Help save NBT

Michael Cera Palin @ New Brookland Tavern (11/29/2025)

There's a lot to be said about music venues. For a lot of people they're a home away from home. On Saturday, November 29, 2025, New Brookland Tavern (NBT) held a donation show to raise money for rent. During Michael Cera Palin’s set, Elliott Brabant (lead vocalist and guitarist) said something really powerful along the lines of, “Bars come and go. Artists and venues are forever.” 

NBT has been a Columbia staple since it opened in 1976. It's been a pillar of the community for generations, a well loved space, a notable piece of punk history and it would be a tragedy to let it die so suddenly. I grew up going to venues like NBT in Atlanta. My parents worked at staple venues in Charlotte. When the Milestone was in trouble, the community came together to help get it back on stable ground. They took donations, held more shows, made a movie about saving the Milestone and what it means to the community who grew up in that venue. Now a similar thing is happening in Columbia. New Brookland Tavern is under threat of dying out because since moving locations in 2023, licenses have expired, rent has gone up, building repairs are needed to get back up to code and more. 

New Brookland Tavern is a home for the lost, a community for misfits and a safe place for the weird and off putting.They put on shows of all genres and support local artists any way they can. New Brookland Tavern is one of the longest standing venues in Columbia. Most if not all other historical venues in Columbia are long closed. I went around and asked friends from the scene if they have anything to say on the topic of NBT maybe getting shut down. The following is what they had to say.

“New Brookland Tavern is more than just a bar…it's a cultural landmark worth celebrating and protecting - It’s a home for local music, creativity and community in Columbia. I went to NBT a week ago for the first time and fell in love. They accept everyone no matter what. New Brookland Tavern  has given countless artists a chance to be heard. Supporting NBT means preserving Columbia’s creative identity and protecting an irreplaceable space for art, music and community. Supporting it means keeping independent art alive. Show up. Keep it open.” - PIT MAMA DEL

“The NBT has been a statement in the Columbia scene since before I even got into hardcore. They have amazing shows…no matter what part of South Carolina you're from you're bound to have heard of it and the amazing work they do for the scene. It’s time for the scene to do the same thing for them.” - ELI

“New Brookland Tavern has been a haven for people of all ages and interests, especially for students attending USC. Many students don't have cars on campus so having a music venue, especially one that hosts touring acts, within walking distance is a godsend.” -NICKY

“New brookland tavern has always been more than a bar. It’s a birthmark for so many kids' dreams to come true. It’s one of the only venues Columbia has that isn't a house venue, that allows bands to easily play for a group of people. I think NBT has been the reason so many bands have found success  and where so many people have made lifelong friends. Overall solidifying the Columbia scene” -STEVEN (Antifact)

“NBT was one of the few spots left in Cola that actually spoke about real world issues and positively contributed to the community. I got to attend countless shows there, whether it was big named artists on tour passing through, or local artists who were just starting out – NBT catered to both. It’s important to have places like NBT that give the opportunity for artists to have a place to get their name out there. It's a shame to see such a big piece of the scene go, but I’m thankful for the memories and friends I made there. I think it's vital for us as a community to speak out against things like this. Rather than shutting down one of the remaining spots where people can come together, we should be focusing on real problems. The closing of NBT should be a reminder to continue to support local artists, small businesses and uplift each other because without that, there is no community, there is no scene.” -ISA

“New Brookland Tavern is an extremely important music venue in the Columbia scene. It brings in people from all over the state and acts as a safe space for many people. I’ve met all kinds of people who I’ve connected with and love at NBT, I know the queer community especially loves this venue to death. Without NBT the Columbia music scene would lose one of its most important and iconic venues and the queer community would lose a safe space that has so long supported them.” -GIO

The New Brookland Tavern means the world to so many people. It’s a home for the lost, a safety net for the scared, an integral part of the Columbia scene that stands as a beacon of light in the South Carolina scene as a whole. NBT has done so much for the community, for artists, for misfits who had nowhere else to go. Help save New Brookland Tavern so we can keep this essential part of our community alive.

Click here to donate to the NBT fundraiser

Written by ROXAS (BONES) GALLAGHER - Writer/Founder