B
Beandust
Well-known member
Man that hits hard, sorry for your loss.
Yeah. It’s hard to unsee it.I totally feel for this.
The first drummer Something Involving A Monkey had died on the 30th of December, 2011. We played a gig that night and loaded out like normal. The drummer, Todd Ankrom, complained that he wasn't feeling well, bit we didn't think anything of it. It was December in Cleveland after all.
I went back in to catch one of the main acts, and people began coming up to me to tell me that my drummer collapsed. I finally wandered out the front of the building in disbelief in time to see an Ambulance lit up in the street. I was bum-rushed by his group of friends, who were all hysterical, and looked up in time to see Todd laying lifeless in the back of the Ambulance as the paramedic came out. It took months for me to even process that I saw him laying there with his shirt cut open, let alone tell anyone. By the time we got to the hospital, they gave the word that he passed.
I had dropped everyone off and went to drop the trailer off, because parking was messed up. In route to the spot, I got the call. I just remember sitting in my car on a random backroad lost to the world. See, my Jeep had a habit of stalling out when I started it when the engine was warm. After dropping the trailer, I made it a block down the road before stalling out and ending up on the side of the road. My drummer and my Jeep were dead, and I wasn't going to fix either.
I got a ride from my guitarist's roommate back to the hospital and venue to sort everyone out and get back to the spot. It took some time to process. I totally get the feeling of going from the high of playing a great show to grieving a loss like that. I give my sincere condolences.
Worse! This is why I said in my intro there can be a lot of questions here. It’s on a hwy that goes from 65->55 not 150 yards prior to this establishment. To make it worse, there is a slight rise so you can only see about 50-75 yards before the close entrance. Wtf would someone cross the street ? To get to their car… there was a spot 100 yards down on same side of road allowed for parking. So ask yourself…. As a 20-30-40-50 year old who is capable of doing whatever worry about a road? How many times have we crossed roads in our life? Dammit, This guy was 75 and walked like the penguin. But how do you talk someone out of doing what they normally do.. lots of terrible thoughts and what ifs . I think of my mom, she probably would have crossed the road .. I probably would have crossed the road. I had other folks say; oh yeah. No problem.Dude alund, I've been meaning to ask and maybe you already said but was the speed limit 55 out front of the place you were playing?
Yeah. That's pretty crazy. It is hard to conceptualize, I'd have to see it but I believe what you are saying as far as it being hard to see. Seems some signs or a fence or something needs to be put up. Man - please don't blame yourself for performing at a gig with friends and family ok?Worse! This is why I said in my intro there can be a lot of questions here. It’s on a hwy that goes from 65->55 not 150 yards prior to this establishment. To make it worse, there is a slight rise so you can only see about 50-75 yards before the close entrance. Wtf would someone cross the street ? To get to their car… there was a spot 100 yards down on same side of road allowed for parking. So ask yourself…. As a 20-30-40-50 year old who is capable of doing whatever worry about a road? How many times have we crossed roads in our life? Dammit, This guy was 75 and walked like the penguin. But how do you talk someone out of doing what they normally do.. lots of terrible thoughts and what ifs . I think of my mom, she probably would have crossed the road .. I probably would have crossed the road. I had other folks say; oh yeah. No problem.
yeah... i guess. really needs a caution light at that area... this event is not a 1 time occurrence. I can start the process of change for the road. fortunately I know the road commissioner fairly well. so I can enquire. I dont blame me... it is just a huge unfortunate series of events.Yeah. That's pretty crazy. It is hard to conceptualize, I'd have to see it but I believe what you are saying as far as it being hard to see. Seems some signs or a fence or something needs to be put up. Man - please don't blame yourself for performing at a gig with friends and family ok?![]()