Keeping an independent music venue afloat is never easy, especially in a city like NYC, but amid the coronavirus pandemic, it's gotten harder than ever with venues trying to weather extended closures that started in mid-March and currently have no end in sight (here's how you can help support NYC venues and their staff at the moment). Bushwick DIY venue Shea Stadium, which closed the doors of its 20 Meadow St location back in 2017, has been attempting to make a comeback since, and they were on the verge of making a major announcement about a new space this spring... when coronavirus struck. "An offer was accepted last month for a 10-year lease at a new location," venue organizers write in a new update on their Kickstarter campaign. "This was in early March, and as we were about to go into contract NY declared a state of emergency, casting the foreseeable future into some serious doubt."

"With the vast degree of uncertainty surrounding just about everything these days," they continue, "especially in the live music/event zone, we could not in good conscience sign a lease and enter willingly into this venture knowing there would be no timetable for when we could begin working on our space, start the process of permits, or plan our first events all while continuing to pay rent. So where does that leave us now? We’re in the same boat as everyone else, which is to say we don't have any more information to share about WHEN this situation will turn around."

Read the full update below.

The DIY venue was, of course, named after the more famous Shea Stadium, which was home to The Mets from 1964 to 2008 and also played host to slightly bigger shows -- like The Beatles, The Clash, The Rolling Stones, and The Who -- over the years before it was torn down in 2009, the same year the Bushwick space opened. (Billy Joel played the last shows at Shea.) This same week comes the news (via Variety) that retired Yankee Alex Rodriguez and Bronx native Jennifer Lopez are looking to buy The Mets. (Haven't The Yankees hurt The Mets enough?) The couple, who are engaged, "have retained JPMorgan Chase to raise capital for a possible bid on" the team, sources told Variety. Hey A-Rod and J-Lo, if you’re reading this, maybe put some of your disposable income towards bringing back the DIY venue too??

Shea Stadium's Spring 2020 Kickstarter Update: April 23, 2020