Rockwood Music Hall, a beloved Lower East Side cultural institution, is in the midst of a battle for survival. The 18-year-old independent venue at 196 Allen St. launched an urgent appeal on its website and social media channels this week.
It reads, in part:
“Like many small, independent music venues across the country, Rockwood is struggling to stay open. Without the support of artists, the music community and fans of music, Rockwood is in danger of permanently closing, shutting off a vital place for independent and up-and-coming musicians to develop their artistry and give fans the opportunity to discover new music in a live setting.”
According to the Daily News, Rockwood Music Corporation filed for bankruptcy protection in February.
Rockwood has started a GoFundMe campaign. It has raised more than $50,000 so far with a goal of $250,000. There will also be a series of benefit concerts beginning on June 30 with Grammy Award winning artist Sara Bareilles. In her plea to save the venue, she said:
“In 2007, I played one of the first shows of my career at Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side, a venue that then and now represents the grit and determination of New York’s aspiring musical community. At that point, I had only ever played ONE show in New York. I was green and scared. I knew I loved playing music for people, but New York was the Big Leagues and I wanted to prove myself, even if I didn’t know who that was yet. So I pretended, and of course panicked that no one would come. Thankfully people came. Not hundreds of people, but enough people came for me to get to play there again. And a few more people came. And I got to play again. And again. And that is the whole precious gift of a place like this. Nurturing a relationship with the community, and more importantly with myself. I genuinely believe that for emerging and developing artists, sacred places like this are the heartbeat and lifeline of the New York music scene.”
If you would like to contribute to the crowdfunding campaign, click here. Here’s the link for the benefit concerts.
