The “Play or Die” Jam Benefit for Dub DeBrie was nothing short of amazing.  Musicians from the Portland area, and ones who had even left town came back to play in this event to raise money for their friend who is fighting HIV.  I was honored to be an MC for the event along with musician Lindsy Scott. 

I wrote an earlier blog about Dub and Anne DeBrie and the event.  If you haven’t read it yet, link here and catch up.

I keep trying to pinpoint my favorite part of the evening, and there are so many, that it’s hard to do. 

When Norman Sylvester took the stage for a rousing version of “People Get Ready” with the house band, and Dub on guitar…well, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Or when there was about 6 guitars on stage for “The Sky is Crying” and all were phenominal, especially from Doug Rowell, who I used to follow from bar to bar when he was in Legend.  Ah, those were the days!  I adored that band.  Doug is as amazing as ever.

The set with Dub’s dear friend Gary Ferreira (Fernando) got everyone on their feet.  I knew that one would be special because they are such close friends, and I’ve seen “Nando” show up at many a jam. 

When Melody Guy sang  with Dub on guitar, it was like heaven had opened and let angels out to play. 

“Mambo Kings” brought out the love in a big way.  I can’t believe how many people claim it as “their song.”  Hey, I thought it was MINE!  It’s that freakin’ good.  Why this was never a huge national hit just mystifies me.  People were dancing and telling stories about how special that song was to their various relationships.  I’ve heard Dub refer to Saturday night as “date night” in the  clubs, and with that perfect song that he wrote, it’s sure to have sparked many a romance.  Once when I was watching him at Rich’s Kitchen, I audibly sighed at the end of the song, and the woman in the table next to me leaned over and said “I know….” 

There were so many memorable moments in the jam last night, with musicians weaving in and out of sets, highlighting one or two artist at a time.  They would then step back into the role of side player…seamlessly.  The selections included familiar favorites, blues, and original DeBrie tunes.  The thing that cut through the most, was this intense love for the music from each artist, and their love for the man they were there to honor…Dub. 

Dub took the stage at several times through the evening.  His wife, and musical partner, Anne said that he wasn’t feeling well last night, and he was feeling better when he was playing because the music distracts him from the pain.  So he played…quite a bit.  Conroy DeBrie finished up the evening with some originals, and much to our delight, when the crowd started yelling PINBALL…he grabbed the acoustic guitar and said “this is the last time we’re going to do this one.”  HA!  He says that everytime he plays it.  Dub launching into “Pinball Wizard” would have made Pete Townshend himself proud. 

Dub thanked everyone for coming, and Anne made the comment that “we’d like to do this again next year.”  The crowd went nuts.  Dub said he will do his best to be here, and promised to keep fighting.  I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the “miracle man.” 

There was a professional film crew there last night and from what I understand it will be turned into a DVD.  I’m so glad!  While it was a night that will live in my memory, it’s nice to be able to hear it again…and again.

As for Dub, the love from the room was great medicine last night.  He’s given us so much through his music over the years, I only hope we were able to give it back in kind.

I was toast by the end of last week, but I’ve already written about that.  

Last night gave me a boost that I really needed.  

KGON has been a partner with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for years now when they come to Portland, and every year, it’s great to turn new people on to this show and this amazing group of people who put it together.  The cool thing about TSO is that when they come to town they give $1.00 of every ticket sold to a local charity.  This year, and in the years before, Paul O’Neill comes to us and asks who we think needs the money, and while there are so many deserving organizations…we tell them about the Community Transtional School.  This year when I was talking to Paul prior to the show, we talked about the charity and the work they do with homeless children ages 4-14, giving them an education to break the cycle of poverty.  This is truly God’s work, and if you doubt that there are angels who walk among us, take a trip to the school and talk to the teachers.  They are a private charity who is doing this work without blaming parents for being poor, but raising up the children in that situation of homelessness, to see that there is more to life, and they can achieve it.

