Whammy Bar delays opening, while Ol’ Factory sequel rumors brew.

Rock’s Toll: Struggling to make ends meet since Monterey Live’s closure in June, Gary Smith says he is excited for his new live music club to open. Nic Coury

Whammy Bar delays opening, while Ol’ Factory sequel rumors brew.

By Zachary Stahl

Thursday, April 29, 2010

UPDATE: Gary Smith says all shows are on hold at Whammy Bar. Stay tuned for more details.

Loved for the scenes they helped create and at times hated for their business practices, Gary Smith and Morgan Christopher both made splashes recently: Smith for delaying the grand opening of live music venue The Whammy Bar Monterey, and Christopher for alluding to an Ol’ Factory Café sequel in the works.

The Whammy Bar, located on East Franklin in the former Doc’s Dance Lounge, didn’t open April 23 as planned because the point of sale and security systems and new floors weren’t ready, Smith says. The venue was then aiming for a Saturday, May 1, opening, but at press time Smith says he decided not to host the Your Music Olympicks show just in case business paperwork wasn’t dialed in: “I don’t want to wait until the last minute to have one hiccup.”

The venue’s liquor license was still pending due to debt from Smith’s previous venue, Monterey Live, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. ABC lists holds from the state Franchise Tax Board, Board of Equalization and Employment Development Department. The Whammy Bar also needs to sign off on license conditions, according to an ABC spokesman.

Smith says the holds are taken care of and the license will be released in time for a Cinco de Mayo show. “I’m excited to get it open,” he says. “It’s so much harder to get something open than it is to run something. It’s not an overnight thing.”

Christopher, who, hampered by unpaid bills, was evicted from the Ol’ Factory Café in Sand City in November, is apparently involved in a new venture, but declined to talk with the Weekly.

In a Facebook post, Christopher wrote: “There is a location (a great one) a name, and an experienced ownership/managerial team in place. Now all they need is some financing.”