There\u2019s more drama happening at the World Cafe Live.<\/p>\n
The University City<\/a> music venue has been racked by labor strife since staff members walked off the job in June<\/a> to protest what they said were unfair working conditions under the longstanding club\u2019s new leadership under CEO Joseph Callahan. <\/p>\n The concert schedule has grown sparse at both the WCL\u2019s intimate upstairs Lounge and larger downstairs Music Hall. <\/p>\n The one reliable highlight has been the Friday Free at Noon series presented by WXPN-FM (88.5), the University of Pennsylvania<\/a> radio station that\u2019s also located at 3025 Walnut St. but is an entirely separate business.<\/p>\n Now, you can\u2019t even get a drink at World Cafe Live. At least, not an alcoholic one. <\/p>\n According to public records obtained by The Inquirer, the venue\u2019s liquor license lapsed at the end of last month.<\/a><\/p>\n Word of that lapse this week coincided with XPN moving the Free at Noon series \u2014 at least temporarily \u2014 out of West Philly to the Main Line<\/a> in Montgomery County<\/a>. <\/p>\n Friday\u2019s Free at Noon with Philly songwriter, guitarist and protest singer<\/a> Ron Gallo, will be staged at Ardmore Music Hall. <\/a>And next week\u2019s Black Friday FAN with another local band \u2014 rock and roller Nik Greeley & the Operators \u2014 will also be held at AMH, which has periodically hosted the lunchtime concerts in recent years. <\/a> <\/p>\n Reached for comment about the temporary move, WXPN general manager Roger LaMay did not say whether the decision to move the FAN series \u2014 which celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year<\/a> \u2014 to Ardmore was specifically based on the lapsed liquor license. <\/p>\n Multiple attempts to reach World Cafe Live management for comment on the status of the liquor license and the Free at Noon shows were met with no response. <\/p>\n As of Halloween, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Broad\u2019s site has listed the entry for Real Entertainment Philadelphia, Inc. as \u201cEXPIRED.\u201d <\/p>\n The company\u2019s license still bears the name of Hal Real, who founded WCL in 2004 and later converted it into a nonprofit before stepped down in the spring. He was replaced as by Callahan, the Philly native technologist and entrepreneur who was responsible for bringing the Portal to Center City last year. <\/a><\/p>\n When he took over from Real in May, Callahan said that the venue had accumulated $6 million in debt and was losing up to $70,000 a month. He told The Inquirer in June<\/a> he was dedicated to putting the venue on sound financial footing and vowed to utilize virtual reality technology \u201cto bring the world to World Cafe Live, virtually and digitally.\u201d <\/p>\n On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania LCB confirmed that the license is currently expired and said \u201cits renewal is pending the receipt of information from the licensee, the licensee does not have operating authority at this time.\u201d <\/p>\n Since the WCL\u2019s license expired, alcohol sales reportedly continued at some shows, such as the Josh Ritter Free at Noon performance in the Music Hall on Nov. 14, according to patrons. <\/p>\n But at Wednesday night\u2019s show in the Lounge with Montclair, N.J., bandleader Lily Vakali and Philly guitarist Mighty Joe Castro, all beer taps were turned off. No booze was served, a World Cafe Live staffer said, adding that the venue expects to have a BYO policy for the next few weeks until the license is renewed. <\/p>\n This weekend, the WCL has a busy schedule.<\/a> Contemporary Christian singer Terrian was scheduled for Thursday night in the Music Hall, Philly Irish music singer John Byrne Band is set to play in the Lounge on Friday, and salsero Alex Moreno Singer will sing in the Lounge on Saturday. <\/p>\n However, Thursday\u2019s show in the Lounge with Kaleb Cohen has been postponed and rescheduled for April 9 next year. <\/a> <\/p>\n At a Town Hall meeting in July,<\/a> then World Cafe Live president Gar Giles \u2014 who has since left the company \u2014 publicly recognized Philly unions Unite Here Local 274 and IATSE Local 8<\/a> to represent World Cafe Live workers. <\/p>\n Since then, \u201cWorld Cafe Live has refused to come to the bargaining table,\u201d said Mat Wranovics of Unite Here<\/a>, which represents food service and front of house workers at the venue. \u201cDespite the announcements and promises they\u2019ve made, not one of the workers they\u2019ve fired has been given their job back.\u201d <\/p>\n In September, Callahan stepped aside as the CEO and president, though insiders say he remains atop the World Cafe Live board and in charge of the venue. Callahan has been replaced J. Sean Diaz, a Penn grad who is a former DJ as well as a music producer and entertainment lawyer. <\/p>\n \u201cWhatever financial concerns that this place has had, I\u2019m very positive that we are going to connect with all of the resources, all of the partnerships, all of the organizations that we need to be successful,\u201d Diaz told the Daily Pennsylvanian in September<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m here to be that agent of change.\u201d<\/p>\n At time of publication, neither Callahan nor Diaz had responded to requests for comment for this story.<\/p>\n