Concert tchotchke tables get House of Blues in hot water

The Boston Licensing Board last week ordered a one-day suspension for the House of Blues after police found vendor tables set up after a March concert were causing too much of a bottleneck at the main exits.

Boston officials continue to be particularly vigilant about blocked egress; the memory of the Cocoanut Grove fire continues to reverberate here.

Police detectives who visited the large hall at the end of a Logic show around 10 p.m. on March 12 told the board they found the area near the front entrance clogged by vendor tables, large cardboard boxes and lines of people looking to get some souvenirs - who were blocking people just trying to leave.

"Half of the main passageway was blocked," by the tables and boxes, Sgt. Det. Robert Mulvey said.

House of Blues officials said that in the worst case, the venue has numerous other exits to which people could have been directed. Mulvey acknowledged that, but said that didn't obviate the fact that there was effective gridlock at the end of that particular show.

House of Blues also said fire inspectors found no problem with the setup; Mulvey said that might be because those inspectors got there after the crowds had left and the vendors had started packing up.

Still, House of Blues promised there will be no repeat - officials said they will not let vendors take up so much room in the future.

The licensing board dismissed a citation for a Feb. 25 incident in which a guy bought a tequila drink then let his underage acquaintance take a sip - right in front of Mulvey, who happened to be there for an inspection.

House of Blues officials acknowledged that happened and said that sort of infraction is almost inhumanly impossible to completely root out because it happens so quickly. They said it's no different at other venues with 18+ events - or at places such as Fenway Park.