Beloved Brooklyn venue the Silent Barn falls tragically silent

On Saturday 16th July, thieves and vandals broke into Ridgewood performance space Silent Barn in New York, causing an estimated $15,000 worth of carnage in stolen and damaged equipment.

The space, which is a house as well as a venue, is a unique hub of intimate performances and artistic activity. Since 2004 it has not only played host to countless bands, including Foals and Ritz Riot, but also housed the indie video game collective Babycastles , and acted as a base for the co-editor of the New York gig guide Showpaper .

Set up by members of the band Skeletons seven years ago, Silent Barn has acted as home, gig venue, project and recording studio to those who experienced it. Now, after brutal vandalism which has left doors hanging from hinges, artwork destroyed and expensive equipment missing, all upcoming shows have had to be cancelled. The three Silent Barn cats are also staying with friends.

Part of the equipment destroyed was that involved in the Party Lab project set up by G. Lucas Crane, member of the band Woods and inhabitant of the Silent Barn. A complex set-up of microphones throughout the house, Party Lab was an experiment in archival recording which took in everything which happened in the venue, from the breathless energy of gigs to the sounds of the Dominican restaurant next door.

Crane posted to Facebook on Tuesday, “So much of my life, mind, work, and feelings are tied up in this one nexus, this one massive shining metaphor experiment. I feel hollowed out and distended.”

Watch the video below for the Kickstarter campaign to rebuild Silent Barn as something bigger and better than ever. In rather more lovely news, over half of the $40,000 required has already been pledged.

VIA The Village Voice .