The Alley on Grand Avenue has been closed since March due to the pandemic. Its owner says the historic piano bar is on the brink of closure. Photo: Sarah Han A group of bar regulars is asking for help to forestall yet another pandemic-driven closing of an institution near and dear to so many: Oakland’s historic Alley piano bar. The timeless Alley, the third oldest bar in Oakland, has been at 3325 Grand Ave. since 1933, but with the pandemic keeping its doors closed, its owner since 2009, Jacqualine Simpkins, says it is on the brink of closure. The dedicated, die-hard Alley community has been meeting via social media, including through live, virtual events, to sing and stay connected ever since the piano bar closed in March. Through the long months of the pandemic, Alley regular Rachel Howard says, the fellow fans and singers got to know each other better and, once the situation turned dire, the Alley Preservation Society was born. Alley pianist Bryan Seet, along with Howard and another Alley supporter, Dave Schweisguth, started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $75,000 to keep the bar afloat for the next five to six months. That money will go to pay the Alley’s mortgage, property tax and utilities. As of publication, the campaign has raised more than $58,000.