Benefits: Fewer Bands Helping Out
 
While I was at a local HEB (for those of you non-Texans, HEB is a grocery chain) trying to decide what kind of beer to buy, I had an old friend come up to me and ask me if I knew any bands. After five minutes of non-stop laughter, I told him I did but asked why. “Well a friend of mine was recently stabbed in Mexico and is recovering. We want to throw a benefit dance for him, you know, with barbecue plates and music. We’re having a hard time finding bands that are willing to donate the time though,” he said. My heart immediately sank to the floor.
This subject really is disheartening. Today’s selfish society has an apparent influence in our Onda.
Sure you don’t want to go around doing freebies all the time, every weekend. But it doesn’t hurt to help out a couple of families every now and then. Help your community, just like you want them to pay that cover charge when you play or to buy that new CD at Wal-Mart you just put out. Donate an hour of your band’s time or put up your sound system. If you’re asked for one of those things, but can’t provide, the least you can do is give people leads to other bands.
I would truly love to see mainstream/major bands cooperate with local bands in making benefits successful. Think about it this way: One day you might end up in that very same position, and musicians of a newer generation might turn their backs on you just as you did to your elders.
i was wondering when this was gona come up. american culture (especialy now ) is a money money money society. no bucks no products… you know
izzy atx said this on June 10th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
i for one am a true believer of karma.
But your story didn’t say what were the circumstances why this fella got stabbed.
Was he standing on a corner minding his own business, or was he in a fight and got the shit-end of the stick?
I for one am all into helping people, but since I don’t know the full story I can’t comment on your story.
On a similar note, a friend of a friend’s recently wiped out on his Harley and they were going to have a bar-b-q to sell plates and try and help him out.
Then people started asking how he was hurt. Turns out he was partying at a local bar till 3:00 am, him and his chik got into it,
he hoped on his scooter and hauled ass, ran a red light and wiped out on a telephone pole. He was freakin’ wasted, he’s in a coma, and needless to say he wasn’t wearing a helmet….
when people found out the reason they were a little hesitant to help out this idiot that didn’t help himself..
jesus chacon said this on June 11th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Circumstances: the man stabbed is a priest and was just traveling in MX…a former priest of a church I attend…
Vincent Winterbourne said this on June 11th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Sorry about your friend…then of course, by all means
help the poor guy.
jesus chacon said this on June 11th, 2008 at 11:12 am
A PRIEST?????????? not cool. what kind of a man would do such a thing. yet another sighn of the times
izzy atx said this on June 11th, 2008 at 11:23 am
For that matter… what asshole turned down helping a priest!?
Well I can’t say that bands in the DFW are like that. Many of them help all the time, in fact we have 10 bands helping the DFW Tejano Music Coalition within a 30 day time period.
We are firm believers in Karma.
TAP said this on June 11th, 2008 at 7:39 pm