I want a lively Clement street, not a rowdy clement street, and venue managers that can’t manage the difference need to clean up their act or get out and let someone who can take their place.
This sort of stuff never (rarely) happened when it was Last Day Saloon. Who brought these new owners in?
I remember the last time this topic came up it turned into a pretty heated argument.
Didn’t I read on this blog that the people who promote at the Rocket Room are also looking to open a place where the Video Store/Restaurant was on Clement? Will those who book these ghetto acts just move down the street? I hope not.
I and many others gave the Entertainment Commission an earful. They listened. Rockit Room and other clubs: you are on notice – in NO way are we going to let you sully our neighborhood! Period.
Keep out the ghetto acts, and the ghetto creeps! I want to be able to walk down Clement in the evening and not have to negotiate through a crowd of thugs and their mols. Keep it clean, or move out! No more “Mr. Nice neighborhood people”!
jp, It did generate a lot of heated discussion. I can guarantee that if Rockit Room doesn’t comply with the Entertainment Commission guidelines – and *make sure* that they consistently adhere to neighborhood demeanor – they will be CLOSED DOWN! I can guarantee that. They’ve been warned. Now, it’s their move. Either they clean up their act, and keep it clean, or they’re GONE!
Good on the Entertainment Commission for showing the proper leadership with this establishment. That list of conditions sound more than reasonable and once implemented should allow the Rockit Room to operate in a manner befitting a successful music venue as well as the over all tenor of this neighborhood. Hopefully, all of this will inspire the owners to drop the problematic events off their calendar. To echo AK’s comments, I’m all for a vibrant and lively Clement street and these conditions will certainly help to insure this in regards to the Rockit Room.
I too have been extremely frustrated with the Rockit Room over the past year. As both a long time resident of the Richmond dist and employee of the entertainment industry in SF, the Rockit Room has been an embarrassment and nuisance for me. So I’m thrilled that steps are being taken to correct this. And hopefully they will because the last thing Clement street needs is another vacant store front. I think we all can agree on this. The Entertainment Commission does a great job monitoring permits and their respective conditions with problematic venues and if the problems do persist they will revoke permits. Jelly’s Pier 50, Suede and the Velvet Lounge have all been shut down for similar offensives. (Nor are they in the habit of issuing new permits to owners/managers/promoters of these problem venues so they can go open another problem venue.)
One hint for the neighbors who are in close proximity to the Rockit Room: typically, live music and/or amplified sound permits usually come with provision that the noise level outside the venue can’t exceed a specified level. And the Entertainment Commission has staff to help enforce this. You can get their contact info off the website. Something you can do to help monitor this is get any of the iPhone apps that measure both decibel and sound pressure levels and if there’s a night in which you feel the sound level is particularly loud, go out and measure it and send the readings–and make sure they are accurate and true readings–to the Entertainment Commission.
any business that refuses to comply with the laws and codes of the City or is endangering the residents of the neighborhood or being a “nuisance” (that’s a pretty word for describing the fact that I have talked with people who work on Clement ST. and get off at 11 p.m. or midnight-ish and WILL NOT walk past the RockIt Room because they are too scared to — and one of these is male, blue-collar union guy from a rough East Coast city who is a fit 40 years old and 6-ft tall…)
Anyone who wants that in our neighborhood or thinks it’s “hip” or “fun” is crazy. I think we need more entertainment in our neighborhood — absolutely! But it’s a residential neighborhood, so it’s tough to find venues where rock bands wouldn’t be too much of a disturbance. But — can’t we have more little clubs that feature jazz and acoustic music? Beach Chalet has live music every Tuesday night — support it! Plough and Stars has live music most Saturday nights (and free Irish traditional music sessions — beautiful music! — every Sunday evening — if you play, bring your guitar or tinwhistle or fiddle and join in!)
The coffee house on Balboa about a block east of the Balboa Theatre (augh! what’s it called?) often has GREAT live performers. I happened to be walking by one night a few months ago and an amazing string quartet (trio) was playing — but doing modern songs. They launched into Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and it was unbelievable. Surprising and incredibly interesting and fun and different. To think that you could hear something that amazing from such talented performers in a little tiny coffee house way out on Balboa…one of the reasons why I love living here.
If you want more entertainment in the neighborhood, then please support businesses that feature it. — and be willing to pay a few bucks — like $8 to hear it. Musicians need work, our neighborhood would benefit from becoming known for little intimate places to hear good music — and we all need music!
“But it’s a residential neighborhood, so it’s tough to find venues where rock bands wouldn’t be too much of a disturbance. ”
Sue, I agree with you that all venues should strive to ensure safety of the neighborhood. But I think this kind of attitude is what turns many people away. Many would read this and feel that the real intention of people against the Rockit room is push their bias against certain types of music or entertainment on the community at large.
Rock music or rap music doesn’t not necessarily mean violence or crime anymore than wearing a hoodie means you’re a criminal who should be stalked and shot.
If the Rockit room is unable to meet the conditions laid down by the entertainment commission, they should be closed down. But not because some people prefer jazz and string quartets to rock/rap.
Well said Benji.
Does anyone have an update on what happened in the Wednesday night meeting? Thanks