Paul O’Neill is one of the most tender-hearted, generous, visionary artists around.  After the conversation he tells me to get in contact with Adam in the office (who we met for the first time this year at the Portland show) and tell him to send the school two Apple Mac Books.  Oh yeah, and then he said that he was sending an extra bunch of loaded visa cards for the school to use on whatever they needed.  You can imagine how thrilled the school was.  Plus the extra $13,050 in the checks they were awarded last night.  Great big “Happy Gilmore” checks!  

I stayed glued to my seat for both shows.  Every year Paul O’Neill says that the show is bigger than last year, and every year I think “but HOW?”  Yes, it was a bigger show.  More visuals, just crazy!  

The other thing I have to rave about is that the band not only comes backstage for a meet and greet with fans and winners of our contests and us radio geeks…but after that, they go out into the concourse of the arena, sit at a very long table, and sign autographs, shake hands, and thank every last person who waits for them.  As I was leaving last night, the line was very long.  I had stayed for both shows, did the check award with the band to the charity at both performances, went backstage with my Godson Anthony and his roommates who I think met their future wives….and bless my soul, I was tired at the end of it all.  But I had not PERFORMED TWO SHOWS.  Two very athletic shows with effects and incredible music.  Preceded by double shows in Seattle and Vancouver.  I was humbled at the cast and crew of TSO because not only do they “bring it” for every performance….they also give back to every community they touch with their shows…and they still smile at the end of the night and thank every single one of the audience who want to meet them.

It seriously blows away anything I’ve ever seen in rock and roll in terms of touching the audience.  

And they do it every year from November 1st through January 1st.

I can’t wait until next year.

God bless TSO!

Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and Loggins and Messina had a common thread, and that was Jimmy Messina.  When I started loving these bands, I had no idea that was the case, and then I got into radio (as a child) and started reading the liner notes carefully.  Let me back up a bit.  I bought “Sittin’ In” when I first heard “House at Pooh Corner” on the radio.  I know, not very hip, but I was a huge fan of children’s literature (still am), and the fact that someone actually did a song about “that little bitty bear” just drew me in.  I loved it.  Still do.  Sing it to a child sometime and see how cool it really is.  The fun surprise was that the whole album was and is fantastic.  “Trilogy: Lovin’ Me/To Make a Woman Feel Wanted/Peace of Mind” is incredible.  “Back to Georgia,” “Listen to a Country Song,” “Nobody But You,” “Vahevala,” & “Danny’s Song” were all rolled out last night at the Schnitzer.  I’m not perfect on the set list because I didn’t write them down at the time, but here’s the rest of the songs that they did:  “Travelin’ Blues,” “Long Tail Cat,” “Angry Eyes, “Be Free,” “You Need a Man,” and “Your Mama Don’t Dance.”  I think that’s all.  I was spent. 

The band was incredible.  There was a saxophone duel between Steve Nieves and Big Jim Wheeler that just blew me away.  I’ve never seen anything quite like it.  Gabe Dixon, who opened the show, on keyboards was fantastic.  Steve Distanislao on drums and George Hawkins on bass provided the rhythm and depth to the sound.  Gary Oleyar played violin and a lot of other instruments as well.  What a talented gathering of musicians.

Kenny Loggins is just so much better with Jimmy Messina!  I’ve seen Kenny solo, and it just wasn’t anything close to what last night was.  The harmonies were amazing.  The banter between old friends was so much fun.  I could have stayed there for another couple of hours.

The audience was totally into it too…except for the couple right in front of me who were much more into their date night than the EVENT on stage.  From the moment they sat down during Gabe Dixon’s set, which was just Gabe on keyboards and vocals, and a guy doing percussion, this couple would not shut the hell up.  Seriously!  I have no idea why they even bothered coming into the show.  They just should have gone to dinner, or gotten a room, and chatted their fool heads off.  Plus, he was one of these guys with an exceptionally huge melon, so every time he moved in to chat with his date, it was like the eclipse of the moon.  They may have thought they were whispering, but after several wines, volume levels are off for the person who is at the receiving end of the grape.  I tried to ignore them, but we were sitting on the right side of the stage and to look at the performance, there they were.  I was very reserved considering my first thought was to tap them on the shoulder and say “Why not have a big glass of SHUTTY?”  But no.  I endured. 

