Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The butcher, the baker, the reggae beat maker...

One of my favorite local bands are the trio called East Wave Radio, a reggae band that plays the local circuit. They spent the better part of April touring across Canada with Jah Cutter, a fairly well known (in Canada) reggae musician. Towards the end of the tour the boys got into a pretty bad car accident while driving their van from one tour stop to the next. They were attempting to pass a slower moving car when the van lost control on the slick roads and sent them into the ditch, tossing both Johnny and Dave out of the van. The guys were left in critical but stable condition. Unfortunately for the guys, this happened in Canada, a long way from home and family, and the hospital bills quickly started piling up. The good news though is that the great friends and family back in Portland stepped up and put forth an amazing effort to help the guys raise some money to get them back on their feet quickly.

Our friends Nate Drinkwater and Angie Galvin, among many others did a tremendous job putting together a two day benefit at the Big Easy, with like a dozen bands playing music over the course of the two days, all at no charge. There was a silent auction with tons of great items donated by great people and local businesses, as well as a raffle with a boatload of great gift certificates from local retailers and eateries, all donated to the cause.

We stopped in for a few hours last night to check it all out, and these guys did an amazing job. Nichole and I got a chance to catch up with the old gang and spent a few minutes chatting with Johnny from East Wave Radio. What a blast. Sly Chi, Marion Grace and Paranoid Social Club were just a few of the great bands playing last night. For a fan of the local music scene here in Portland, it was a great event. I want to personally thank and congratulate Nate, Angie and everyone else that set it up, awesome job guys! I'm just saying...