Yo Gotti to return to the Velvet Rope/Dubai
On May 28, Yo Gotti will return to the Velvet Rope, where a concert of his last year was overbooked and caused a riot by some 300 angry ticket-holders.
The Velvet Rope, now renamed Dubai, pleaded guilty to security breaches at the time and was fined $3,500 by the Baltimore Liquor Board.
Baltimore Police, which responded to the riot with some 50 police officers, publicly asked the club to be shut down.
But the club was able to stay in business by striking a deal with police that involved increased security.
The Velvet Rope's attorney, Paul Gardner, said then the club had lost business since the incident.
In January, the club re-opened under a new name: Dubai, which was reviewed in February.
The club has booked several concerts by major headliners since then, including the May 28 show by Yo Gotti that will feature Teflon Dons performing alongside the Southern Rapper.
On June 11, Young Jeezy will perform there.
The historic building that houses Dubai, 200 Redwood St., went up for auction this week, with a starting bid of $1.2 million.
But Tracye Stafford, one of Dubai's owners, said that the auction will not affect the club as it has a one-year lease.
Redwood's auction ended Thursday, but real estate agent Leo McDemortt said bids are still being reviewed. He would not disclose the high bid's amount.
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
