Tattooed Mom, one of the city’s most iconic dive bars, said it has been ordered to cease all live music and performances by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections.
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A message posted Saturday morning on the South Street bar’s Instagram page said the order came on March 27 with “no notice.” Along with live music, Tattooed Mom said, it must also stop hosting “drag, burlesque, and karaoke events.”
Now, more than three months later, the order still stands.
“We’re working with legal, government, and small business support groups to figure out the daunting, complicated, and expensive next steps for zoning, permits, and licenses. We believe the interpretation of some of these rules is unjust to queer communities and creative spaces. There’s no clear timeline yet, but we’ll do our best to keep you in the loop,” someone from the bar wrote on Instagram.
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Neither Tattooed Mom nor L&I could be immediately reached for comment Saturday. The Instagram post had thousands of likes and numerous comments from supporters, including State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia).
“What?! Happy to help however I can!” Kenyatta wrote. “I sent a message.”
Others pointed out that Tattooed Mom is a haven for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Wouldn’t be Philly without you,” one fan wrote.
The bar vowed to fight on.
“No red tape can stop Tattooed Mom from being a queer creative space. We will continue to speak out and support the LGBTQIA+ community while navigating outdated policy. We miss the vibrant energy that drag and burlesque bring to Mom’s and hope to welcome these events back again soon,” someone wrote. “In the meantime, we are continuing to create new models to host more queer community events, including workshops, art shows, meetups, and more.”