Benefits shows, Go Fund Me to help Brick Bar workers, musicians affected by LA fires

By Elmer Ploetz

One of the things we love about Western New York is the way people come together to help in times of crises. Perhaps other regions do that as well, but I can’t imagine any do it better.

That’s spotlighted by some local events we have coming up:

Friday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Jan. 18, Concert For a Cause, at Nietzsche’s

Nietzsche’s isn’t just a bar or music venue, it’s a community center. They responded in the wake of the Old Pink fire, and now they’re raising money for the former staff of Mulligan’s Brick Bar, who lost their livelihoods when the building went up in fire a week ago.

There will be live music from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. both days and all of the ticket sales will be going to the Brick Bar workers. The musicians will be donating their performances and there will be raffles for gift certificates. We’ll post the music lineup when it becomes available, but it’s certain to be impressive.

Tickes are $20 online or you can pay at the door. Even if you can’t make it to the show, you can purchase a ticket to show support.

You can buy tickets for FRIDAY or SATURDAY.

Go Fund Me for Brick Bar workers

There is also a Go Fund Me campaign for the workers that is ongoing. Organized by Melissa Dreyer McCarthy, the fund has raised over $7,300 of it’s $10,000 goal already.

This is a legitimate site for donations; there have been concerns that there might be some fake sites in the wake of the fire.

On the Go Fund Me page McCarthy said T-shirts and ornaments were being created to be sold to add to the fundraising. You can donate to the Go Fund Me HERE.

Help On the Way, 6 p.m., Jan. 20, at the Sportsmen’s Tavern.

This one is the brainchild of Jeff Miers, one of our collaborators at The Buffalo Hive. He has pulled together on short notice an A-list of area performers for a fundraiser for MusiCares’ Los Angeles Fire Relief Fund to support musicians affected by the ongoing fires. Performers will include Organ Fairchild, the Damone Jackson Outcome, Miller & the Other Sinners, Critt’s Juke Joint and Tiger Chung Lee. As Jeff notes, this is personal for him: his son, Declan, a music pro in L.A., was forced to evacuate. He’s safe, but it’s unknown what he’ll return to when the fires are gone.