Metal, especially the hard, aggressive sort that never surfaces to mainstream attention, forms the sort of strong bonds that other music communities can’t match. Don’t let the mass of tattoos, tangled beards, faded battle vests and the like fool you – behind that collective at-arms-length exterior are some of the nicest humans I’ve had the pleasure to meet. And they circle the wagons and look after their own when shit goes bad.

On March 28, it went terribly bad for Caleb Scofield when he died in a horrific traffic accident, leaving behind his wife and two young children.  As the creative lead for Zozobra and an integral member of Cave In and Old Man Gloom, his influence and stature among the local community was strong. A fundraiser was immediately started and it’s generated 100K of cash, and in the ensuing weeks a team of friends, family members, band members and local promoters helped pulled together a benefit show where not only all the door proceeds would go to the Scofields, but a generous array of items were donated for a very successful raffle.

It’s really hard to convey the swirling mix of emotions that permeated every part of the evening, from performers on stage and the wildly-packed room of fans, friends and family. So I’m not even gonna try. Suffice to say that the performances that started with The Cancer Conspiracy, to Old Man Gloom, then Converge and finally the cathartic concluding set by Cave In (along with an unexpected Zozobra set as an encore) truly was a celebration of the impact that Caleb made on people, and the vacuum that resides in his passing.  There’s a West Coast benefit that’s been announced too, featuring a one-off reunion of Isis playing as Celestial, so if you’ve got some vacation time and frequent flyer miles stocked up, head west.

Donations are still being accepted to the fund, so please consider giving what you can.

The Cancer Conspiracy:

Old Man Gloom:

Converge:

Cave In:

More photos from the event: