Be Here Now is utilizing Kickstarter to raise money for a new outdoor sound system.
29
backers have pledged
$611
has been raised
$3,500
is the goal of the Kickstarter
Local music venue and bar Be Here Now has started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a new outdoor sound system.
The fundraising campaign started April 24 and has $611 out of its $3,500 goal thanks to 29 backers so far.
The campaign ends at 1 p.m. June 1 and will only receive funding if the goal is raised. Be Here Now’s Kickstarter offers incentives that range from Be Here Now merchandise and free shows to a free dinner with the owner and a private party at the bar with Afroman.
The decision for the venue to use Kickstarter and tap the community for help came after the winter. The page says record low attendance and record high utility bills made an impact on Be Here Now’s finances.
“Whitney [Lewis, the bar’s owner] hates asking for help, but he was willing to give this a try,” Neal Soley, a spokesperson for Be Here Now, said. “Be Here Now is a venue and a community and more than just the average bar. We want to keep that community open and even just give people a way to show they want us to stay around.”
Local musician Wes “Hambone” Morgan has played with his band at Be Here Now for four years and said an upgrade to the equipment is necessary. He supports the bar’s decision to reach out for help through Kickstarter.
“The support is voluntary,” he said. “The bar isn’t raising prices at the door or on drinks, and people who want to help can do so directly, this is really the best way. There is this sense of ‘part of the crew, part of the ship’ with Be Here Now’s community and if the bar needs help, they will want to help.”
C.D. Tolbert, a local musician and audio student, has volunteered at the bar for 11 months and played music at Be Here Now since he came to Muncie three and a half years ago.
“We’ve repaired the old sound system many times, and it’s gotten to the point where it’s more cost effective to just replace the system,” Tolbert said. “Be Here Now is the cultural hub of Muncie. ... If we go down, so does the music in Muncie.”
Read More
Indiana Capital Chronicle: Digital grant program halted by Trump administration, state says
By Indiana Capital Chronicle / YesterdayIndiana is suspending the application period for a Digital Opportunity Grant program, which opened April 30, under orders from President Donald Trump’s administration.
Ball State ends 2025 season with loss to Miami in MAC Softball Championship semifinal
By Zach Carter / 3 days agoBall State ended the year with a 8-0 loss to Miami.
Cardinals elect a new pope, the first American pope in history
By Staff Reports / 5 days agoCardinal Robert Prevost, an American missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, according to the Associated Press (AP).
