'Going To Pull Through This': Colorado Musicians Plan Benefit Show To Save Struggling Mercury Café

DENVER (CBS4) - The Mercury Cafe has been one of Denver's most important entertainment venues for decades. It's featured big names like the Lumineers and Nathaniel Rateliff before they were famous.

Like many music venues, The Mercury Café has struggled due to the pandemic. This Valentine's Day, some well-known Colorado musicians are coming together to help raise money for this historic venue.

"A Valentine for the Mercury Café" is a virtual benefit show and silent auction event to help the venue stay afloat.

"The overwhelming support we have has changed me," said Mercury Café Owner, Marilyn Megenity. "For them to come together for us makes me weep."

A GoFundMe has also raised more than $88,000 to help Megenity keep the doors open.

"Our purpose has been community for a long time, and now the community has just given us the biggest hug," Megenity told CBS4's Andrea Flores.

Tom Hagerman of the Colorado band, DeVotchKa, helped organize the event.

"I've heard so many people say that they grew up here, or that this place is a second home, and Marilyn, in some ways, is our patron saint," Hagerman said. "She has allowed us to have a safe place to perform our music."

DeVotchKa bandmate Nick Urata says community support is crucial to ensure venues like the Mercury Cafe are still around post-pandemic.

"Earlier this year we lost El Chapultepec, which was a historical place, and we can't lose anymore or we're not going to be the Denver we used to be," Urata said.

After decades in Denver, the Mercury hopes to offer live music for years to come thank to community support.

"We're going to pull through this," Megenity said.

To attend the virtual show on Valentine's Day, you can find more information at http://mercurycafe.com/ and tune in at https://30360media.com/