Earlier this week the New York DIY scene was rocked with the news that the Queens venue and art space known as The Silent Barn was robbed and destroyed. The owners and operators of the space sent out this message describing the carnage:
“About $15k worth of audio equipment, house projects and personal belongings are gone. The violence to the space is almost as upsetting as the theft. Doors were ripped off of hinges, furniture ripped to shreds, and everything in the space strewn about in a sea of debris. We've lost 7 years worth of accumulated equipment, tools, and artwork donated and built by individuals from every end of the scene's spectrum, and we're still reeling with what this means for our own lives and the future of the space.”
Today the Silent Barn crew have launched a Kickstarter campaign to begin the rebuilding process. They have a lofty goal of $40,000, but the community has responded and in less than a few hours they have already surpassed the $10,000 mark.
Like all Kickstarter campaigns, there are levels of gifts that people will receive as a thanks for their donation, but none as appealing as the free admission for life if you choose to donate $1,000.
The Kickstarter page contains all the history, rebuilding plans and goals for their upcoming mission so click on over, take a read and decide whether or not you want to help in keeping the DIY scene alive in Queens. We hope you will because we all know DIY venues are responsible for some of our earliest and coolest music memories.
Below is the video posted to The Silent Barn’s Kickstarter campaign page:
