Owner Luke Liakos announced the closure three weeks ago, later saying in a video posted to Facebook that he had a legal dispute with the property's owner, Aryana Property.
Aside from that, he said the asking price to rent the space was far higher than he was willing to pay.
Reached by phone Friday, Jan. 17, Houshang Lavian, the owner of Aryana Property, said the future of the building is not yet clear.
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He directed questions about the legal dispute to his attorney, who has not yet returned a request for comments.
Liakos has said he is looking for a new home for the club that has hosted many community events and well-known performers and DJs since opening Dec. 25, 2004.
>> PHOTOS: The music, the dancing, the drag! Club Masque through the years
In a Facebook message, Brett M. Davidson, Masque’s social media coordinator, said the entertainment for Friday, Jan. 24 will include the TGIF Male Revue hosted by Carrie J. Summers.
Masque Men will dance on the bar and on stage all night. Mocha Lisa and Kar Kar O'Daniels will be the night's special guest stars.
The club's final two drag show will be hosted by Summers, Davidson wrote.
The first of Saturday’s shows will start at 8 p.m. and feature Summers, Mocha Lisa, Kar Kar O’Daniels, Johnny Justice, and Amaya Sexton.
The final show is set to start at 11 p.m. and will include a list of Masque favorites: Mocha Lisa, Scarlett Moon, Alexandria Bellterra, Johnny Justice, and Emilie Viktoria, Jareje Rashad, Amaya Sexton, Katrina Reelfish, Sky Black, Kayla Fame, and Kar Kar O’Daniels, he wrote.
WANT TO GO?
What: Final weekend at Club Masque
Where: 34 N. Jefferson St., downtown Dayton
When: Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24 and 25. On Saturday, there is an 8 p.m. early show and 11.p.m. main show. Doors open at 5 p.m.
More: The club is 18 and older.
*** EARLIER: (Jan 17, 2020) LAST DANCE: Popular Dayton club begins final shutdown Saturday
One of Dayton’s most popular nightclubs will shut down the first of two levels permanently this weekend.
Club Masque owner Luke Liakos announced two weeks ago that the second level of the gay club and dance club at 34 S. Jefferson St. in downtown Dayton would close permanently at the end of the night on Saturday, Jan. 18.
The first level is slated to close next Saturday, Jan. 25.
Liakos has said he is looking for a new home for the club that has hosted many community events and well-known performers and DJs the past 15 years.
Reached by phone Friday, Jan. 17, Houshang Lavian, the owner of Aryana Property, the Encino Calif-based company that owns 34. N. Jefferson, said the future of the building is not yet clear.
“I don’t know what we are going to do,” he said. “We are looking to see.”
He referred questions regarding a legal dispute between his business and Liakos to his attorney, Dayton attorney Marty Beyers.
A message was left for Beyers.
>> Club owner: ‘He tried to squeeze us and raise the rent’
Masque has been at 34 S. Jefferson St. since it opened Dec. 25, 2004.
Tomorrow’s swan song on level two will include music from DJ Charlz, DJ MSC and DJ Venus, according to information the club shared on Facebook.
The second level opens at 9 p.m. and the party goes until 3 a.m.
Doors open to the club at 8 p.m. and there is flat $10 cover for both levels.
"Come out and dance the night away as we say goodbye to our Level Two dance floor. This is your last chance to experience our state of the art sound and lighting systems before we close the following weekend," an event page says.
>> PHOTOS: The music, the dancing, the drag! Club Masque through the years
Their will be a cast show hosted by Mocha Lisa on the first level starting at 8:30 p.m.
The club is open Friday at 8 p.m. There is a $10 cover. Entertainment includes hostess Carrie J. Summers leading the night along with special guests Alexandria Bellterra and National Holiday, the club posted on Facebook.
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This stories will be updated when details of the last night at Masque, Saturday, Jan. 25.
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Credit: Amelia Robinson
As part of a six-minute video posted to his Facebook page, Liakos says the property's owner,Encino, Calif.-based Aryana Property, attempted to "squeeze" him for higher rent.
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A bench trial is set for 9 a.m. March 18 in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Wiseman’s court room.
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The dispute resulted in a lawsuit in June 2018 that remains unresolved after more than 18 months.
Aryana Property LLC filed an eviction lawsuit against Liakos and the LLC that operates Club Masque on June 1, 2018, in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.
The lawsuit claims Masque violated the terms of its lease with Aryana by not paying rent, and an eviction notice was served in May 2018. A subsequent amended complaint claimed Liakos and his LLC failed to properly maintain the premises. In court documents, Liakos and his company said the rent was paid, and the property was properly maintained.
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A flurry of legal activity has ensued, some documents referencing a third party who appeared to have stolen the landlord's identity and convinced the tenant to send rent payments via wire that were never received by the landlord.
Both sides in the dispute tried to convince a judge to rule in their favor via a summary judgment prior to a trial, but Wiseman rejected those requests and has scheduled a trial for March 18.
