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The temporary closure of Brass Monkey, the popular music venue and pool hall in a Nepean strip mall, has prompted organizers to move the April 4 concert by Pussy Riot to the Ottawa Art Gallery.
Brass Monkey owner Scott Ruffo said he shut the doors because of an unexpected disruption in renewing the bar’s liquor licence. He expects to rectify the situation within a couple of weeks and emphasized the temporary nature of the closure. Other concerts booked at the venue will be postponed.
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“It’s going to be a couple weeks to sort out the paperwork,” Ruffo said. “It’s a temporary closure.”
Ruffo and his team took over the basement bar at 250 Greenbank Rd. 10 years ago after five years under previous ownership. He helped sharpen the programming focus on heavier rock acts, welcoming shows by the likes of Uriah Heep, Supersuckers, Buckcherry and Hippie Death Cult. In 2024, Brass Monkey earned the Capital Music Award for live venue of the year, an accolade determined by public voting.
For Russian provocateurs Pussy Riot, whose songs tackle feminism, anti-authoritarianism and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the concert is their first in Ottawa since a 2019 appearance at Bluesfest. Billed as an Activist Multimedia Experience, the show will now take place in the Alma Duncan Salon at the Ottawa Art Gallery.
Earlier this week, balaclava-clad members of the feminist art collective staged a pro-democracy protest in Manhattan, urging Americans to wake up to the rise of authoritarianism.
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