Tampa Calling

Yesterday afternoon, I put up a post that discussed the fate of Jannus Landing, seeing as the man who runs it, Jack Bodziak, was arrested last week on charges that he failed to pay to the state more than $200,000 in sales tax he collected from customers. Additionally, three concerts were pulled from the venue by outside promoters.

I interviewed several insiders on the local concert scene, who all agreed: It’s highly unlikely that Jannus Landing will close in the near or short term. And concert activity should remain active. Initially, Bodziak did not respond to requests for comment. He has been steadfastly silent with all Bay area media. He did call me a little while ago, and offered a prepared statement. His lawyer had advised him not to talk freely about the tax case or business at Jannus Landing.

Here’s Bodziak’s statement: Read the rest of this entry »

A cloud hangs over Jannus Landing. The man who runs the concert courtyard, Jack Bodziak, was arrested last week on charges that he failed to pay to the state more than $200,000 in sales tax he collected from customers. 

Since that bombshell dropped, three concerts have been pulled from the Jannus Landing docket: The Hold Steady, Gogol Bordello and Taking Back Sunday.

The question on everyone’s mind: What will become of downtown St. Petersburg’s beloved concert venue? Very few people want to talk about the situation on the record — Bodziak didn’t return phone calls or an e-mail — but I interviewed a few insiders and pieced together an overview of the venue’s plight and possible scenarios for its future.

The consensus? Read the rest of this entry »

The owner of one of St. Petersburg’s favorite concert venues, Jannus Landing, is in the Pinellas County Jail after state agents busted him on charges he didn’t pay sales taxes he collected at the concert site, which has hosted shows for the likes of Katy Perry and Conor Oberst in the past year. The venue is supposed to host a free show for The Hold Steady on Thursday.

The Times reports:

John C. Bodziak, the owner and president of Jannus Landing Courtyard, was arrested by state agents today on charges that he failed to pay $208,418 in sales tax from one of Tampa Bay’s most popular concert venues.

According to the Florida Department of Revenue, Bodziak collected sales tax from patrons of Jannus Landing at 220 First Avenue N, but didn’t send the state its share over various periods from June 2004 to July 2007. Investigators say Bodziak kept more than $200,000 meant for Florida’s coffers.

Cross-posted from the Daily Loaf