By now, many have heard the sad news that Christian Dasilva, the sound guy who was as much of a part of the fabric at Chain Reaction in Anaheim as the bands that play there,, died after his motorcycle collided with a Lexus sedan. The outpouring of condolences for the 40-year-old's new and pregnant wife Emma and his two daughters, Caidyn and Chloe, has spread onto social networking sites and as far to as bands like The Ataris and Glass House owner Jon Halperin.More »

Christopher Diers

All for Kelly

While others held protest signs outside the Fullerton Police Department last summer, Julian Porte came with a guitar, a harmonica and a song. Small crowds assembled around the Santa Fe Springs-based musician as he sang "The Ballad of Kelly Thomas," about the homeless, schizophrenic man fatally beaten at the hands of officers one year ago this month. Bullhorns were lent to amplify Porte's voice, and after performing, the singer opened his backpack and passed out CDs to anyone along Commonwealth Avenue willing to take one.

Porte first learned about the Thomas tragedy from a Fullerton friend of his who posted about it on Facebook. "Later that day, I was at another friend's studio," he recounts. "We were sitting around, talking about it, how messed up it was and the injustice of it all. I started messing around with some chords and a harmonica riff." Thinking he was onto something, Porte went home to transform the sudden inspiration into a song. It was recorded the next day, then passed along to his friend in Fullerton, who handed out copies at protests.

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UC Irvine student Hannah Said combines her passions for helping youth, giving back to her community and her faith of Islam to put on a benefit concert called "Artistic Beats" at the university's Crystal Cove Auditorium tonight from 6-9:30 p.m. The concert line-up is an eclectic mix of spoken word poets, acoustic musicians, a West African break dance. Looking to get your rave on? The event even promises a techno light show. 

Ticket sales and proceeds from the evening's art auction will be donated to the Child Abuse Services Team (CAST) in Orange County, where Said has interned for the past two months.

"Every dime is going to CAST," she says; the social services group who teams up with doctors, nurses, therapists, police and attorneys to conduct child sexual abuse investigation.

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Anna Knowlden

For the past 21 years, Mike McCready has provided the flair to Pearl Jam's sound. Blending elements of classic rock, blues and metal, McCready is responsible for two of Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos (Pearl Jam classics "Alive" and "Yellow Ledbetter"), while Rolling Stone named him and fellow riffmeister Stone Gossard to its list of Top 20 New Guitar Gods.

In 2003, McCready and a few friends formed Flight to Mars, a tribute to '70s hard rockers UFO. Having been a fan of UFO since his days in his first outfit, Shadow, it made sense to honor the British quartet. "We all loved UFO growing up here in Seattle," McCready says. "I gravitated toward [lead guitarist] Michael Schenker, who I thought was a killer player."

Each year, Flight to Mars raise cash and awareness for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). At 21, McCready was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an intestinal condition that causes abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is at its worst), vomiting (which can be continuous) and weight loss. One of the most frustrating aspects of Crohn's is that it's impossible to predict embarrassing flare-ups, which is one of the reasons the guitarist didn't go public with his condition until 2002.

For the past decade, the 46-year-old McCready, the only person who has been on the cover of both Rolling Stone and Crohn's Advocate, has embraced being the famous face of the disease. He's active in the northwest chapter of the CCFA, donating both time and funds to the nonprofit foundation, which provides education to millions who suffer from the ailments and has raised more than $150 million for Crohn's and colitis research.

With the Seattle gigs selling out for the past nine years, McCready decided to honor the band's 10-year anniversary by embarking on their first tour.

"The goal is for this tour to raise some awareness for Crohn's and colitis," he says. "Lots of times, people don't realize they have it or why they have pain. Twenty-five years ago, people weren't talking about it."

Performing on the West Coast in smaller venues such as the Observatory in Santa Ana and the Troubadour in Los Angeles allows McCready to introduce Flight to Mars to new audiences while also giving Pearl Jam fans the opportunity to see him in an intimate setting. While you shouldn't expect the group to play Pearl Jam songs, that doesn't mean he won't invite some of his famous friends to jam with the group, especially in Southern California. "I have a lot of friends here, so there will be a few surprises," he says.

