We’re All In This Together

After that, I headed to San Diego to stay with some friends.  I had a house show in Malibu cancel on Sunday, obviously because of the fires.  Even though I don’t like days off, it was nice to have some down time.  I saw some of the aftermath of the fires while driving around.  It’s pretty crazy how an entire hillside can completely burned and there will be one house standing in the middle of it.  My friend Tad (Disaster Recovery Solutions : First Response Team) drove all the way from Long Island to CA to help.  Right now he’s on an Indian reservation clearing debris so they can rebuild. 

Last night Theft and I played at Greene Records in Santa Ana.  It’s owned by members of a great band from SoCal. I think places like that will ride the wave and still survive the changes in the music industry because it is run by fans of music for fans of music.  They carry a lot of great vinyl too, so when I get around to pressing some records I’ll ask them to carry some of mine.  You should check out their site and buy some music from them.

I’m off to play eVocal in Costa Mesa soon. Gypsy Lounge is tomorrow. 

A couple of days ago, I was in Springfield, MO.  I had 3 or 4 days off, and I was able to hang out with my friend Tad for some of that time.  Tad has a company called Disaster Recovery Solutions.  He was in Missouri, clearing out debris from the ice storm they had recently.  He’ll go into any area that has had a natural disaster is hired to return some order there…hurricanes, floods, tornadoes… whatever.   Tad has massive, custom designed equipment.  It’s pretty amazing.

For a while now, he has had an idea for a new company called First Response.  First Response would be part of Disaster Recovery Solutions, and would be first on the scene to help after a catastrophe…and he wants to volunteer their services. Free of charge! He just wants to help people, because he has the ability and the heart to do so. Tad told me right before I left Springfield, “I want to go to Kansas, where they just had that F-5 tornado and see what I can do.”

That is exactly what Tad did.  While I was on my way to Nashville, Tad drove eight hours to Greensburg, KS.  He showed up - alone - in his huge truck.  He told me that he drove around knocking on the doors of the police station, city hall and where ever he could find someone in charge.  He was the only civilian they let in the ravaged town.

They asked if he could help clear the firestation out.  So he went over and began to lift the debris off of the trucks and the building with his gigantic crane.  He’s still there now. 

I am so inspired by him.  I’m proud to know him, and I am writing about it here so that you will know the rare and powerful thing he is doing. 

Tad is not looking for money from the town people of Greensburg.  He just wants to do what he can to help them. 

If I had a million dollars, I’d give it to him in a heartbeat.