NYC venue Le Poisson Rouge needs our support on Kickstarter

As with hundreds of independent live music spots across the nation, New York City boozy art space and music venue Le Poisson Rouge is in dire need of financial help to stay alive amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, they’ll looking for support via a Kickstarter campaign, and you can get some cool benefits and rewards for your donations.

Here’s full info from LPR:

The coronavirus pandemic has left independent music venues in an impossible situation. We care deeply about the safety and well-being of our community and we’ve lost the one luxury we’ve always depended on and have taken for granted: the comfort and safety of gathering in large groups.

The longer this shutdown continues, the more uncertain the future of independent music in Manhattan becomes. We need your help to make sure there is an LPR to come back to when the world returns to normal. We’ve put together a killer collection of rewards to sustain not only the venue, but the artists that consider LPR a second home.

Jimi Hendrix at The Village Gate (now LPR), May 4th, 1970

We’re an independent venue. We have been independent since day one. We don’t get backing from multinational corporate conglomerates, grants or donors – our support comes from our deeply dedicated community of music lovers and the vibrant fanbases that our artist-family brings through the door. The margins for any independent venue in New York City are incredibly thin (you can only imagine what rent looks like on a 10,000 square-foot space on Bleecker Street) and the federal government’s funding efforts for small business in the wake of this pandemic are not adequate, if accessible at all.

In exchange for your contributions, we’ve gathered a variety of rewards such as:

-Merch featuring our out-of-print “Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music” Design-
-Yearly and Lifetime Passes to LPR-
-Unique Artist Experiences-
-Private Livestreams and Shows-
-Private Event and Venue Rentals-

LPR is more than just a venue to us. It is a testament to the musical passion and curiosity of New Yorkers. Opening up an indie venue in the middle of Greenwich Village is a challenge in and of itself. We’ve managed to thrive on our own for twelve years without compromising our artistic vision. “We have a very deliberate and uncompromising mission to push the popular palate as far as possible, as often as possible,” says Handler “And, to be honest, we didn’t know how receptive people would be but they’ve embraced it and it’s very inspiring.”

We are asking for your support once more. This is a do or die moment for small businesses across our country and we need you in our corner. We are so grateful to our faithful fans who make LPR the cultural landmark that it has become.

If you can’t give right now, we understand. Please consider sharing with a few friends that you think can help.

Thank you. Stay safe and stay home (for now).

-The LPR Family

Here’s that Kickstarter LINK again.