Maryland Deathfest grapples with Sonar closing

Yesterday afternoon it came to light that popular Baltimore, Maryland venue Sonar was going to be shut down. Here's the official word: "We here at Sonar regret to inform you that we are no longer able to operate as a venue. Mr. Lonnie Fisher, corporate owner of Sonar, has shut the building down. He has refused to renew the liquor license and the corporate charter for 407 Saratoga Inc. All of the money in our account went into paying our taxes with the promise of the license being renewed and transferred to the new owners." Not surprisingly, this creates a bit of a mess for organizers of the Maryland Deathfest, held at Sonar every year and scheduled to take place late this month. Since the closing was revealed yesterday, the MDF people have issued the following: "Yes, we know about Sonar. It was just brought to our attention. Please DO NOT panic. The festival will still go on as planned. If Sonar does not end up working, we already have a alternative site in the same area that would have a similar set up, so you do not need to worry, and you do not need to consider changing plans. More info about this is expected to be posted on Friday... "In just a few hours, we've managed to get some positive news regarding a new fest location. Everything should be wrapped up in the next couple of days. If the plan stays as is, you will not need to change your hotel plans, etc... "Thank you for your patience while we sort through this mess. We're doing everything in our power to deliver another memorable MDF, and in 3 1/2 weeks, the party will commence. As of now, we expect to post new venue information either tomorrow night (Thursday), or on Friday." For more details regarding the venue's fate, check out this link. Update: Sonar has apparently resolved whatever issues existed and has reopened. The club has issued the following: "Sonar has been reopened! We are working hard at getting our liquor license back in place, this should be resolved very quickly! We will have announcements about ALL upcoming shows but most should be going on as planned with all tickets honored! There were some shows that got canceled and refunds have not been offered, we will be giving refunds for these shows as soon as we can, please bear with us!" Meanwhile, Maryland Deathfest organizers had the following to say: "Sonar will be re-opening before MDF, and technically they already have. These last couple of days have been incredibly confusing and stressful, but we are currently back to the regularly scheduled program. And don't worry, beyond plan B is a plan C, because that's how we roll. See you in a couple of weeks."