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LAURELTHIRST VIA GOFUNDME

Two months ago, the current owners of the Laurelthirst Public House—Nick Zerr, Brandon Logan, Bart Yanoch, and local musician Lewi Longmire—launched a Gofundme campaign to raise $235,000 by the end of March so they could buy the building that's housed the music venue for the past 30 years.

They lowered that to $135,000 once they knew what assets they could put in themselves, and surpassed that fundraising goal a day early, having raised $141,261 for the downpayment as of Friday afternoon. In an email to the Mercury, Longmire confirmed that the deal's gone through, meaning the Laurelthirst will remain at the corner of Northeast Glisan and 30th for the foreseeable future. That's fantastic (and rare) news for the city's music community, which has seen too many beloved establishments shutter in recent years.

The Laurelthirst is the city's oldest independent music venue, and hosts 16 folk, bluegrass, roots, and Americana shows every week (including frequent appearances from local legend Michael Hurley). Now that its future isn't in jeopardy, Longmire says he and the other owners are "hoping to keep that place rocking for decades to come, old school."