Bar Asks Burr Ridge To Allow Live Music

BURR RIDGE, IL — A Burr Ridge bar that scheduled live music despite a promise not to do so is seeking permission to have such performances.

This week, Burr Ridge posted a legal notice that the village's Plan Commission would hear a request from Are We Live in County Line Square to have live entertainment, expand its interior floor plan and stay open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, rather than midnight.

Earlier this month, Patch reported that Are We Live, 312 Burr Ridge Parkway, planned to feature singer Tony Ocean most Thursdays for the next two months. A representative at the restaurant confirmed Ocean's performances.

Recently, though, Ocean dropped his Are We Live performances from his online schedule.

In an email to Patch, Mayor Gary Grasso said he understood a special permit was needed for live music. But he said the Village Board would discuss removing live entertainment as a special use in light of its recent passage of a noise ordinance. That discussion could happen at the next Village Board meeting, which is in February, he said.

"I suspect neither (Are We Live) nor those restaurants that want live music and do not have a special use now will wait to see what the Board decides for all restaurants," Grasso said.

Before getting its permit last year, Are We Live left no confusion on live entertainment. Its representative, Sandy Andrews, emailed the village that Are We Live would pipe in music through speakers, but feature no live entertainment.

Months earlier, though, Filippo "Gigi" Rovito, owner of Are We Live and Capri Ristorante, said in a later-deleted Instagram video that Are We Live would have live music. That video sparked concerns among neighbors about noise.

After Andrews' promise, village officials, including Grasso, acknowledged the change in plans. The village never set a condition in the permit about live entertainment.

After the plans for live entertainment were revealed earlier this month, Grasso told Patch in an email that the important issue was that Are We Live comply with the noise ordinance. He said he encouraged live music at restaurants.

Rovito has not returned messages for comment. His supporters have said Patch is unfair in its coverage of Capri Ristorante and Are We Live.