SAVING AND RELOCATING BORN FREE PUB

Hello, my name is Eliot, and I book shows in Tampa under Locust Parade Booking.

For several years now, Born Free Pub has grown into an essential staple of the underground music scene in Tampa, hosting some of the most exciting up and coming artists in punk, hardcore and metal alongside multiple other genres of music. I can say with no uncertainty that there are multiple shows both myself and others have booked at Born Free that simply wouldn’t be logistically viable at the majority of other available venues at our city. Aside from charging a very low cost for overhead, Born Free’s owner Deen is someone who truly cares about each and every artist and patron that steps foot into his venue, and both himself and his staff has always been accommodating in a way that not only made running a show much less stressful than usual, but has made Born Free truly feel like a home away from home for both local and touring bands and the crowds that showed up to see them. Unfortunately, Deen and his staff were informed in mid October that their lease was being terminated. Which leads me to why I’m writing this, to ask the community to step up and do everything we can to help find a new location for Born Free so the legacy of one of Tampa music scene’s most important venues in decades can continue on.

All donations to this Gofundme will go directly to securing a new location for Born Free in Tampa. The goal is to not only find a new space, but to find one that is bigger and better than the last, with more room for bigger shows, while still being a viable spot for smaller DIY shows as well. It’s my hope that the Tampa underground music community can step up and help make this transition as smooth for Deen, his staff and his family as possible. The work he’s put into Born Free and the countless shows that would simply not have happened in Tampa otherwise is something truly special, and our scene, hardcore, punk, metal, indie and otherwise will collectively suffer a massive loss if we lose his presence here. A donation of any amount will help get them back on their feet, so whatever you are able to give please do! I understand that times are extremely hard all around for everyone, so if you’re not able to donate money, please consider sharing this with anyone and everyone you can, spread the word, and push this out there. I urge everyone to come together despite whatever differences anyone has and to collectively support Deen, his family and his staff in their time of need. For our music scenes, for Tampa, and for Born Free. Let’s do this.