Propaganda's music family rallies to help Lake Worth Beach music venue survive financial rough patch
'We're honestly blown away,' owners say after 200-plus donors chip in nearly $14,000 in less than a week to keep the South J Street dive bar afloat
FOR 17 YEARS, Propaganda on South J Street in downtown Lake Worth Beach has been much more than just a local music dive bar with a gritty, unpretentious vibe.
A modest venue offering everything from punk and metal to ska, emo and indie rock, it’s a close-knit community of musicians and music lovers at the center of South Florida’s underground scene.
So when the club announced last week that it had fallen on hard times and might be in danger of closing, the extended Propaganda family rallied. In less than a week, more than 200 donors chipped in more than $14,000 to a GoFundMe to keep their beloved club afloat.
“We’re honestly blown away,’’ said Franco Jaramillo, who with his wife Natalie has run the club since April 2022.
The money will go toward payroll, operational costs, vendor bills and other “essential expenses to keep shows running and doors open,’’ according to the Propaganda donor website.
The owners are trying to cut costs and make the operations more sustainable. But the club still faces an uncertain future in Lake Worth Beach.
“Right now, we’re facing rising costs, a slowdown in business, and behind-the-scenes challenges that are putting real pressure on us staying open,’’ their fundraising website says.
“We are raising $15,000 to help stabilize the venue, cover urgent expenses, and give us the breathing room to keep Propaganda alive — whether that’s here or wherever it lands next.’’
And May 16-17, they’re hosting “Prop Lives,’’ a two-day benefit show, featuring 30 bands. The $15 admission will go directly to the club without the bands taking their usual cut.
In an interview, Franco Jaramillo said he could not discuss details about the Propaganda’s challenges, other than to say they’re related to the economy and issues with the club’s lease.
When the Jaramillos took over Propaganda four years ago, the club was in danger of closing. They repainted the inside, updated the interior and made much-needed repairs to the plumbing and air conditioning.
The place thrived. A common South J Street sight was the line of patrons waiting to get into Propaganda.
“We’ve had good fortune with profits increasing 25 percent year over year,’’ Franco said.
But in recent months, he said, that growth “has stalled. It has hit pause.’’
The fundraisers are “really about keeping this place going and being prepared for what could potentially happen,’’ he said.
“We’re trying to make people aware that this place could potentially not exist anymore. That’s kind of the reality,’’ he said. “But we are going to fight tooth and nail to make sure that doesn’t happen.’’
Propaganda’s challenges come at a time when Lake Worth Beach city leaders have struggled to rejuvenate the downtown.
Ten Lake Avenue storefronts are vacant, some for several years, including prominent buildings not far from Propaganda at the two north corners of J Street.
City leaders are hoping the renovated Gulfstream Hotel, when it opens later this year, will encourage private investment and businesses to occupy those vacant storefronts. Many storefronts, though, have high rents that are out of reach for smaller commercial tenants.
Propaganda is located at 8 S. J. St. in the Boydston Building, which was purchased in February 2022 for $1.4 million by Boydston Building LLC, property records show. The company is managed by Jeffrey Larsen of Larsen MacColl Private Equity in Wayne, Pa.
Among its other investment and real estate interests, Larsen MacColl provides financial backing for Tin Roof, a Nashville-spawned chain of live-music restaurants, including one that opened in 2018 on East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.
Larsen, who lives in Delray Beach, has served as a board member for Tin Roof Acquisition Company LLC, according to Bloomberg. A message left at his Pennsylvania office March 27 has not been returned.
Propaganda is one of two premier underground clubs in Palm Beach County, including Respectable Street in downtown West Palm Beach.
“Any small venue that can last 17 years is pretty amazing these days,’’ said Steve Rullman, publisher PureHoney Magazine, who has been involved with Propaganda since its beginning. He helped develop the concept and has offered in-house booking and marketing.
“I don’t see it going away,’’ Rullman said. “I think things will turn around.’’
Andrew Sears certainly hopes so. His band, Rude Television (video above), played some of its earliest shows at Propaganda.
“It’s more tight knit there than anywhere else around as far as people who actually enjoy music that you don’t hear on the radio or top artists on your Spotify,’’ he said.
Aside from offering emerging bands a place to perform, Sears said, Propaganda fits the unofficial “Keep Lake Worth Weird” motto.
“Lake Worth needs this spot,’’ he said.
