Oakland’s Golden Bull is Teetering on the Brink of Closure
Here we are, years after Covid started closing doors of favorite venues across The Bay Area and we’re still feeling the continued impact of the pandemic’s wrath. Today, we learned that a beloved Oakland venue, The Golden Bull, is on the brink of closure and are reaching out to us to help them stay open. In a press release sent to us, they listed multiple reasons why they find themselves in this place and also the efforts they are making to keep the party going.
The Golden Bull press release explains more:
“As the COVID-19 virus continues to devastate the globe, relief for venues of the performing arts
has greatly dwindled. Before the tech explosion of the mid-2010’s that infiltrated Oakland,
raising rents and displacing generations of locals, the burgeoning movement of arts spaces for
more innovative performers made Oakland a destination for all things creative. Throughout the
tech incursion alongside gentrification, non-corporate venues have had to find creative ways to
stay afloat. The 2019 reopening of the Golden Bull on 14th Street provided locals who felt left
behind by the outside shift with an old time Oakland feel that supported avante-garde, queer
performers, punk rockers, experimental hip hop, and other communities.”
Save The Golden Bull in Oakland
They go on to say…”Now with the lack of guaranteed rent relief for venues the Golden Bull faces near-certain
closure. First, the lack of support for closed venues during the first wave of
COVID-19 gave rise to the distributed workforce. Next, the massive uptick in downtown crime
alongside conservative internet pundits who exaggerate a tragic city condition into a far more
malicious situation, have in turn caused a drastic loss in business. Since the Golden Bull is a
passion project for creatives, surviving on accessible, inclusive shows wasn’t enough to keep
the lights on. Post-work happy hours were crucial to underwriting the Bull’s creative offerings,
now through the current condition of downtown, many people don’t feel comfortable hanging out
downtown after they get off. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the rent for the venue
reflects a tech-inflated economy. Not one where every other business downtown is shuttering
from rising crime, crime hysteria, and jacked-up leases.”
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Will downtown go back to being a desolate ghost town?
If you’re not from Oakland, you may not have heard of The Golden Bull and may not realize why this is such sad news to hear on this Friday afternoon. The Golden Bull had been a lost venue but came back. In 2019, the revival of The Golden Bull on 14th Street offered a sense of classic Oakland to residents who felt disconnected from the evolving external landscape. It became a haven for avant-garde artists, queer performers, punk rock enthusiasts, experimental hip hop aficionados, and various other communities. The Golden Bull reopening really helped to brighten up downtown Oakland.
“As local businesses continue to shutter, we have to ask, when will the city step in to preserve
the soul of Oakland? Will downtown go back to being a desolate ghost town? Will the city of
Oakland continue to allow landlords to displace creatives only to have landlords sell off their
buildings for a quick buck to developers who can barely find tenants while displaced locals sleep
in the streets below? The Golden Bull is seeking to fight until the end, though it seems near, for
the sake of all of the misfit communities who have had to withstand the tech-rush, followed by
COVID-19 devastation. We look forward to finding like minded people to help us save this
beloved Oakland staple,” says the Golden Bull team.
You Can Help Save The Golden Bull
It’s not too late to help The Golden Bull stay open. In their press release, the Golden Bull team goes into more detail about how we might be able to help them. There will be benefit parties and a GoFundMe in an effort to raise enough funds to keep the venue open.
The Golden Bull let us know some additional details: “To make one last stand, the Golden Bull is hosting benefit parties October 23, 24, and 25
featuring a wide array of Bay Area musicians and artists who all find this venue a creative home. Even Kepi Ghoulie, leader of the famed Groovie Ghoulies has signed on to headline all three nights where he’ll play one of his respective albums in their entirety. There will also be surprise guests and specialty cocktails.
FIND THEM HERE:
If you can’t make the Golden Bull’s benefit parties, make
sure to visit the GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-keep-the-golden-bull-open
go to their IG for additional details @goldenbulloakland
Go there – attend a show, grab a beer! 412 14th St., Oakland, CA
Howdy! My name is Katy Atchison and I'm an Associate Editor for Broke-Ass Stuart.
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