The National Launch A Fundraiser To Support Their Touring Crew During The Coronavirus Pandemic

The National were among the first wave of artists to cancel upcoming tour dates as a precaution during the spread of the coronavirus. Sadly, this means that the band’s touring crew is out of work for the time being. Matt Berninger and company don’t want to leave them out to dry, so the band has found a way to try to help out: The band will give all profits from their webstore sales and from fan club enrollments to their twelve-person crew.

The National shared photos and the names of their crew members and wrote while announcing the initiative, “Our crew are the lifeblood of our touring operation and have become family through the many years we’ve worked together. As uncertainty looms over the state of the live concert industry, we will direct all profits from merch sales through our webstore, new Cherry Tree fan club enrollments, and sales from the Cherry Tree members-only store to support our crew members throughout this crisis to the best of our ability.”

Meanwhile, the band also recently gave an update about their Homecoming festival, writing, “The health and safety of our fans is always our top priority. We are monitoring the situation closely and are actively exploring all options to move the festival to a later date. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through this. Please stay safe and we’ll check in soon.”