Joan, Your account of the goings on in Philly has inspired me to make better use of my opportunities here in Buffalo. I'm a local rocker and know a lot of people. I'll bet I could help put together some events for the benefit of PD research. OK, let's workshop this for a while... Glad you had such a good time. Sounds like you know an extraordinary bunch of folks. Enjoy Fall! Rick McGirr Email: [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joan Snyder" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 9:30 PM Subject: LIGHT OF DAY >I have said it before and I’ll say it again: Bob Benjamin is a real- > life PD hero. Through his efforts, leadership and example, the face > of > the PD supporter has changed dramatically and the face of Parkinson’s > itself has been altered,,,no more glitzy, formal and priced beyond > the > reach of most parkies (although these events have raised countless > dollars and awareness for the disease and thank God for them!!) , > Bob > has made it hip to be a contributor and an activist for PD. I just > got > home from my second “Light of Day” concert put on by Bob Benjamin > and I > cannot tell you the amount of love, hope and awareness that was the > outcome of this event, to say nothing of the huge donation that Bob > will > be able to donate to Parkinson’s. > > For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bob and his grand > achievements, > a brief history: this event began in Bob’s backyard as a birthday > party > he threw for himself. Bob manages bands (including the amazing Joe > Grushecky & the Houserockers- the hottest bar band in Philly), a > record > producer, promoter and a die- hard Bruce Springsteen fan. > > His little birthday bash has evolved into a monster event lasting 3 > nights and is in it’s 6^th year as the “Light of Day” concert. It > was > named for the Springsteen song of the same title. It is aptly named > for > the lyrics to the song say “I’m just around the corner to the light > of > day” which exactly depicts the hope and dreams of Bob Benjamin. > > Bob is a joy- the man knows everyone who is anyone and he refuses > help > when they try to help him stand or move about. Backstage, on Friday > night, the first night of the 3-evening concert, Bob sat like a rock > n > roll godfather;. extremely dyskenetic, he managed to greet all of > the > performers and other guests who all stopped by to show their respect > and > to shower him with birthday gifts. > > We are talking about big- time legends in rock n roll. There was the > sweet, charming and very talented Pete Yorn who flew in from > California > to do three nights , there was > > La Bomba from the Conan O’Brien house band, Southside Johnny from > the > Asbury Jukes, the legendary Gary “US” Bonds, Joe Grushecky, and > Soozie > Tyrell- the fiddle player and vocalist from Bruce’s E- Street Band & > her > guitarist Steve Conte. I was seated next to Bob for most of the > evening > and he made sure that I was introduced to all of the celebrities & > indulged my passion for star- gazing. > > When it came time for Soozie Tyrell to perform, I made my way back > to > the Stone Pony and was pushed in my wheelchair up to the front of > the > stage, right in the middle by Pete Boot, himself a member of the 70’s > metal band Budgie. I was thrilled to see Soozie’s talent and energy. > She > was joined onstage by Southside Johnny and Gary “US” Bonds and what > a > treat it was!! After their set, I decided to keep my > > front row seat and to watch the next set. I was somewhat startled to > see > a pedal steel guitar and an acoustic guitar brought onstage by the > roadies. “These can’t be Jersey boys,” I thought to myself and > indeed > they were not. It took about 10 minutes into their set before the > tumblers in my brain finally all fell into place, but I finally > figured > out that this band was the Robert Earl Keene band from Austin, TX > and if > this was the case; then the pedal steel player had to be my long > lost > buddy, Marty Muse, whom I hadn’t seen in 30 years. > > Sure enough, there was Marty- the best steel player in the states > and I > sat there thunderstruck to see him playing at the Stone Pony in > Asbury > Park, New Jersey. I waved to him & he looked back at me but after > the > set was done, he packed up and started to leave the stage. I couldn’t > believe it so I said his name and he came over and shook my hand, > finally getting a good look at me and recognition hit him like a BFO > > (Blinding Flash of the Obvious). We met down at the end of the stage > and > went backstage. > > There we were joined by a group of friends : Marty’s bandmates, the > ever- irreverent Ken Aidekman (founder of the Parkinson’s Unity > Walk), > Pete & Nancy Boot from the UK, a reporter and various others. Robert > Earl Keene brought me a drink and I was stunned at his “regular guy” > persona and it was no act I realized as we spoke. Marty and I had a > lot > of catching up to do and we had a wonderful time reminiscing about > old > friends in my hometown of Peoria, Il. Steve Conti walked up and just > for > grins I asked if he might know another session player from Peoria > who is > well- known in New York for his session work, Dave Keyes. Steve knew > him > right away and also his brother Dan who was one of Marty’s old > friends > from a lifetime ago in Peoria. All of this stirred up more old > memories > and stories. Marty, as it turned out was staying