According to Rolling Stone, Elvis Costello, Sting and Billy Joel are among the stars lending their support to a campaign to save the fabled New York City jazz venue Birdland. The effort includes a virtual concert — which Costello will partake in — airing January 24th at 7 p.m. ET.
Like so many venues across the country, Birdland was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced it to shut its doors. Despite the passage of the Save Our Stages Act in last year’s Covid-19 relief bill, which will provide targeted aid to the live entertainment industry, many venues will still struggle to stay afloat until its safe for concerts to resume again. Along with the virtual concert, there’s also a GoFundMe campaign for Birdland, which has raised over $250,000.
Birdland opened in 1949, taking its name from jazz great Charlie “Yardbird” Parker. It quickly became hallowed ground in the jazz world, hosting legends like Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. While Birdland was forced to close in 1965, it was able to reopen at its current location in 1986.