McCready says he is surprised but not shocked that the project, which started out as a few friends jamming together, is going strong. The idea of eventually recording a proper UFO tribute album has been kicked around, which McCready hasn't ruled out, but for now, the only way for fans outside Seattle to see the band is to check them out on this upcoming tour.

Looking back, McCready says, none of this would have happened without the support of his wife, Ashley.

"She pushed me to start talking about it, and we looked for an organization that [deals] with Crohn's," he says. "I've found that it's been incredibly healing to meet and talk to people who have this. I feel like I'm at a point in my life where I can be proactive and solution-oriented."

With Pearl Jam heading to Europe this summer and, at latest word, with two southeastern festival dates slated for the U.S. (in addition to the band's other members working on solo or other projects), the timing couldn't have worked out better for a Flight to Mars tour.

"Be ready for a great '70s rock show," he says. "It's going to be fun. There's going to be good energy, so come out and don't be afraid to enjoy yourself."

Flight to Mars perform tonight at Constellation Room at the Observatory in Santa Ana.

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The Ultimate Bearhug

​OC Weekly and Music for a Cure team up this Thursday for Cocktails for a Cause, a monthly fundraiser/mixer that brings various people throughout Orange County together to support a local charity. Hosted by the gracious folks of The Observatory, this month's Cocktails is presumed to be quite the production featuring performances by The Make and sultry local duo, The Ultimate Bearhug. I caught up with Barrett Johnson and Doll Knight to get an update on their anticipated debut album, and their thoughts on the importance of music and giving back to the community.
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​Detroit Bar is hosting a benefit tomorrow night for Rebecca Willis, a 22-year-old Newport Beach resident. While crossing Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa early last Saturday morning, Willis was hit by a car. The Register says "Willis broke bones throughout her body and is in an induced coma."

Family and friends described Willis as a warm-hearted and loving; she worked with a nonprofit called Invisible Children to raise awareness about Ugandan child soldiers and hosted many travelers at her home she shared with roommates via couchsurfing.org.

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flickr user benlauis

John Sirman

​A string of benefit events are being held locally to benefit John Sirmon, a local skater and skateboard industry worker. Sirmon was recently diagnosed with colon cancer, according to the website made in the honor of Sirmon, savesirmon.org. 



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​Last month, the Weekly published a cover story on G.I. Joe Search and Rescue, an OC group that treks through canyons, creeks, rivers and forests to look for those who've gone missing. By tying themselves to ropes and poking around in the water, these volunteers helped recover the bodies of 20-year-old Joe Le in the San Gabriel River, and 22-year-old Scott Neacato and 25-year-old Minh Tu Nguyen in the upper Kern River. "To a family, it's not just a body," says Victoria Le, the sister of Joe and founder of the organization. "It's a son, a daughter, a mother, a father. No one deserves to feel that pain."     
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​Foreign tragedies have a way of hitting close to home when you're world famous and have embarked on several world tours. For Southern California's Linkin Park, the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan affected them on a personal level. "We have family ties to Japan," Chester Bennington, vocalist, said. "When you play somewhere so many times you start to feel at home. When something at home happens, it's like it happens to you." 
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​Friday night will see the Juke Joint hosting a  concert featuring doo wop vocalist Vicky Tafoya and her band, the Big Beat, along with Royal Crown Revue vocalist Eddie Nichols. The show is a benefit for Tafoya's nephew who passed away recently and will feature an auction to help his family with expenses following his death.

We got to chat with Tafoya, a life-long fan of doo wop who plays in three bands including  the a capella group the Redondos (which features Eddie Nichols) and the punk-oriented Vicky and the Vengents. During the past year, this band has caught the ear of venerable DJ and sonic "picker" Rodney Bingenheimer whose featured the songs "Out of My Mind," "The One you'll Never Know" and "The Day he Went Away" on  his show.
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