Because Fuck Cancer
This was a night for Hunter Keener, and helping those like him, who have to deal with fighting Leukemia at a young age. The show organized by Ross to celebrate Hunter having his last treatment, and raise money for other families who deal with this at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. This was a night of friends and family coming together for the same amazing cause, and to say “Fuck Cancer.” Heck, I even brought the PBR shaker that gave me my first nickname of “Homemade Shaker Joe” for this special night.
Right off the bat is a great friend, and amazing musician Ben Ciampa. I’ve seen him play countless open mics and open up a show or two. These days the rarity of seeing him play made it more special for him to grace the stage this night. I don’t know how many times I can say it, but I’m hoping I see him play more again soon.
Following that up was discovering yet another awesome local music group, the New Chums. This becomes a regular thing for someone who catches as much local music as I. These indie rockers had a special guest guitarist from L.A. on stage for a portion of their set. A great sounding back, similar to that found in Jimmy Eat World and Pet Symmetry. A clean, great sound to these guys and yet another awesome local band that everyone should catch!
Next was the big reunion, the now rare occasion of the entire Idiotkin band. These amazing guys, and two brothers, were the most entertaining bunch on the stage. You can tell that these guys have been growing up together, and makes for some of the greatest banter I have seen on a stage. It also made for some of the most random cover songs played within their set, including “Hey Ya” and “I Believe In a Thing Called Love.” They even grabbed Jeremy, from Ad Nauseum, to join on guitar for a song. Their set made it clear this was a night for friends and family to come together for a great cause.
Last, but not least, Perfect Sense closed out the night with as much energy as everyone else tonight. This was my first time seeing them with their new guitarist, who probably moved around the stage the most of anyone in that band. Shane comes at it with a ton of energy into his mic, and more screaming parts of their lyrics than I last remembered. In all, a great night for a great cause with a bunch of awesome people!
