One of New York City’s iconic music venues is at risk of closing down for good.
Rockwood Music Hall has hosted well over 75,000 shows in the 18 years the venue has been in business. The venue took to social media to call for help from the public, saying that it is struggling to stay afloat.
“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,” Rockwood said in a statement on Instagram.
Rockwood has become a staple in the Lower East Side music scene and has helped launch the careers of several artists.
“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,” said singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles. “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.”
In an effort to help save the venue from closure, Rockwood is hosting a series of benefit concerts throughout the summer. Those on the lineup include Amy Helm, Niall Connolly, Ingrid Michaelson, The Altogether, Isabel Hagen, Tony Lucca & Keaton Simons, John Gallagher Jr., Elle King, and The Lone Below.
On Friday, July 7, the Bronx’s Fox & King label will be hosting a show with a lineup of their signed artists, including Black Lotus with July Quin, Descendent, and John Black. More information and tickets are available at preserverockwood.com.
In addition to the concert series, the venue has launched a GoFundMe to raise money to keep operations alive. At the time of publication, the GoFundMe has raised $86,595 of the $250,000 goal.
To donate to the GoFundMe, visit gofundme.com/f/preserve-rockwood. Rockwood asks that social media users share the #PreserveRockwood campaign on their profiles.
For more information, visit preserverockwood.com.
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