Photo credit: Justin Higuchi / CC from 2.0
The #PreserveRockwood benefit concert series begins with a performance by Sara Bareilles on June 30th. Many more concerts will follow in the coming months to keep the independent venue alive.
Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles has announced an initiative to save Rockwood Music Hall in New York City, which is currently threatened with closure. The #Preserve Rockwood The benefit concert series begins on June 30th with a show from Bareilles at the venue.
The series offers an opportunity to see artists perform at the long-established independent venue while helping to keep it alive. All proceeds from the shows will be donated to Rockwood to support the operation of a space dedicated to performances by independent and emerging 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 represented then and now the courage and determination of New York’s burgeoning music scene,” says Bareilles of the campaign GoFundMe book page.
“This venue represents more than a physical space; It is a reflection of the incredible, diverse art that is of paramount importance to all of us and that we are all working to save. So I encourage everyone to join me and help protect this space for the future of music.”
The GoFundMe campaign aims to raise $250,000 towards the upkeep of the 18-year-old venue and has already raised over $35,000 – including $5,000 donation from producer Alan Menken. Menken is responsible for the soundtracks to films such as Disney’s The little mermaid And Beauty and the Beast.
“It’s a major venue for independent artists. So many have developed their careers on one of their stages,” Menken tweeted.
Other artists joining the benefit concert series include Chriel Thile and Michael Daves on July 1st, Amy Helm on July 6th, Isabel Hagen on July 10th, Ingrid Michaelson on July 20th, Elle King on July 31st, The Lone Bellow on August 10th and more .
Since opening in 2005, Rockwood Music Hall has been an early venue for the likes of Jon Batiste, Lewis Capaldi, Gary Clark Jr. and Lady Gaga. Rockwood Music Corporation filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010 February after struggling to recover financially from the pandemic.