You may have heard about the explosion in the East Village that led to fires and the collapse of two buildings yesterday in New York. What you might not have realized is that one of those buildings was the home of Laura Gibson, beloved Portland singer/songwriter temporarily living away while she completes her MFA.
In a Facebook post, Gibson described running from the building as it filled with smoke, leaving literally everything behind, from socks, a toothbrush and contact lenses to her ID. Gibson’s friends and admirers are legion, fortunately, and have set up a GoFundMe fire recovery fund. If you count yourself a fan, please consider helping a gal out.
Gibson’s currently scheduled to play her first Portland show in quite some time on Sunday, April 5th at Mississippi Studios. I have a message out to see if she’ll need to cancel. (One could hardly blame her if she needs to.)
- via GoFundMe
UPDATE: While Gibson says her trip to Portland is still on, she has decided to cancel her engagement at Mississippi. Just think of how even more excited you will be the next time she announces a show!
What are the odds this person had renters insurance?
Have no idea if she did, and not judging her if she didn’t.
However, this is a good reminder to everyone else to get renter’s insurance (usually $150-$300/yr, sometimes less if tacked on to auto), take photos of all your valuable stuff, and back them up online.
Like all insurance, you may never end up using it, but you’ll feel reeeeally fucking smart if you ever do.