What’s happening with Shipwreck this Summer?
First of all, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has donated to the GoFundMe thus far. Without you it would be impossible to continue our mission of providing the best possible live and in-studio recordings of local independent music at a reasonable price point. The East Bay punk community has been instrumental in drawing attention to the plight of the residents and businesses affected by the fire and ensuing flood. Two benefit shows were recently held at the 924 Gilman Street collective, the latter of which was headlined by none other than the famous punk band Green Day. While many news outlets covered the show and neglected to mention beneficiaries outside of our beloved 1984 Printing and AK Press, both housed in the 23rd Street building, a brief Twitter campaign did succeed in having Shipwreck mentioned in Rolling Stone. Jonah’s studio-hopping has landed him at Santo Studio at Sycamore and West in Oakland, through the month of August. Santo is a converted auto body shop with high ceilings that shares a similar mission and price structure as Shipwreck. The live room is beautifully appointed with reclaimed wood and vintage upholstery, and Jonah recently revamped the secondary control room to accommodate professional recording, mixing, and mastering sessions. It’s quite snazzy; tell your musician friends! While Jonah continues to work in exile, the owner of the 24th Street building that houses Shipwreck has stymied the rebuilding process that could allow residents to return and continue their lives in a reasonable amount of time. The water, power, and gas services to the building are still shut off. There has been no settlement reached between the landlord’s insurance provider and independent insurance adjuster. While a structural review has been completed of the burned unit that sits immediately above Shipwreck, no work has begun to make the roof and exterior wall structurally sound. While we wait to exercise our legal right to return to the building at our current rent, the search is well underway for a building that could potentially house Shipwreck, Jonah, and an additional apartment in the long term. The ideal building would be a 3500 square foot brick-and-timber structure that has had its seismic retrofit done, west of Lake Merritt in Oakland. Also appropriate would be a mixed-use parcel with a church (or warehouse) and a duplex already built on the property. Such properties do exist on the market and may be within reach with a first-time-homeowner loan or SBA loan. However, given the competition and pricing inherent in the current explosive Bay Area real estate market, it has become clear that the most efficient way to purchase an affordable property and the ensuing custom studio build-out is by buying at a commercial foreclosure auction. This requires cash on hand, and approval for a significant construction loan. We are currently researching local organizations who can aid in the formation of a business plan and income model, and are actively looking for an angel investor whose mission aligns with that of the studio. Please do share the GoFundMe link on social media. We are greatly indebted to you for your support.