I’ve lived in the NYC area for the better part of a decade now, and I’ve been to events in all kinds of venues: Concerts in pizza shops, movies in parks, readings in art museums. All of them felt like “New York” events, even though the locations ran the gamut from highbrow to skid row. But one of the places I’ve always enjoyed the most is Cake Shop on Ludlow Street, where we’ve held the last two Monkeybicycle Lightning Round events. This place is, let’s be honest, a hole. It’s a dark basement with black walls and a tiny stage (though they do also have a pretty great upstairs café). But to me that’s what makes it great. It’s gritty, the way a New York club should be.
And even though Cake Shop has only been around since 2005, they’ve gained a reputation for supporting the little guy. Bands like Surfer Blood, MGMT, and Vampire Weekend all played here regularly on their way up. And that’s just the music.
Cake Shop also graciously hosts several well-respected reading series. Our friends at The Enclave have been running their monthly events here for several years now, and Melissa Febos’s Mixer Reading Series can be found in this charming basement, too.
With all of these great events going on, it’s hard to accept that Cake Shop—like so many other places in NYC right now—is in financial trouble. Tax woes have left owners Nick and Andy Bodor facing eviction if they don’t find a way to raise $58,000 by July 26th. And that’s where you come in.
Cake Shop has teamed up with Pledge Music to create a Kickstarter-esque campaign to raise money and keep their doors open. If you donate, you’re not only going to help preserve a great indie venue, but you’ll also get a great thank you gift: things like t-shirts, guest list spots at upcoming secret shows, and guest DJ slots are all available with a donation.
So please, whether you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting Cake Shop or not, kick in a few bucks to help keep their doors open and keep NYC’s independent movement going.
Donations can be made through Pledge Music.
A message from co-owner Nick Bodor:
The New York Times on Cake Shop’s plight.
Cake Shop on Twitter.
Cake Shop on Facebook.
