'We have about three months': New York club Good Room is fundraising to stay open
- PublishedTue, Nov 2, 2021, 15:00
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- After being denied a critical grant, the seven-year-old venue now owes 18 months in back rent.
- New York club Good Room is fundraising to stay open. Five months in, the city's return to nightlife is going strong. Since resuming in June, parties haven't paused for breath as fresh faces behind the decks and in the crowds create a palpable electricity on the dance floor. This momentum has been a lifesaver for venues bearing lingering scars from months of lockdown. Good Room, in particular, is counting on the scene's community spirit to help keep its lights on. Though it officially reopened in September, its future looks uncertain. To cover 18 months of back rent and other major bills, the club has been hosting a series of fundraising nights featuring local DJs, with all ticket sales benefitting the club. "We have about three months to figure out our finances since New York's eviction moratorium ends in January," booking director Josh Houtkin (AKA JDH) told Resident Advisor. "Something around half a million dollars would literally save our venue." Like its peers, the two-room space pivoted to streaming during lockdown, staying alive from donations and other fundraising campaigns. But that wasn't enough to cover rent. When the nightlife industry was resuscitated in June, Good Room said it simply wasn't ready. "The reopening decision felt kind of sprung on us, it was too soon so we made a decision to hold off," Houtkin said. "During the summer, we ran events at Glen Falls House [a farmhouse-style space in upstate New York co-owned by Good Room's Greg Brier], which helped keep momentum alive." All year, Houtkin and the team were expecting to receive the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, also known as the Save Our Stages Grant, a government funding program aimed at live music and performance venues. Despite fitting the criteria, Good Room was rejected without reason. "This grant was literally written for businesses like us," Houtkin said. "We're a club, we don't have a restaurant or other sources of income and we didn't qualify for other government subsidies so we were heavily relying on this. Some venues got millions of dollars, we were asking for a fraction of that." Houtkin continued: "I spoke to several lawmakers and Congress people about why we were rejected but nobody could give me an answer. I later found out that other declined venues around the country were DJ-centric but that can't be the only reason because we have a sizeable live music program." Left with no other option, Good Room decided the only way to bolster its empty coffers was to finally open on September 10th. That month, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy offered to donate his time for an all-night DJ set, kickstarting the club's current fundraising program. So far, there's been five nights, with a few more expected before the end of the year. In addition to Murphy, LCD's Nancy Whang has also participated, as have Pat Mahoney, JADALAREIGN, Kim Ann Foxman, Hot Honey Sundays and Occupy The Disco, among others. "We've asked friends and family of Good Room, who are mostly New York-based, to be a part of it," said Houtkin. "Pleasure Jams, for example, got a grant to throw a free party, and they did it for us." Murphy, a public advocate for the Save Our Stages relief bill and cofounder of Death From Above Records, told RA that he wanted to "help chip away at the insane debt a place that size runs up when they're shuttered." The DJ gig "seemed like about as easy a way to help out a place, which has over the years supported tons of my friends and Death From Above artists," he continued. "Good Room is a venue in my city putting up good music, why on earth wouldn't it be important?" DJ duo The Carry Nation echoed those sentiments. "Aside from having developed over time one of the best soundsystems in town, Good Room's respect and attention to detail on every level sets them apart…," they told RA. "Perhaps most importantly, their dedication to diverse and exciting bookings and residencies makes them essential in the landscape of New York nightlife." As Good Room prepares to ring in its seventh anniversary this weekend, November 5th and 6th, it does so with a sense of cautious trepidation and trust in New York's club community. The response, so far, has been "overwhelming," Houtkin said. "Anyone who wants to help us out can buy merch on our Bandcamp, or get tickets to our events." For details on the anniversary weekender, visit the event listings below. Here are some photos from the recent fundraising nights.
Photo Credit: Seze Devres
- Fri, Nov 5, 2021
Good Room 7th Bday Weekend: Baltra, Cosmo, Bearcat, Witch Trials, Partifrei, Acacia Baileyana
Baltra, BEARCAT, Witch Trials, Fluffi
- Sat, Nov 6, 2021
Good Room 7th Bday Weekend: Tim Sweeney, Amelia Holt, Love Tempo
Tim Sweeney, Amelia Holt, Justin Strauss