Benefit Concert for VHL Family Alliance Cancer Research Fund a Success!

On the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, my 17 year-old nephew Calvin plugged in his guitar and took the stage at VHL-stock, an event he helped arranged to raise awareness of Von Hippel-Lindau disease, and garner donations for the VHL Family Alliance Cancer Research Fund.

Calvin has the rare genetic disease that leaves him vulnerable to tumors on his eyes, spinal cord, and adrenal glands, and has already had three surgeries to remove such growths.

The event raised over $11,300 for the cancer fund.

I think the ghost of Hendrix would have approved of our appropriating the Woodstock moniker, as the Fender Stratocaster-wielding Calvin opened the night’s set of music with cover tunes by Ryan Adam, Elvis Costello and Tom Petty.

Calvin was backed by his dad, D-Rave on drums, his uncle Brian (Switch2PlanB) on guitar, and his cousin Joe on keyboards, with a band that also featured Nick of the Pink Floyd tribute band, “Which One’s Pink?” on keyboards and guitar:

The show turned into a reunion of sorts, as D-Rave and Brian (below) played together again for the first time since they shared the stage in L.A. rock bands True Confessions and Painted Horses.

The VHL-stock band rocked the house with some original tunes by Calvin…

And Joe sat in, playing a song written in tribute to his dad—our brother Gary…

(sorry for the blurry photo, Joe!)

Rocky Peak's Wes, was awesome on bass...

And Lauren sang lead and backing vocals...

Thanks to Joel Lifter for all the photos--and awesome brownies!

After the show, rumors of a VHL-stock II were already in the air...

Thanks to everyone who attended, and all who donated so generously!

(For more pix, go here...)

Stalling for Time

Since Switch is in the middle of another one of his stupid “3-part series,” I’ll post a few bullet points here for those three people who actually read “Everything Must Go.” Notes from my mundane, meaningless existence:

* I’m back in a fire station, driving a rig. It’s like staring all over again, and I hate it. The T-Rex is a bitch...

* “VHL-stock” was a blast, and I’ll post pictures next week...

* I spent the weekend avoiding writing anything new, and instead screwing around with my Facebook and flickr pages...

* My poor wife seems to finally be on the mend. Local ER staffs all know her by name now…

* I’ve been reading “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon.” Along with Bukowski and the recent Rolling Stone piece on Robert Downey Jr., I’ve been studying the lives of famous drunken a**holes. Contemplating posting about it…

* I apologize for posting all the crappy song lyrics on both blog sites. Seemed like a good idea at the time…

* It’s been 1 month and a week, for those keeping track. But I can't recommend it...

Sorry

Another paean to mediocrity. Again, any resemblance to persons living or nearly dead is coincidental…

* * *

In a pair of silk pajamas
Clutching a Monte Blanc pen
I leave my last will and testament
Dictated from my dying bed

It’s time for me to come clean
It’s time to make amends
Even though you hardly noticed
I was falling off the end

But I’m sorry I let you down
Sorry I let you down
And even though
I never sank so low
For word to get around
I’m sorry
Sorry I let you down

I showed up at the Château Marmount
But they stopped me at the door
I showed them my press clippings
But they seemed to need a little more

I showed up Sunday drunk
But the pastor never had a clue
Still, I begged for his forgiveness
He said “Son, what ‘d you ever do?”

I’m sorry I let you down
Sorry I let you down
And even though
I never sank so low
For word to get around
I’m sorry
Sorry I let you down

I think I may have a story here to tell
But I’m just not sure if it would sell

I failed to bust into this world
Then I failed to get tossed back out
So lukewarm that Christ himself
Would spit me out his mouth

So I’m sorry I let you down
Sorry I let you down
And even though
I never sank so low
For word to get around
I’m sorry
Sorry I let you down




copyright
b. cieslak
8/21/08

VHL-stock wrap up

For you Switch-heads out there asking how the VHL-Stock concert went, I'll post a complete report as soon as I get some pictures...

For now, I'll just tell you that we had a great turn out, the band had a blast, and we helped raise a tidy amount of money for a great cause...

Some of my relatives hit the wine bar a little too hard, but that's another story.

Anyway, there's talk of maybe even doing it again next year!

Until then...

VHL Family Alliance Cancer Research Fund

http://www.vhl.org/

14 Days

More lyrics, this set from Warren Zevon's warped mind:

Well, I went to the doctor, I said,
"I'm feeling kind of rough"
He said, "I'll break it to you, son
Your sh*t's f**ked up."

I said, "My sh**t 's f**ked up?"
Well, I don't see how—"
He said, "The sh**t that used to work—
It won't work now."

That amazing grace
Sort of passed you by
You wake up every day
And you start to cry

Yeah, you want to die
But you just can't quit
Let me break it on down:
It's the f**ked up sh*t