After waiting for years to see this duo back together again, I should have no memory of the couple in front of me, but some people have absolutely no concert etiquitte.  They have no awareness of the world around them.  Like the guy who blew chips at the last Skynyrd show at Edgefield right in front of me.  I should remember the incredible keyboard beginning of Freebird which the late Billy Powell played and we will never see again, but no…there’s “that guy” that will always be part of the memory.

I’ve seen incredible shows, and many of them.  Mostly the ones that are crowd incident free are when I’m really close to the front, or in the front row of the balcony, and that’s my very favorite place to be. 

I’ve had several weird things happen like this at shows.  Last night was a light- weight situation really, it’s just that I’ve wanted to see Loggins and Messina for a really long time, and big head and girlfriend were just in the way.  That’s nothing compared to the Thorogood/ZZ Top show at the Rose Garden Arena where there was a couple that were actually having sex in front of our row.  Or the projectile vomit emitted at a Ted Nugent show at the coliseum from a fan.  Or the racist comments hurled at a young harmless couple who just wanted to dance at the McCartney show last time he was in Portland.  The guy who was drunk and yelling at the kids was “moved” to another area, but I swear I missed a quarter of the show while all this drama went on two seats away.  I bought those tickets.  I wanted a refund from the offending party, not to have him “moved” to avoid further conflict.  Or the drunk ya hoo who constantly was yelling “ROCK AND ROLL” during Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.”  I kid you not, it happened.  Here’s EC singing the song to his sweet little boy who died, and Mr. Dude is going to yell during the song. 

I don’t know what the answer to all this is other than not going to concerts, but that’s not an option for me.  I love the live show.  Give me that band on stage and a spot to stand or sit so I can listen and adore them and I’m a happy girl.  So, I guess I’m just asking for common courtesy here.  If you are with someone who insists on being an ass during a show, help take them out of the venue and put them in a cab heading for their home and out of our sight.  If you are  the ass in question, remove yourself.  Then try again some other day, and maybe less alcohol would be a nice idea. 

See you at the show…or maybe not.

This Sunday night at the Crystal Ballroom is the big fancy CD release party for N.E.D. the Band!  That stands for No Evidence of Disease.  You see, these are gynecological oncologists from across the country, who got together to form a band for a cause.  To inform and to raise money for research and prevention for women’s cancer.   I’m blessed to be one of the people who has danced with the cancer devil and is still here to tell the story.  I’ve blogged about it before, so keep scrolling down if you want the whole story.

This is just a little update.  One reason is that I’m going to be part of the event, doing what DJ’s do…announcing the bands and such.  The other is to let you know that there is a really wonderful interview that was done for the Metroscope show with MY doctor…Will Winter on the Audio Vault site.  I also play music from the CD on the interview.  Here, I’ll even give you a link to it so you won’t have to search.  Click here! 

I also wanted to put a link to their website because it’s really well done, and you can order the CD from Amazon.  You’ll love it.  It rocks.  I played “False Pretenses” for Concert Dave and told him that’s my doctor, and he thought it was really cool.  Yeah, me too.  I have to say again how beautiful and informative the liner notes are.  All the women in your world should know the things that the doctors have laid out in these notes.  It’s important.  I’m thankful that I knew what to be aware of and to be my own advocate…because it’s absolutely what saved my life.

Yes, I’m blessed.  Plus my Doc, ROCKS!

Just thinking about it, I’m as mad right now as I was in 1976.  That’s the year Tommy Bolin died, two days before my birthday.  That’s the year he was supposed to be the “NEXT BIG THING” with all kinds of promotion from his record company for the “Private Eyes” album.  But he died.  What a pisser. 

The reason this even came to mind was that a friend told me to take a look at something his garage band had posted on YouTube, and while looking at his video, I noticed the name Tommy Bolin on the little list to the right hand side.  Apparently the person who posted this video, also posted some Tommy stuff.  Sweet!  But I was instantly disappointed when I went there and found it was one of those “tribute” things with a song playing and a bunch of pictures scrolling during the song.  I wanted LIVE FOOTAGE.  So I kept looking and found this little gem.  Click here to check out the stuff from his days with Zephyr.  The quality sucks, but it’s Tommy, just ripping on guitar. 

Tommy Bolin was only 25 when he died of a drug overdose, and there are different stories about what and how many drugs he was using at the time.  I had a phone interview with him when I was a Monomaniac, and the thing I remember most about that interview was what his manager said to me prior to handing the phone to Tommy.  He said “when you get him on the phone, get right on the air, and keep it short because there’s a coherency issue here.”  Oh boy.  Here’s this sexy beautiful guitar hero who I have decided is my favorite rocker of all time, and this is going to be a mess.  I was already as anxious as I had ever been on the air up to that point except for my very first day on the radio in Eugene, and now I have to worry if he’s going to pass out during the interview.  So I followed directions, put him right on the air, and kept it short.  Of course there’s no tape of that interview.  I was horrible at keeping things like that in the start of my career.  I was, as they say way too often now, “living in the moment” most of the time.  I do remember asking him about my favorite song on the album “Post Toastee” and he told me that the fade at the end was because the record company thought that no radio station would ever play that long of a song.  So they faded it out.  He said it was originally over 15 minutes long.  Hey, we played, and still play, Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do!”  No problem with a good song.  We still play “Post Toastee” (and yes, that’s how it’s spelled on the album) every now and then, and every time it hits the air, someone calls and asks what that tune is with the incredible guitar.   “Bustin’ Out for Rosie” is pretty great too, as well as “Shake the Devil.” 

So back to the interview.  He was nice, soft spoken, didn’t slur his words, and said he would see me at the show.  Then the manager came back on the line and said I could come backstage and meet him before the show, which I did.  Again, he was nice, said thank you for playing the record, enjoy the show, all the stuff that artists say to geeky DJ’s, but he seemed…fragile.  Beautiful and breakable.  I left to go and hang out on the side of the stage for the show. 

The band stumbled on stage.  But when they started playing, it was amazing.  Tommy was a monster on guitar.  Norma Jean Bell kicked ass on the sax.  The two of them had this incredible interplay on “Post Toastee” live that I’ll never forget.  He may have been messed up at the time, but he sure did play the crap out of the guitar that night. 

While hanging around side stage, I mentioned to Bob Ancheta, who was still stage manager for the Paramount as well as PD and DJ for KVAN at the time, that it was a shame Tommy wouldn’t be with us for long.  It was one of those weird things to say, but I just had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long.  This was one time I really hated to be right. 

I had quit KVAN in November 1976 and went to stay with family in the L.A. area to “get my head together” about my next step.  Let me just say that coming from Portland to L.A. was not “grounding.”  Not in the least.  So on the day before my birthday I was so happy to hear B.A.’s voice on the phone with a birthday greeting.  Then he told me Tommy died. 

Fans of Tommy Bolin are a bit rabid.  I know that Janis, Jimi, and Jim all “went to heaven at 27″ but there was a LOT of film on all of them.  Not so much for Tommy.  There’s some here and there, and usually it’s horrible quality.  Or there’s stuff he did with the James Gang, and there’s some of him with Deep Purple too, but it’s also bad quality.  The stuff we fans want is when he had his own band.  The band I saw play in the Paramount in 1976.  Not only did Tommy die way too early in terms of his age and what he could have done, but because he wasn’t a huge star yet, there just isn’t the film that I’d love to see of him.  If technology in 1976 was like it is now we’d have a huge amount of film from phones or tiny little cameras in the audience.

He was an amazing artist, and died way too early. 

Pick up his solo CD’s if you can find them. ” Teaser” and “Private Eyes.”    I sometimes imagine what a 3rd solo album would have sounded like. 

Just a damn shame we never got one.

I went to a few of my class reunions.  It was fun to see people over the years, but you know how after enough time, there just isn’t the glue that keeps us bonded?  Wandering off in the world at age 17, and then back into the lives of those I went through school with…well, there was a lot of catching up to do.  And then, it doesn’t always go so well.   I remember the last reunion I attended when I was asked about 20 times “are you still doing that radio thing?”  Like it was a junior high boyfriend.  Uh, yeah.  Still doing it.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved school.  Really!  I would have stayed there forever if someone had paid me to just get endless degrees.  At some point, I even wanted to teach.  Then I wanted to be the school librarian so I could read as many books as I wanted.  Like that’s what they do.  I just liked school.  I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with it all.  I wanted to just be that gatherer of knowledge forever and ever. 

It was my 4th college in 3 years when my mother asked if I had any real plans.  Thank God that was the year I fell in love with radio.  But I digress…

Saturday night at the Roseland Theater was like a big class reunion of like minded people.  Musicians!!  Music fans.  Radio people.  Record (and CD’s…yeah yeah) retail people.  Concert promoters.  I ran into people that I had met in Eugene in 1974 (when I was only on my 3rd college)!  Dave Williams, who used to manage Tower Records was inducting the Sleazy Pieces into the OMHOF, and I was also along for a few words.  Dave reminded me that he and I danced to the Sleazies at Frankenstein’s a lifetime ago.  I did remember.  On Saturday night, when Steve Bradley picked up that guitar, and Jon sat at the drums I remembered a lot of stuff from those days.  All good. 

The night was filled with incredible sets from not only the Sleazy Pieces, but also Jeff Lorber, Cool’r, and The Crazy 8’s.  There was a lot of talk about the different clubs that we used to frequent to see these bands play.  There sure were a lot of places to go, and we’re talking incredibly talented musicians gigging, on any given Friday and Saturday night here in P-town.  The Last Hurrah, Up the Down Staircase, The Wreck of the Hesperus which became The Foghorn, The Pidgeon Toed Orange Peel, Aldo’s, Key Largo, Frankenstein’s, Euphoria, The Earth, The White Eagle (which fortunately is still here), The Vintage Press, The Hayloft in Vancouver, and many others that I’m sure I’ll be reminded of ,were all teeming with us…dancin’, rockin’ and lovin’ our bands.  

There are people who tell you that “there’s nothing like the old days” and on some level, I can agree.  But that sounds like my grandmother.  Actually my grandmother was more forward thinking than that.  She told me stories about going to the Crystal Ballroom when she was in her dancin’ and groovin’ prime seeing the big bands and all that.  One story involved a car full of friends having to appear before a judge before the night was over, and it wasn’t for drinking…at least that’s what she said.  My dad had stories about Portland from when he was living here with his brother, Nick that I didn’t get to hear until I was in my late 20’s and it was deemed appropriate.  I don’t think my mother ever heard those stories.  It’s just as well.

I bring this up because on Friday night, the night before the OMHOF thing, I went to see a young musician do a showcase at Music Millennium.  His name is Shane Tutmarc and he’s one heck of a songwriter.  I loved his set so much that I grabbed my friend Ann, and went to see him later in the evening at Mississippi Studios.  He’s from Seattle and came to promote his latest CD.  It was such a fun night!  There was a good crowd there enjoying his set.  Which brings me to my point. 

As The Who said long ago…”The Kids are Alright.”  Yes they are, and they are still rockin’ the Northwest!

Coming up at Millennium on November 1st, there’s a showcase and CD release thing for The Jacob Merlin Band.  Check them out on YouTube.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSlupm8hcFU

Then there’s Chris Margolin, Gavin Wahl Stevens and The New Americans, Love Trucker, and many more.  

Generations of our Oregon musicians have been inducted into the OMHOF, and some are still gigging around town.  Like Jim Mesi, Terry Robb, Linda Hornbuckle, etc.  The good news is that there will be lots of people to induct in the future.  It’s been said many times that one of the reasons that the “Big Bang” of garage rock started here in Portland with The Kingsmen and “Louie, Louie” is our weather.  Driving the creative inside to brood, write, play, paint, and record. 

It rained like a mother on Saturday.  It was a good omen for an incredible night!

After the much anticipated wedding of Jim and Pam on The Office, I was surfing for something to watch.  I actually thought the episode was very good, and it could have been horrible like all the weddings on Friends were over the years.  I loved the fact that it was more like what really happens at those events.  Not well-written snappy repartee, but odd clumsy moments with relatives that you haven’t spent time with since you were little, comments that are anything but appropriate, and tention that makes one wonder why in the world this was a good idea.  The best advice I ever had before my own wedding was “who will ever know if something isn’t perfect?”  Anyway, I digress.

Flipping through the menu of programs, I found the Aerosmith biography.  Oh YES!  The show was fun to watch with actual interview pieces with Joe Perry (who has a new album and was on Mark and Brian this week too).  But nothing from Steven Tyler.  I guess since he was the subject of most of the finger pointing, he just didn’t want to be anywere near the show.  I was able to interview the whole band during the “Done With Mirrors” phase, before rehab.  It was funny actually.  I can’t remember if that interview actually aired, but it was fun to do.  It’s in a box of tapes somewhere in my attic, probably destroyed by the heat by now.  But it was funny.  Odd funny, not the ha ha ha kind.

Then as I’m getting ready to call it a night…the Bruce Springsteen biography comes on.  I sat back down.  I was glued.  It’s not like I haven’t read all the things ever written on Bruce (I may have missed a few here and there) and it wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before…but I can’t get enough of this stuff on rock and roll.  Especially on Bruce.  After seeing him in the Paramount in 1975 my whole life changed…for the better.  The stories he told about growing up and not being understood, the way he would weave the songs together and includ you in his life….it was like nothing I had ever witnessed before.   The piece in the biography about the recording of the landmark album “Born to Run” was priceless.  They worked so hard on making it perfect, and when Bruce finally heard the first pressing, he thought it was awful and didn’t want to release it.  He wanted to just do a live album, which would have been amazing.  Thank God he was convinced by those artists around him to go forward and release what is one of my favorite albums of all time.  I didn’t grow up in New Jersey, fighting with a father who didn’t “get” me.  I didn’t go to a school where I was made to sit in a garbage can and told that’s where I belonged.  But something on this album painted a picture so vivid that I can close my eyes and see all that happening in this young man’s world.  Plus, it absolutely rocks.

I love a whole lot of bands, and if you know me, you’ll understand why one boss made the comment “Iris, you’ve never met a song you didn’t like” and he meant it in a bad way.  Whatever, dude.  Yes, I’m a fan.  I love these people.  So, I’m sure if the Biography channel keeps running these shows about my rock heroes, I’ll be staying up later and later.  Oh yeah, I could record them.  But once I get hooked into the story, it’s exactly where I want to be.

This last weekend was such a great wrap to the Summer 2009 outdoor series of concerts!  I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to the artists and venues for a memorable weekend. 

Heart at Edgefield on Friday night was so much fun!  While there were lots of guys present, it was mostly “Ladies Night” at the venue, and the girls were wild all over the place.  On stage Ann and Nancy Wilson ripped it up as usual.  They’ve been on tour since spring, and this was their second to last show.  I don’t know how they do it.  Seriously!  Great job ladies.  Amy the Insider got some bootleg video and I was standing by her until the security guard with the T-shirt of authority told us to move along.  Hey, I know it’s your job, and a thankless one at that.  But just let us get all of the song, okay?  Great job on The Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me!”  The weather was perfect, the tickets sold out, I ran into old friends and met some new ones, (in this picture, my new friends Bob and Brian who got backstage to hang out.  The Wilson sisters never showed up, but the drummer Ben was cool they said) and Heart rocked!

The next night was the last show of the season for The Amphitheater at Clark County with Pearl Jam and Ben Harper and Relentless 7.  OH MY GOD!  Seriously this goes in my Top 10 shows of all time list. 

Ben Harper and Relentless 7 ripped my face off.  My friend Annette went to the show with me and we kept turning to each other asking “is this as good as I think it is?”  Now, I had heard Ben Harper many times, and really enjoyed his session from “Live at Abbey Road” and was expecting this groovy little set…but not the monster rock that they delivered.  Guitar masters right up there with any of the best you can name.  Seriously, if you get the chance, see this band. 

Then Pearl Jam took the stage.  Yeah, they took it alright.  Took it home, baby!  Delivered and then some.  They were animated, having a blast, enjoying the crowd who was giving it right back.  Corin Tucker from Sleater-Kenny did a duet with Eddie on “Golden State” and it showed off their amazing harmonies.  Then they brought out Ben Harper for an encore with Pearl Jam and the guitar dueling between Harper and McCready was searing.  It was a great show and one of those times when I was so glad I witnessed such a great event. 

When I was back in my car at the end of the night just shaking my head thinking of how amazing the show was, it reminded me of the time in 1977 sitting in my car after seeing Pink Floyd at the Coliseum.  Yeah, it was that good.  I just had to sit there and savor the moment. 

Of course my ears kept ringing through Sunday, but it was so worth it. 

A big THANK YOU to the artists and venues for making it a very memorable 2009 Summer series of concerts.  I’m gearing up for 2010 already!!

I’ve been very open about my dance with cancer.  It’s been a very interesting journey, and not all bad.  After losing several very important people in my life to cancer, it’s a wonder that I can actually feel this.  At times it’s been terrifying, other times just mildly annoying, and then there’s the time that I’m given the gift.  In every hard thing we ever have to go through, if you really look, there’s a gift somewhere among the muck.  That’s the true test…to look for the gift. In my journey, it’s been the people that I have met because of being diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2006.  The first doctor to see me and tell me the news was a gift.  He was wonderful, kind, and then sent me to a specialist who did the surgery.  My surgeon, Dr. Rushing was certainly a gift, and the best words in the world that I have continued to hear after surgery was “no evidence of disease.”  Now I have a new doctor because I’m staying with the clinic while Dr. Rushing is moving across the river to Vancouver.  I know, not that far away…but again, here’s the gift.  

My new doctor is a rocker.  He plays guitar and is in a band called…are you ready for this one…”N.E.D. No Evidence of Disease.”  His name is Will Winter and he’s part of a band made up of six gynecologic oncology surgeons from across the U.S. who decided to form a band.  They  started as a cover band, a novelty created to provide entertainment to fellow physicians at medical conferences dedicated to improving cancer care for women.  What started out as a novelty, has turned into a real band with original songs.  In fact Dr. Will wrote my favorite song on the album called “False Pretenses.”  They were asked if they would like to record in a real studio in New York City and put out a CD.  It is selling like crazy after it’s release.  

There’s going to be a special CD Release event on Sunday, October 25th at The Crystal Ballroom called “Rhythm Heals.” An evening celebrating the role music plays in treating women’s cancer.  I know how music helps me every day.  This is why I get so excited to come to work at KGON every day.  It’s like I’m taking the best medicine of all each day I’m on the air.  So, I’m helping out with this event in any way I can, and it looks like I’ll be doing some on stage announcing for the evening.  To say I’m excited about this in an understatement.  There’s a star studded local/national line up of artists who will open for the band.  Dr. Will said that it’s funny that professionals will open for amateurs, but after listening to the CD, these doctors are not only “Type A gifted surgeons” but also very gifted musicians and songwriters.  Plus, what they are doing for the awareness and cure of women’s cancer is amazing and from the heart.

Meet the band.  N.E.D. No Evidence of Disease.  Even the liner notes in the CD gives information on the types of cancers that they treat daily, and raises awareness of what to look for.  Not every kind of cancer is obvious in a yearly exam.  Mine wasn’t.  It was just that I knew that something was not normal, something was wrong and I sought the answer.  Little did I know at the time what a marvelous journey of meeting people, getting involved with giving back, and enjoying great music would all come together because of it.  There it is.  The gift.