It seemed, for a moment, that this week’s Disney on Broadway concert would not go on. A compensation dispute threatened the fundraiser for struggling entertainment workers, but after a public detente between the musicians union and Disney, the concert will be broadcast Friday night after all. With performers and entertainment workers facing unprecedented financial strain in the face of our city’s shuttering, it’s no surprise that all involved parties were moved to bury the hatchet.
Meanwhile, many of the artists and venues that comprise our downtown and Brooklyn performance scenes have taken fundraising matters into their own hands. In an effort to pump lifeblood back into a threatened industry—to keep performers and venue workers afloat—live-stream shows have exploded, all across Facebook and Instagram. Some of these are ticketed, with prices generally hovering around what they’d be for a live bar show. Others remain free to enter and link out to artists’ Venmos and Cash Apps, a strong nudge toward virtual tipping (if you’re able, you should do this). GoFundMe campaigns have proliferated, too, as another kind of digital lifeline for favored haunts. Longtime staples and new neighborhood additions alike are asking for our help.
With the Broadway fundraiser set to mount online tomorrow evening, we thought we’d take a look at some of the other ways to give financial support to the venues, musicians, comedians, actors, and nightlife performers that make performance in our city what it was (and is, and will be again). We’ve rounded up a few of the very many options below.
Ticketed or donation-encouraged live-streams:
- Baby’s All Right has launched “Baby TV”
- Bowery Poetry is offering live slams on Sundays (along with digital workshops and seminars!)
- Butterboy continues their Monday night comedy shows
- Caveat has a digital event line-up
- Freedom Party NYC continues their Thursday night dance parties, virtually
- Gold Sounds has a calendar of digital concerts
- Haus Party is once again having a party, for you to attend from your house
- Marie’s Crisis is now a virtual piano bar every night in their Facebook group
- Rify Royalty and Straight Acting are hosting virtual drag brunches
- Rockwood Music Hall has been offering lots of concerts on Instagram
- Switch N’ Play collective has drag and burlesque shows on Saturdays
- Team Wallbreaker has moved its fundraiser showcases online
- Theater for the New City is doing live play readings on Facebook
- The Slipper Room is bringing you comedy/burlesque via Instagram Live
- The Tank presents “CyberTank” Tuesdays on Twitch
- Virtually Nowadays streaming every night at 8
- Wannabe Bk has more drag and burlesque live-streams
GoFundMe campaigns for your favorite venues:
- Arlene’s Grocery
- Barbés
- Blue Note
- bOb Bar
- Bowery Ballroom/Mercury Lounge
- Bowery Electric
- Chelsea Music Hall
- Club Cumming (whose fundraising efforts include an eBay auction of Alan Cumming’s actual Nightcrawler teeth)
- Easy Lover Bk
- Elsewhere
- House of Yes
- Knitting Factory
- Le Poisson Rouge
- Littlefield/Parklife
- Macri Park
- Metropolitan
- Otto’s Shrunken Head
- Pangea
- Parkside Lounge
- Pete’s Candy Store
- Pine Box Rock Shop
- The Bell House/Union Hall
- The Kingsland
- The Rosemont
- The Woods
- Trans-Pecos
- Union Pool
Did we forget anyone? Give them a shoutout in the comments.