This page will be completed in detail in the next few days. However we have provided you with the story portion of the page for your interest. Thank you.
On February 20th, 2003, for those of you non-Rhode Islanders, the West Warwick nightclub The Station burned down, claiming 100 innocent lives. One of the victims was a friend of mine. Another was a kid, that I wished I could have had the chance to have known. Both guys were full of "Rock" and need to be celebrated and remembered, along with the other victims for the lives they led, not the way they left this world. So allow me to tell you a bit about Mike "The Doctor" Gonsalves and Nick O'Neill and the personal effect they had on me, my band, and our upcoming single Here Again...
I was friends with Doc. He was a great guy. A teddy bear really! He was busy to say the least and still took the time to catch a few of my bands' shows and catch up with me whenever he could. He bragged about wearing a baseball shirt of ours to play softball. He was a goofball and although I admit we weren't "best" buddies who hung out constantly, everyone he knew will understand that even the people who never had the chance to meet Doc, and only heard him on the airwaves (he was a Jock on 94HJY)... were touched by him.
The StereoBirds along with so many other caring bands, took the time to play as many benefit shows as time permitted. So when we were asked by Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses, The Breeders) to play a show for a friend she lost, we didn't hesitate to sign on. Tanya's friend was Nick O'Neill, an actor, a musician, a comic, and from what I hear an amazing guy in general. I read about Nick and really felt a pull to him and who was. He was a little "rockstar" who had "it". You could see it in any picture of him easily. So as Nick's benefit show approached, I started to take my sadness, numbness, confusion (you name it) out on my guitar... and what was left when I placed it back in its case was a song.
I wrote Here Again, honestly, to heal a bit myself, but also to reach out to the people hurt by this tragedy and let them know others are feeling just like them.
When Tanya heard Here Again, she was moved and agreed to record it with us. I had waited years to work with Tanya and I knew this was the situation was the right one. The project expanded when Elizabeth Steen (Natalie Merchant, Tanya Donelly, Fritter, Count Zero) joined us in the studio as well, on organ. Myles Baer (Delphine, Eli, Blackholeinfinity)donated some guitar tricks and Randy Hunicke at Newcastle Sound produced.
The end result is track 3 on our upcoming EP American Girls, American Boys. May it bring a little peace to all those who have lost someone close, in this recent tragedy and any other.
Love & Rock,
Unending thanks to Tanya, Eliz, Myles, Randy, & my gang of cowboys:
Heather Rose
Cowboy Kenny Cardoso, Johnny Rockstar Ronci, & Kevin Berard
Any suggestions for us:
Contact:
thestereobirds@aol.com