In a recent feature, Billboard dives deep into the story behind Galactic’s 2018 purchase of Tipitina’s, revealing details about how the band stepped in to rescue one of New Orleans’ most iconic venues after years of financial mismanagement and industry blacklisting.

According to bassist Robert Mercurio, the trouble started when Tipitina’s failed to pay Galactic for their annual New Year’s Eve show in 2017. That red flag led to larger revelations: other artists hadn’t been paid either, and the venue’s then-owner, Roland Von Kurnatowski, was reportedly under FBI investigation for an alleged Ponzi scheme before his death in 2019.

Rather than let the space fall into corporate hands, Galactic (guided by their manager Alex Brahl) made a bid to buy the venue and restore its reputation. As Billboard reports, the band learned Tip’s had been blacklisted by major booking agents due to unpaid bills. “It made sense,” Mercurio told the publication. “We were like, ‘God, why don’t any of these national acts play here anymore?’”

The article chronicles how Galactic quickly upgraded the backstage and made the space more appealing to artists. Since then, Tipitina’s has welcomed national names like The Killers, Lyle Lovett, and David Cross. During the pandemic, the band launched a livestream concert series and the Tipitina’s Record Club which now boasts over 3,000 subscribers and 28 releases—to help keep the venue afloat. Notably, Galactic and Tipitina’s were also active members of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), a coalition that played a key role in securing federal relief for shuttered music venues during the pandemic.

Despite pandemic setbacks and ongoing competition from larger promoters, Galactic remains committed to keeping Tipitina’s independent and true to its roots. “We’re not going to beat Live Nation and AEG on money,” Mercurio told Billboard, “but we can beat them at being the cool place to play in town.

Read the full article here.