The second annual Corona’s Covers For a Cure benefit show will take place at CD 102.5’s Big Room Bar this Saturday, March 10th, beginning at 4 pm, and running ‘til eleven (or thereabouts, you know how these multi-band extravaganzas go).  Full details and a rough running order of the local artists performing can be found at Corona’s Covers For a Cure.

The basic premise and set-up of the show is simple, but profound: local Columbus bands & solo rockers play cover songs by bands or solo artists who died of cancer, thereby keeping those songs from being lost to live performance.  This show is really close to my heart.  I first heard about last March’s inaugural show while driving away from one of my sister Dianne’s chemotherapy sessions at the Zangmeister Cancer Center.  That CD 102.5 ad – local artists playing songs lost to cancer – seemed like a perfect fit for me.  “Hey, I know songs by The Velvet Underground,” I said out loud to myself in the car, and when I got home I set about trying to cadge my way onto the bill.  I felt like I owed it to the doctors, nurses & technicians who were caring for Dianne.  

Somewhere along the way Colin’s band The League Bowlers also became involved in the benefit.  The show went great, the guys & girls from Corona were truly friendly & caring and the benefit raised thousands for cancer research.  Colin & I asked if they were going to repeat the benefit in 2018 and the Corona & CD 102.5 crews said they hoped so.  We asked them to keep us in mind for a repeat appearance.

And now comes the downside: in the year that has transpired since that show my sister died of the cancer she was in treatment for when I played that first benefit.  Further, Mike Parks – the genius lead guitarist of The League Bowlers – ALSO died of a cancer that hadn’t even been DIAGNOSED when the Bowlers played the benefit.  (Click here to read Pencilstorm Remembers Mike Parks)

At one point in Colin’s e-mail when he asked me to write this story for Pencilstorm, he used the phrase “if that ain’t evidence that cancer is a mean son of a bitch I don’t know what is.”  (And Colin should know, he lost his beloved mom to cancer more than 20 years ago.)  He’s exactly, precisely right: cancer is a mean son of a bitch and I’m asking you to come out this Saturday to show your support – with your money and your hearts & minds – to fund research to show cancer that we’re meaner sons of bitches than it is.  - Ricki C. / March 8, 2018