Downtown Glendale nightclub Complex is closing its doors
Complex, one of the few live music nightclubs in Glendale that caters to the metal and electronic crowd, is closing after four years, according to an announcement released on Monday.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Complex in Glendale is now closed. This venue was the fulfillment of our lifelong dream to create a space that gave alternative artists a friendly and accommodating space to present their art, and we will miss all of you so much,” a post on the venue’s official Facebook page stated Monday.
According to the post, most of the performances already booked will head to “other venues,” and all presale tickets purchased are still valid.
Longtime promoter and DJ John Giovanazzi opened Complex at 806 E. Colorado St. in March 2013 with business partner Mike Guerrero at the former location of another indie rock club, Scene, which closed in 2008.
Complex strived to fill the normally quiet streets of Glendale with a live-music scene normally associated with Los Angeles.
Guerrero said protracted issues in renewing permits and other legal requirements for the business — both when opening in 2013 and throughout the past few years — led to the decision to not renew the five-year lease and instead try to relocate to Los Angeles.
“It would have been a resolution that would have taken longer than we had remaining on our lease,” Guerrero said.
It took 25 months to first open the venue due to conflicts with operating permits, which Guerrero said were supposed to be grandfathered with the site. However, he said city officials told him they had made a mistake, and the Complex owners were left to tie up administrative loose ends.
A check with County of Los Angeles Office of Public Health: Environmental Health, North District, shows annual permits for the site have not been paid since 2016 and permit requests have not been submitted for the upcoming renewal period, July 1 to June 30.
The venue’s last inspection by the environmental health office was conducted in June of last year and an inspector has since not been able to reach the tenants, despite leaving notices, said Scott Hunter, senior inspector.
The last regular routine inspection on file was March 27, 2015.
The venue held live music shows as recently as May 6 and throughout April at the site.
More recent shows were held at nearby 103 Lounge on East Broadway, according to Complex’s Facebook events listing.
Twitter: @JeffLanda
