Velvet Rope

Baltimore's liquor board renewed the license of a downtown nightclub at a hearing Thursday, dismissing claims by several surrounding hotels that the bar is the site of late-night noise and unruly behavior. The Velvet Rope had been targeted by police and a quasi-city agency two months ago after a near-riot following a hip-hop concert and a shooting near the club, in the 200 block of E. Redwood St. Although the club's licensee reached an agreement with the police commissioner to curb the problems, three of the surrounding hotels led a petition to have the Velvet Rope's liquor license revoked.

Fans of Club Dubai, the upscale nightclub located downtown, have the rest of the year to enjoy its bottle service, pristine white couches and other swanky accommodations. But on Jan. 1, Dubai's lease will end and so will its run at the historic Mercantile Trust and Deposit Company building.  Taking its place won't be another attempt at a hopping club. Instead, Howard County's Chesapeake Shakespeare Company will turn the 20,000-square foot building (located at 200 E. Redwood St.)

Last Saturday, I went to Dubai. No, not the glitzy metropolis in the United Arab Emirates; the club on 200 E. Redwood St. that opened in late January under a new name after two years as the troubled Velvet Rope. With the change, the owners hope to distance themselves from a tarnished old name and associate themselves with the luxury that Dubai brings to mind. But those aspirations might be too lofty. If rebranding was all that a bad reputation needed, Hosni Mubarak might still be in power.

Of the seven charges against Dubai nightclub at the Baltimore Liquor Board Thursday, it was the accusation the club allowed guests to smoke pot that piqued commissioner Elizabeth Smith. On September 2 of last year, police officer Stephen Wilson was called to the club, the former Velvet Rope , for crowd control after rappers Jim Jones and Juelz Santana had performed. Wilson "walked into a visible cloud of smoke that had a strong odor of marijuana," he told the board.

Baltimore's liquor board on Thursday levied a $3,500 fine on a downtown nightclub after its owner pleaded guilty to security breaches that led to a near riot during a hip-hop concert last month. Police had publicly petitioned to shut down Velvet Rope after that incident on Feb. 25 and a shooting authorities say spawned from a fight inside the club a week later. But Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III and the bar's owner reached an agreement announced at the liquor board hearing, and Velvet Rope will operate under a new security plan and employ valet parking for certain events.

Baltimore police on Thursday made an emergency petition to the city's liquor board, asking it to immediately suspend the alcohol license of the Velvet Rope nightclub after authorities said hundreds of patrons holding tickets were locked out of an oversold show and nearly rioted on a downtown street. Police said it took 50 officers, including several from the tactical unit and assistance from a helicopter, to control the unruly crowd that showed up to hear rapper Yo Gotti. Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said angry concert-goers stormed the doors of the Redwood Street club and were forced back by security guards who indiscriminately sprayed Mace from a fogger into the crowd.

Baltimore's liquor board levied a $3,500 fine on a downtown nightclub Thursday after its owner pleaded guilty to security breaches that led to a near-riot during a hip-hop concert last month. Police had publicly petitioned to shut down Velvet Rope after that incident and a shooting that authorities say grew out of a fight inside the club a week later. But Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III and the bar's owner reached an agreement announced at the liquor board hearing, and Velvet Rope will operate under a new security plan and employ valet parking for certain events.

Two young men who had been involved in a fight inside a downtown Baltimore nightclub where a near riot occurred last week were shot and wounded early Thursday near the Inner Harbor, according to police who repeated calls for the club to be shut down. City police, who said the shootings were captured on a Citiwatch surveillance camera, arrested one man and seized a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun from a van stopped shortly after the attack. Both men suffered non-life threatening injuries and were being treated at area hospitals.

Superstar vehicles rarely have room for more than one star. Whether it's "An Evening with Elton John" or the latest Madonna extravaganza, the focus is always on the star, no matter how many other bodies happen to be onstage.But Janet Jackson's "Velvet Rope" concert, which opened its U.S. tour before a capacity crowd of 15,069 at Washington's MCI Center on Thursday, was an ensemble act from start to finish.Make no mistake: Jackson was clearly the star. Frenzied fans shrieked, "I love you, Janet!"

Janet Jackson's latest album, "The Velvet Rope," is undoubtedly the most personal and introspective effort of her career. Trouble is, those aren't exactly qualities pop fans associate with elaborately staged spectacles. Does that mean the Velvet Rope concert tour will be without the elaborate production numbers that marked her last two tours?Not a chance. Jackson's music may have turned reflective, but she's as much a showman as she ever was. So expect plenty of singing, dancing, lights and cleavage when her American tour kicks off tonight at the MCI Center in downtown Washington.

