Photo by Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
A host of musicians — including R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Mike Mills, as well as Alejandro Escovedo, members of Sleater-Kinney, The Decemberists, Drive-By Truckers and The Shins, and more — will perform two concerts in Portland, Ore., next month to raise money for Scott McCaughey, the Young Fresh Fellows frontman and R.E.M. sideman who suffered a stroke last month.
The first concert is set for Jan. 5 at the Star Theater, and will include performances by Escovedo, with whom McCaughey was touring when he had the stroke, as well as James Mercer of The Shins, M. Ward, Jerry Joseph, Fernando, Mike Coykendall and Justin Townes Earle.
Also on the bill: collaborations between Drive-By Truckers’ Patterson Hood and The Decemberists’ Chris Funk, as well as Buck and Mills playing with Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. (McCaughey had been playing with Buck and Tucker in the band Filthy Friends.)
Tickets for that show, $50-$100, are on sale now.
The second concert takes place the following night, Jan. 6, at Wonder Ballroom, and will include Mercer, Casey Neill, Dharma Bums, as well as the Buck, Mills, Tucker, Weiss combo. This night, though, also will have a duo performance by Buck and Mills. There’s also a “super surprise guest” on the bill.
Tickets for the second night, also $50-$100, go on sale Saturday at helpthehoople.org.
McCaughey suffered what’s being described as a major stroke while on Nov. 16 in San Francisco, while on tour with Escovedo. He’s still in that city, receiving excellent care, according to the Help the Hoople benefit concerts’ website, and is “planning his return to Portland for extensive rehabilitation and recovery.”
Organizers say 100 percent of proceeds will go to McCaughey to help pay for his medical expenses.
Fans also will be able to help out via an online charity auction that will be launched later this month; those interested can pre-regsiter at helpthehoople.org beginning Monday. There’s also a GoFundMe campaign established to raise money for McCaughey’s family to help with his medical expenses.
Below, see the full lineups for the two Scott McCaughey benefits.
Help the Hoople, Star Theater, Portland, Ore., 1/5/18
Alejandro Escovedo
Corin Tucker, Mike Mills, Peter Buck, Janet Weiss
Fernando
James Mercer (The Shins)
Jerry Joseph
Justin Townes Earle
M. Ward
Mike Coykendall
Patterson Hood (Drive By Truckers), Chris Funk (The Decemberists)
Help the Hoople, Wonder Ballroom, Portland, Ore., 1/6/18
Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss
Casey Neill
Dharma Bums
James Mercer (The Shins)
Peter Buck and Mike Mills
Super surprise guest
Would love to see a streaming for a fee for these two shows. Nugs.net might be able to help.
How about a benefit show up here in Seattle too, Scott’s old stomping grounds? At the Crocodile for old time’s sake — the whole city would turn out!
Absolutely, I know I would. Good call on The Crocodile.