at the same hotel > that > I was staying, just down the block from the Stone Pony. So after we > were > finished with our impromptu party, we left and went to the hotel > lobby > and talked until 3 in the morning. I just happened to have a > scrapbook > with pictures of lots of my family and PD events and he had his > computer > filled with pics of his wife and kids. It seemed as if time had > frozen > and the conversation was easy and punctuated with ‘I cannot believe > that > we ran into each other’ amazement! Marty had to leave for the > airport to > catch a plane back to Austin at 5am so I hope that he’s finally > caught > up on his sleep!! > > I must apologize- this started out to be a story about Bob Benjamin > and > I couldn’t help but tell about my experiences at his wonderful > event. > > On Saturday evening, we piled into a taxi & headed to the Starland > Ballroom where the night’s concert was taking place. This evening, I > spent mostly in the VIP room, hobnobbing and meeting and talking > with > the varied assortment of people there. Ken Aidikman brought in a > beaming > Robin Eliot from the > > Parkiknson’s Disease Foundation and there were filmmakers who were > there > to do a documentary on Joe Grushecky, along with all of Bob’s > friends. > Suddenly, I was swooped upon by a lovely little man whose presence > just > about knocked me over. I found out that this was the one & only > Garland > Jefferies and I was thrilled to have him to chat with for a few > moments. > > Then just as suddenly, an Irish leprechaun with twinkling eyes and a > merry laugh grabbed my wheelchair and said, despite my > protestations, > that it was time for me to go hear some of the great music that I > was > missing. He pushed me up to the stage area and this is a perfect > opportunity for me to say that the staff at both the Stone Pony & > the > Starland Ballroom were extremely conscientious and helpful. I was > treated like a princess and I can only attribute this to their > natural > kind hearts and also to their respect for Bob Benjamin. The man who > was > working the security area at the side of the stage saw me and opened > a > path for me, my wheelchair and my new Irish friend right at the end > of > the stage. We had the best seats in the house! > > And right away, Garland Jefferies took the stage and what a > showman!! He > was into a funk- reggae groove and was moving around the stage like > James Brown. He would summersault into the audience only to reappear > after a few moments of being smothered with friendship from the > crowd. > His set ended with a grand cover version of the Question Mark & the > Mysterions classic “96 Tears.” > > Next the staging area where I was sitting was filled with performers > all > waiting to go up and join Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers. Wow- > what > a show that was!! Rock n Roll as good as it gets!! A horn section > that > blew you away with their talent!! And wonderful, screaming vocals!! > A > huge organ was played by Tony and the hot, cute young guitar player > was > Joe’s son. By the end of the set, the crowd was worn out. What a > fabulous night of music!! > > Sunday evening was no less memorable. At the hotel, my friend Carol > and > I had met two young men from Maine who were in town to go to the > concerts. Jason and Matt were huge Pete Yorn fans and when I got to > the > show, they were sitting there sipping beers while Joe Grushecky, Joe > D’Urso & three others were onstage. This was acoustic night and the > Starland Ballroom was filled but not as rowdy as the night before. I > went over to buy a round of drinks and saw Pete Yorn standing at the > entrance to the VIP area. I called to him and he came right over. I > asked him to do a favor for me and he asked what it could be. I > asked > him if would please come over and meet 2 of his fans who came all > the > way from Maine to see him. He immediately grabbed my wheelchair and > we > set off to find Jason & Matt. When they saw me approaching with > beers in > my hands and Peter Yorn steering me thru the crowd, they said later > that > they thought they were in a dream or having a heart attack. Pete was > so > gracious and spent the next 45 minutes with us talking and posing > for > photos and making this a night that the guys would never forget. I > do > remember the players on stage doing a cover of Harry Chapin’s > classic > “Taxi” but I was so interested in speaking with Pete that I’m afraid > that’s all I can remember. > > After the first group was done, we were escorted into a table near > the > stage by one of the wonderful employees and just in time to see Pete > take the stage with 4 other players- > > one of whom Pete referred to as “the assassin” for her sensuous, > extremely sexy rendition of a Cream classic. > > All too soon, it was time to go, but I had time to realize that Bob, > with his determination, connections and the fierce loyalty that he > inspires in people had changed the concept of fundraising for PD > forever. Thank you Bob and I love you. > > > PS: Bob is the winner of this year’s Alan Bonander Humanitarian > Award. Congratulations and I’m proud to call you friend. > > -- > Joan Blessington Snyder 54/14 > [log in to unmask] > http://www.pwnkle.com/jes/jes_web/index.htm > “Hang tough……..no way through it but to do it.” > Chris in the Morning Northern Exposure > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn