It’s been a while since we’ve mentioned the name Give Us The Money Lebowski around these parts as the band’s guitarist (and HT contributor) Nick Setteducato currently resides in New Zealand, but we’re excited to see GUTML will make their triumphant return, complete with “special guests,” on January 4th at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey.
The gig is a fundraiser for the Rocking Out Cancer foundation, an organization founded by GUTML guitarist and cancer survivor Chris Cartelli which aims to raise funds which support clinical trials in cancer research through live music events. GUTML always peppers their set with plenty of covers and in the past they’ve torn through Godzilla, First Tube, Psycho Killer, Carini and Helicopters among other rock staples. Tickets are available here.
Here’s a look at six other stories of note this Monday…
You can always count on Keller Williams to make contest winner announcements interesting. Such was the case for the one-man-band’s contest to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Nashville to watch K-Dub perform with The Travelin’ McCoury’s. Watch as Keller, aka The Lone Ranger, picks the winner…
It seems that each day we’re learning of another musician who has passed away after battling cancer. Guitarist Chris Cartelli survived a bout with the dreaded disease and started a foundation called Rocking Out Cancer to raise funds which support clinical trials in cancer research through live music events [read our feature on the organization here]. Rocking Out Cancer’s first concert will take place on August 2nd at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York featuring HT faves Tim Palmieri, performing a set of Beatles tunes on acoustic guitar, and Leroy Justice.
Tickets will run $10, with proceeds going towards ROC. For more information on this incredibly worthwhile concert, be sure to follow the event’s page on Facebook.
Here’s six other stories of note as we start the week…
The lineup for the second annual Holy Ship! EDM cruise was announced
Finally, HT contributor and turntablist extraordinaire Wade “Wyllys” Wilby has just launched a brand-new website. Located at OriginalWyllys.com, you can keep tabs on the latest Wyllys gigs and sample his music through the site. Wilby heads to the Summer Camp Music Festival this weekend for a performance with the New York Hustler Ensemble featuring Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Brendan Bayliss.
Cancer is a disease that has affected just about everyone in one form or another. We’ve all known someone who has had it or heard sad stories about the toll it has taken on many of its victims. This column is about one such story – but with a much happier ending. As my last Postcards From Page Side column mentioned, our friend Chris Cartelli has battled and survived a fight with cancer.
Our story begins at Perpetual Groove’s Amberland festival in 2008, where Cartelli met his future wife, Audra, or “Audi” as we all know her. The two fell in love through the power of music that we all share, eventually leading to the pair’s wedding a few years later. As the website I will get to in a minute says: “About two weeks after Chris and Audi were married, Chris was diagnosed with mediastinal testicular cancer. Being that the tumor metastasized in Chris’s chest, he was first believed to have lymphoma. Chris bounced between many different doctors, all giving him different opinions, before he met Dr. Feldman at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Manhattan. Dr. Feldman, an exceptional oncologist, offered Chris a spot in his clinical research trial which combats mediastinal testicular cancer. Chris was thankful for the offer and accepted. Although the treatment schedule was intense, and the combination of drugs were different than the typical chemotherapy used to fight testicular cancer, Chris came out on top. After four months, and two surgeries, Chris was officially in remission. Today he is not only an amazing husband and talented musician, he is also a cancer survivor.”
It is through the sheer willpower of Chris and Audi and the loving support of friends that Chris is doing great these days. In my recent talks with him, he has also mentioned that he was inspired to do something after his current battle, which led him to start Rocking Out Cancer. As the bio states: “Rocking Out Cancer Inc., the brainchild of Chris’s sister Trisha, was founded in March of 2012. Chris, his family, and best friend, combined the love that Chris has for live music, with the most important achievement of his life. Rocking Out Cancer aims to help fund the same type of clinical research trials that saved Chris’s life through Chris’s favorite past time – live music events. The power of music is indescribable. It can bring two people together, lift you up on a bad day, and empower you to keep improving. ROC hopes to empower others in helping fight a disease that affects so many.”
