When it comes to local live music, the Moonshine Cafe is a truly special place. It’s a local community hub that regularly hosts live, local Oakville artists 7 nights a week.
But now it’s in trouble for a predictable reason these days. With so few shows and limits on the number of guests, the music venue and cafe are close to closing forever….unless one campaign started by two friends comes in to save the day. And you can help be part of the rescue.
Opened in 2006 by John and Jane Marlatt, the Moonshine Cafe is the most intimate arts venue in all of Oakville. Over the years it’s been the debut venue for hundreds of Oakville musicians, youth and young musicians. It’s also hosted shows by big-name talents like The Kings, The Sheepdogs, JP Cormier, Kevin Briet and others.
It’s no surprise that like many entertainment venues, restaurants, bars and clubs, their business has taken a severe hit because of the coronavirus pandemic. But when two friends and longtime locals of the Moonshine heard the cafe might be closing, they sprung into action.
“This place means too much the community and the people who go there to lose it,” says Ron Mueller, one of the co-founders of a GoFundMe campaign to save the Moonshine Cafe. “The musicians and the venue have helped a lot of younger people for years, and it’s an outlet for everyone to play their music. We know what them closing means, so we wanted to see if people will help.”
Mueller is one of the two people started the fundraiser with his friend Paul Rooney. He first walked into the Moonshine Cafe 12 years ago, and he says all it took was that first visit to “bring back the interest of music into my (Ron’s) life.”
“I had played music in my youth, but didn’t know what it was until I walked in one day,” he says. “It’s a really rich musical community was there; now I know it’s a really unique place.”
Knowing the Moonshine Cafe is so special is why they started the GoFundMe campaign. “We started this after we saw what business has been like since March. We kinda realized that they were in trouble. And then we found out he had a month left.”
And the response has been overwhelming. The original goal set was $75,000, and in just the first week and a half since launch, they’ve made almost $35,000 so far. Mueller and Rooney hope they can reach the goal for John and Jane by October 31 this year.
“We got some tremendous response,” Mueller continues, “and it’s all grassroots - it’s all people who love the place. Now we gotta keep spreading the word so we can save the cafe.”
Since “the owners have had almost no revenue, all the money is going to John’s overhead until more customers can come back.” That includes rent, utilities, licensing, and the overheard cost of running the bar and kitchen. Mueller hopes the money will be enough to help see the cafe through until Spring 2021, when things should be easier for hospitality and entertainment businesses.
The Moonshine’s capacity is 70 inside, but regular business during the pandemic hasn’t exceeded more than 10-15 people per day, and Mueller says that live music shows have only been able to happen twice or three time a week instead of the usual show every day.
What makes the Moonshine Cafe the most special of all is the fact a majority of the performers are Oakville locals, and as Mueller says, “especially Oakville’s youth.”
“One thing that’s very important is that it’s not just a bar. The community contribution Moonshine has made is unmeasurable. It’s the only place where local musicians can come and play on a stage.”
It’s a place known for its variety, too. All styles of music and local, original music are welcomed. And what’s the cost of losing such an iconic venue and place for both music and the arts in Oakville?
“Without Moonshine Cafe,” warns Mueller, “We’ll lose a cornerstone of not just the music community but the Oakville community.”
That alone is a song worth saving.
You can donate to the Moonshine Cafe's GoFundMe campaign here.