Red Hook walloped by Sandy; Fairway & New Amsterdam Records among its victims; benefit @ Union Hall tonight
Red Hook on Monday / Fairway throwing out food (via Red Hook Recovery)
Brooklyn non-profit “post-classical” label New Amsterdam Records released the new album by accapella group Roomfull of Teeth on Tuesday, which should have been the biggest news of the week for them. But instead, Hurricane Sandy had other plans, making a total mess of their new Red Hook headquarters:
Despite the many hours we spent on Sunday preparing for the storm-stacking furniture on cinder-blocks and moving everything we could to higher ground-our space was flooded with almost four feet of polluted sea water. As a result, about 70% of our catalog of CDs has been destroyed-CDs we hold on behalf of our artists (we do not own them). Literally ALL of our financial records were destroyed, including our back-up hard-drive. Sewage, gas, spilled paint thinner, and bleach all blended with seawater, creating a toxic mess. A mess that is sure to corrode our newly installed drywall, kitchen cabinets, and office furniture. Even the basics like doors and plumbing are compromised and will need to be replaced. Musical equipment, amps, and priceless vintage synthesizers were also destroyed, along with countless personal items, clothing, two couches, records, and other furniture. We will need to move swiftly to acquire industrial dehumidifiers and hire professional mold-cleaners to help us combat the high risk of toxic mold. We have yet to assess the damage to our donated Steinway grand piano which we wrapped with a plastic tarp prior to the storm; the water mark from the flood was drawn inches from the piano’s lid.
Over the last few months, we’ve invested countless hours preparing our space, and thousands of dollars renovating it — money and time we were hoping to make up for with a series of public events and private fundraisers this fall and winter. Now that plan is in severe jeopardy. Our financial future is intimately tied to our space; we were “all in,” so to speak. After sharing news of our plight on Facebook, literally hundreds of you have offered to help. The outpouring of love and concern from our larger community has been staggering and truly inspiring. At the suggestion of a number of NewAm friends and artists, we have decided to create this page — an official home for our Hurricane Relief Fund. New Amsterdam’s label arm operates on a non-profit-model that distributes 80% of album revenues directly to artists, so while we encourage the community to continue to buy albums and help support our artists who were also all affected by this disaster, the organization itself will receive the most benefit from direct contributions.
If you’d like to donate to New Amsterdam Records’ relief fund, visit their donation page. “Your donation will be fully tax deductible, and will be returned with heartfelt thanks and supreme gratitude.”
Red Hook was crushed by Hurricane Sandy and is still without power. The Red Hook Fairway, right on the water’s edge, was pretty much destroyed by flooding. Red Hook Recovery has been set up to offer assistance to the neighboorhood and you can donate relief funds there as well.
In similar news, there is a benefit concert tonight at Union Hall for the neighborhood outreach program Red Hook Initiative with performances by Riot Fox and Mount Sharp. You can also donate directly to RHI here.
UPDATE: Norton Record got hit in Red Hook too.