Nicholas Piscatelli's annus horribilis seems to be extending into 2012. On Tuesday, the Maryland Court of Appeals sided against the developer in a four-year-old libel lawsuit against Baltimore City Paper.  Meanwhile, his former megaclub, Redwood Trust , is still up for sale, and at half the price from when it was first listed six years ago. Last year, Piscatelli tried to auction off 200 E. Redwood, the nearly 130-year-old building...

A proposal to regulate Baltimore night life has drawn a mixed reaction from area club promoters, who could be required to register events or get a license from the city. Promoters say the proposal — one of several made Thursday by a commission investigating fatal shootings at the Select Lounge — has merit but are wary of the lack of details, including cost. "If the city's going to charge someone to get a license, I would totally be against it," said Tim Orcutt, owner of Goodlife Boys, which promotes events at venues such as Mosaic near the Inner Harbor.

Still looking for plans for tonight? I've got you covered. Hurry up and book your flight to Los Angeles so you can party it up with Ravens running back Willis McGahee, other pro athletes and a slew of models at Dwight Howard's All-Star weekend party. With the 2011 NBA All-Star Game taking place in Los Angeles this weekend, athletes and celebrities will mix it up at lavish Hollywood parties that most of us aren't hip or wealthy enough to attend (I'm guessing I couldn't get past the velvet rope in flip flops)

Last Saturday, I went to Dubai. No, not the glitzy metropolis in the United Arab Emirates; the club on 200 E. Redwood St. that opened in late January under a new name after two years as the troubled Velvet Rope. With the change, the owners hope to distance themselves from a tarnished old name and associate themselves with the luxury that Dubai brings to mind. But those aspirations might be too lofty. If rebranding was all that a bad reputation needed, Hosni Mubarak might still be in power.

Baltimore's liquor board renewed the license of a downtown nightclub at a hearing Thursday, dismissing claims by several surrounding hotels that the bar is the site of late-night noise and unruly behavior. The Velvet Rope had been targeted by police and a quasi-city agency two months ago after a near-riot following a hip-hop concert and a shooting near the club, in the 200 block of E. Redwood St. Although the club's licensee reached an agreement with the police commissioner to curb the problems, three of the surrounding hotels led a petition to have the Velvet Rope's liquor license revoked.

Baltimore's liquor board levied a $3,500 fine on a downtown nightclub Thursday after its owner pleaded guilty to security breaches that led to a near-riot during a hip-hop concert last month. Police had publicly petitioned to shut down Velvet Rope after that incident and a shooting that authorities say grew out of a fight inside the club a week later. But Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III and the bar's owner reached an agreement announced at the liquor board hearing, and Velvet Rope will operate under a new security plan and employ valet parking for certain events.

Fans of Club Dubai, the upscale nightclub located downtown, have the rest of the year to enjoy its bottle service, pristine white couches and other swanky accommodations. But on Jan. 1, Dubai's lease will end and so will its run at the historic Mercantile Trust and Deposit Company building.  Taking its place won't be another attempt at a hopping club. Instead, Howard County's Chesapeake Shakespeare Company will turn the 20,000-square foot building (located at 200 E. Redwood St.)

Nicholas Piscatelli's annus horribilis seems to be extending into 2012. On Tuesday, the Maryland Court of Appeals sided against the developer in a four-year-old libel lawsuit against Baltimore City Paper.  Meanwhile, his former megaclub, Redwood Trust , is still up for sale, and at half the price from when it was first listed six years ago. Last year, Piscatelli tried to auction off 200 E. Redwood, the nearly 130-year-old building...

Baltimore's liquor board on Thursday levied a $3,500 fine on a downtown nightclub after its owner pleaded guilty to security breaches that led to a near riot during a hip-hop concert last month. Police had publicly petitioned to shut down Velvet Rope after that incident on Feb. 25 and a shooting authorities say spawned from a fight inside the club a week later. But Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III and the bar's owner reached an agreement announced at the liquor board hearing, and Velvet Rope will operate under a new security plan and employ valet parking for certain events.

Two young men who had been involved in a fight inside a downtown Baltimore nightclub where a near riot occurred last week were shot and wounded early Thursday near the Inner Harbor, according to police who repeated calls for the club to be shut down. City police, who said the shootings were captured on a Citiwatch surveillance camera, arrested one man and seized a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun from a van stopped shortly after the attack. Both men suffered non-life threatening injuries and were being treated at area hospitals.