WHAT: Fundraiser For Crohn's And Colitis Foundation Of America
WHEN: Thursday October 14, 7 PM
WHO: Jonathan Vassar
Lydia Ooghe
David Shultz And The Skyline
River City Band
Improv comedy from The Richmond Comedy Coalition
Hosted by Joe Hafkey
WHERE: The Camel (1621 W. Broad St)
ADMISSION: $5
I could write all day about the vast, universal landscapes of burning human emotion and archetypal experience conjured by Jonathan Vassar's distinctly Southern songwriting. About the way his voice aches and arches over compositions that carry echoes from the depths of indefinable sorrow and grace, and that shimmer faintly with the transient elation and fleeting euphoria of existence. Or the way Lydia Ooghe seems to have an impossible intimacy with her guitar, a deep, reciprocating affection that hints at something maternal--an ambiguous cradling that makes you wonder whether she is holding her instrument, or it is holding her. And the way her unwaveringly unique voice appears to emanate from this embrace. Or the way David Shultz writes the music of sweaty palms and rolled up jeans by the river, and captures perfectly the precarious balance of love and heartbreak in an equally elusive harmony between contagiously catchy pop and rugged indie spirit.
But what I'm really supposed to be talking about is Crohn's and Colitis, the two afflictions these consummate musicians are joining together to help cure. Crohn's is a pain in the ass. A disease of the gastrointestinal tract, it is hard to diagnose and treatments are elusive. There's so little known about it that many who are afflicted with it are accused of fraudulent attempts at obtaining prescriptions, when they are simply trying to alleviate their symptoms.
From Wikipedia: There is no known pharmaceutical or surgical cure for Crohn's disease. Treatment options are restricted to controlling symptoms, maintaining remission, and preventing relapse. The disease was named for American gastroenterologist Burrill Bernard Crohn, who in 1932, along with two colleagues, described a series of patients with inflammation of the terminal ileum, the area most commonly affected by the illness.
If you've ever known anyone with Crohn's, you're probably aware of how profoundly life altering the affliction can be. Helping to raise awareness of the disease, and contributing to research for a cure, are of vital importance to those who are lost in a turbulent pattern of experimental treatments and recurring agony. And you don't have to be a wealthy philanthropist to do so. You just have to go see a few of Richmond's finest singers, songwriters, and musicians at The Camel on Thursday.
The show, hosted by Joe Hafkey, will also feature a set by the River City Band, a raffle for good shwag from local businesses, and improv performances by the Richmond Comedy Coalition. I'll resist the temptation to say something about laughing your ass off.
For more information about this benefit, the people putting it on, and what you can do to help, click here.