NYC Nightlife United Announces Livestream Benefit for New York Venues

NYC Nightlife United has announced a new livestream series, The NYC Nightlife United Sessions Vol. 1, to raise funds for New York’s independent music venues and their employees during Covid-19.

The first concert will air live from Brooklyn venue Friends & Lovers on Sunday, September 13th, beginning at 3:00 p.m. and will feature a lineup that includes local performers such as Monday Blue, Scienze, the Rogue One, Brass Queens, Oriza Party (DJ Bembona x DJ Woof), Mr JPatt (the Knocks), Pleasure Jams and the Floor Realty Crew. Attendees can RSVP here.

NYC Nightlife United is an initiative launched by Friends & Lovers, concert promoter and publication AdHoc, and the arts non-profit Solo Foundation to help fund the city’s music venues and nightlife locations during the pandemic while much of the industry is shuttered and receiving little support from local government. The initiative has been working with corporate sponsorships (Tito’s Vodka and Heineken are sponsoring the livestream series), as well as individual donations via a Kickstarter campaign to reach their goals.

“No one can deny that nightlife is culture,” Friends & Lovers owner Diana Mora said when the initiative was launched. “This forum for self-expression influences art, music, fashion and brands. If you think about music especially, it is the most powerful passion point. It’s the original social network, transcending every barrier — socioeconomic, distance and language. That’s why protecting this rare resource that defines the spirit of NY is so important.”