If you're reading this website, then you probably know the weight and constancy that Ridgewood, Queen's Silent Barn has lent to the regularly fluctuating streams of experimentalism and raw vibes in every genre of underground music that pass through and sometimes inhabit New York City. Its status is beyond institution, more like legend; having so far outlived countless other off-the-money-grid projects of all scales and sizes, it's seen countless formative contributors to the music world pass through its kitchen to perform insanely memorable shows. It's also been a home for beautifully crazy ideas like Party Lab and Babycastles.
Silent Barn needs our help more than ever before.
Perhaps you missed the news: this weekend, the NYPD raided the performing space and essentially opened it up for full-scale robbery in the following days.
So if you haven't already, we urge you to donate what you can to Silent Barn's Kickstarter page, which hopes to raise $40,000, a sum that's only half of what they estimate needing in order to renew a five year lease for the building, along with:
We have estimates on renovations for electricity, fire safety, and security that will bring the building up legal fire-code; estimates on an excellent new sound system for both floors; and estimates on the roof reconstruction required to resume outdoor performances and urban gardening. With a little extra help, we will also revive dear projects such as Babycastles, Party Lab, the Ditko Zine Library.
In the meantime, lookout for compilations and benefit shows to help bring back a truly vital locus of art and music not just for New York but for whatever “DIY” means at large.
