With the Brooklyn Mirage still yet to reopen after weeks of delays, its parent venue, Avant Gardner, has reportedly named Gary Richards, better known to most as the veteran DJ-producer Destructo, as its interim CEO.
An internal memo that surfaced on the r/avesNYC subreddit today indicates that “effective immediately,” former Avant Gardner CEO Josh Wyatt is no longer with the company. The memo goes on to explain that Richards, who has served as the venue’s non-executive Chairman of the Board since August 2024, will lead the Avant Gardner team’s day-to-day operations while they look for a new permanent CEO.
Wyatt was named Avant Gardner CEO in October 2024 after a challenging period for the 80,000-square-foot venue complex and promotions company, including its disastrous takeover of Electric Zoo in 2023. Upon his appointment, Wyatt promised that the company would be “transparent” and that a new-look Brooklyn Mirage would be “100 percent” open by May 1.
Three weeks after failing a safety inspection on the day of its scheduled reopening with Sara Landry, the open-air venue remains shuttered and has canceled or postponed all shows through Memorial Day weekend.
Richards, a foremost U.S. rave pioneer who founded Los Angeles’ HARD Events and helms FriendShip music festival within his All My Friends company, will be supported in his new role by “key members” of the Avant Gardner leadership team, according to the memo.
Read the leaked memo below and check out the buzz on r/avesNYC here.
Featured image courtesy: Destructo.
