On January 12, a glittering cavalcade of Bay Area jam band stars will gather for a special one-of-a-kind benefit show at Slim’s nightclub in SF to honor the memory of the late roadie Steve Block and to raise money for Sweet Relief, a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to helping musicians with medical expenses.
Steve was a longtime fixture in the Bay Area music community before his death from a heart attack in September 2010. For years, he worked as a security “Bluecoat” with Bill Graham Presents and doing “whatever needed to be done backstage and other places,” says David Nelson. “It seems like he was always around. He was there through the New Riders years, and later he did a stint with us in the David Nelson Band, helping us out with our equipment. He also played guitar, and I heard him play a little.”
“I saw him backstage at a million events,” David Gans adds. “He was always somebody’s guitar tech or stage manager making sure the show got going on time; he always doing something. He was a total sweetheart.”
Nelson: “We really loved him. He was a humorous, jovial, totally charming guy.
Besides working with the David Nelson Band, Steve was also associated with Zero and Steve Kimock, the JGB and various other local groups.
The Slim’s benefit promises to be an amazing and inspiring night of music. The lineup includes:
The “Steve Block All-Stars”— Melvin Seals (JGB), Greg Anton (Zero), Stu Allen (ex-JGB), Robin Sylvester (RatDog) and guests.
The David Nelson Band—DN, Barry Sless, John Molo, Mookie Siegel and Pete Sears. Without a doubt, one of the coolest bands around!
Bay Area All-Star Jam— Lots more musicians pay tribute to Steve, including Pat Campbell, Mark Karan (RatDog, Jemimah Puddleduck), Peter Albin (Big Brother), Barry Flast, David Gans, JC Flyer, Bill Cutler, David Perper and many others.
The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $25, available from Slim’s. For more about Sweet Relief and the fine work they do, check out their website: www.sweetrelief.org.
See you there!