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Henning says: Yesterday, at the memorial mass for our good friend Jose's father, Jose spoke to the hundreds of people in attendance. He talked of the support that he has felt from all of those around him and he specifically noted the night before, when a fund raiser event was held at the Apollo Grill. He explained how in the last week he has learned and was so thankful for what a huge family he has, a family that extends far beyond blood-lines.

Sunday night at the Apollo Grill to me was more a celebration of community than anything else. A hundred people bought 25 dollar tickets, many more donated money, the Apollo Grill provided serious food for everyone on the house, scores of artists and small businesses donated objects and services to be auctioned off. Over 7,000 dollars was raised at the last counting before the end of the night. The money will be used for a scholarship in the Springfield Schools in the name of Miguel Ayerve.

The real trick is, though, most of these people who were there and who donated were not those with a whole lot of money in the bank. These were just regular folks who are worried about heating their apartments. 7,000 dollars from these people really means a lot.

The music was intense and sounded perfect all night long. It seemed that everyone was on the same page entirely. The evening moved smoothly from one performer to another. Doug Cowan, Lesa Bezo, Me, Michael Merenda, Lou Barlow, Red Door Exchange, National Carpet, The Ray Mason Band, Drunk Stuntmen, The Lonesome Brothers, The Winterpills, Spanish for Hitchhiking, The Mitchells, Mark Schwaber, New Radiant Storm King, Nuclear Waste Management Club, and Spouse.

At the end of this long night of food and friends and music, just as Spouse was kicking into their last song, I was in the back of the room and looking over the crowd. Suddenly, as if pulled up by marionette strings, everybody lept from their chairs and broke out in ecstatic dance. The room exloded in one of the most honest heart-felt celebrations of friendship that I have witnessed. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, honestly.

Thank you, Mark and Jen of Nightowl Records for making that happen.

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