About a half-dozen concerts were canceled in the spring, and they didn’t bother scheduling anything for the fall. The on-site Music Resource Center, an afterschool program for music-minded kids, closed. The number of weddings, according to Mark Nicklawske, was dramatically reduced.
Then, with less foot traffic around the building, it was targeted: sound equipment, instruments, and a computer were stolen. And now:
“A massive heating bill is coming due — which is always hard to make,” said Nicklawske, who is on the board of directors. “With no income, it’s very difficult.”
Sacred Heart Music Center is among the venues that will likely benefit from the Save Our Stages Act, $15 billion in COVID-19 relief directed toward spaces that host arts and entertainment. In the meantime, Sacred Heart’s keepers received an uncommon gift — a virtual music festival fundraiser complete with a tie-in specialty beer and swag.
“They came to us out of the blue and said, ‘We want to do this project with you,’” said Nicklawske of organizers Nick Muska from One Less Guest and Ben Hugus of Ursa Minor Brewing. “There were kind of music angels coming down and helping out Sacred Heart Music Center.”
Ben Hugus of Ursa Minor is one of the organizers behind a fundraiser for Sacred Heart Music Center (2018 file / News Tribune)
“Forbidden Fruit” will feature three staggered live-streamed concerts available for viewing on the event’s Facebook page starting at 5 p.m. Jan. 30. The lineup includes New Salty Dog at 5 p.m. from Wussow’s Concert Cafe, Laura Velvet at 6 p.m. from Ursa Minor Brewing and One Less Guest at 7:30 p.m. from Sacred Heart Music Center.
Organizers have a goal of hitting $20,000 — they were nearly halfway there late last week, according to the donations page on givemn.org.
Sacred Heart also has an ongoing campaign at GoFundMe.
Ursa Minor is offering a $5,000 match in addition to the proceeds from the special edition Sacred Heart Forbidden Fruit beer it brewed for the cause — available at regional liquor stores and at the brewery. There will be festival T-shirts also available on Ursa Minor's website.
One Less Guest is among the bands that will play a part of "Forbidden Fruit," a virtual music festival in support of Sacred Heart Music Center. (Photo by CC Boyle Photography)
This all started with the beer, a sour that combines strawberry, lemon, hibiscus and rosemary and a collaboration between the band and the brewery. Muska suggested Sacred Heart as the source of the proceeds.
“We just ran with it from there, and it got bigger and bigger,” he said.
It isn’t an ideal time for any small business, Ursa Minor founder Ben Hugus said, but it’s a time to support neighbors.
“All ships are kind of sinking,” he said. “Theirs is sinking faster. The only way we’re going to get through this disaster is shoulder to shoulder.”
Proceeds from Forbidden Fruit, a collaboration between Ursa Minor and One Less Guest, will go to Sacred Heart Music Center. (Image submitted by Ursa Minor)
If you watch
What: Forbidden Fruit: Fundraiser for Sacred Heart Music Center
When: 5 p.m. Jan. 30
Where: Forbidden Fruit: Fundraiser for Sacred Heart Music Center Facebook page
Where to find Forbidden Fruit beer: Ursa Minor and reginal liquor stores
To donate: givemn.org/ursaminor
January 21, 2021 at 11:00PM
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A specialty beer, three bands, swag: Locals look to save Sacred Heart - Duluth News Tribune
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