A door’s eye view of the Hurricane Katrina Benefit show
“Heelllooo.” I said sleepily into the phone Sunday morning.

“Hi Girly!” My ex-mother-in-law’s sweet voice sang in my ears.

After two weeks of trying to reach her by phone, she finally got through to let me know that they were ok. I had written her an email asking her to call me. She was driving from Texas back to their home in Gulfport Mississippi-- what was left of their home anyway. My ex-father-in-law had gone ahead to Gulfport the week before to survey the damage. They lost their home, and everything in it. They lost their business and one of their dogs that had run off just before they evacuated. I didn’t know what to say. I just listened.

“There’s so much devastation, so much more than what you see on TV.” She explained.

“The gulf coast is now 5 miles inland from where it used to be.” She continued.

She talked about how they had found a house north of Gulfport to move in to. She talked about how they had escaped Hurricane Katrina in Houston, gas price gouging, and mandatory tetanus shots due to disease and bacteria and toxic contaminated water in New Orleans and on the gulf coast. She told how my ex-father-in-law had bought 60 cases of water for the people in Bay St. Louis who didn’t have any drinking water. She talked about starting over. How they would manage better than others because my ex-father-in-law is a chemical engineer and they had the right kind of insurance. She had a remarkably good attitude considering they had lost everything. We talked for over an hour. We talked as if we had never stopped talking… that’s just the way it is between soul sisters.

We hung up the phone and I got ready to go work at the Hurricane Katrina Benefit Show that the local music scene, artists, promoters, businesses and writers were putting on at the Dome to raise money for the Red Cross and the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. How ironic that she called today…I thought.

Kids were already milling about outside when I arrived at the Dome. Baketown was manning the box office and I quickly took up my post at the door. We were ready for the day’s crowd. She and I were helping out by working the door-- selling tickets all day. My job was tearing ticket stubs, stamping hands and verifying people had stamps as they came in and out. Basically, I was the stamp police. I got to say who could come in and out and who couldn’t. And yet I wielded my power fairly for we were all here to raise money for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and to have a good time listening to music.

From my post at the door I watched as SUV after SUV and mini van after mini van (and a few other kinds of cars) pulled up and dropped kids off for a day of music. I had never seen so many kids at a music event in this town. There were punk kids, skater kids, gothic-punk kids (a new breed perhaps), band kids, and regular kids who just loved music, and some that were there to just hang out. I was amazed at the amount of kids (High school age) that had tattoos and face piercings. I’m used to seeing multi-colored dyed hair and punk clothes. It’s nothing anymore to see a blue or purple Mohawk or a girl with fuchsia pink hair, but tattoos and face piercings? Has the world changed so much since I was a kid? My parents would have killed me if I had gotten a tattoo or face piercings at that age. Heck, I didn’t even get my own tattoo until I was 35. I guess I was a late bloomer or maybe… I had just finally come into my own.

The kids had all come out to see the bands. And there were a lot of bands singing their hearts out to raise money for the Hurricane Katrina survivors. The day started with youthful punks: Destination Unknown, who gave a surprising performance. Followed by: Vanity Avenue, This Plain Morning and Exithead. Exithead debuted their hockey song Time to Fight being featured on the local music hockey compilation cd currently in the works. Next up were two local hard-core bands: Give Impulse and My Dysfunctional Me. The kids showed their hard core spirit in slam dancing mosh pits.

Exotic belly dancers in brightly colored exotic costumes bombarded me at the door. They were there to perform in between band sets but they didn't know where they were supposed to go. I found Matt Munoz and got them taken care of. From my post at the door, I watched them shake their hips in ways I didn't think possible as kids stood watching awestruck. Where else but the Hurricane Katrina Benefit show could they see screamo bands and belly dancers at the same event? They were obviously in heaven...

Hard-core was followed by a breath of fresh air as MotherFunk Conspiracy and the Dusk Devils performed. This was the first time I had heard the Dusk Devils and I really enjoyed their music. I would say they were the stand out band of the day. The punk kids didn’t know how to respond to the Dusk Devils, slam dancing doesn’t really go with their brand of country/rock.

“Just jump up and down.” Jenny instructed the kids from the stage.

Rocky Nash with her new purple hair and her power rock band were up next and gave a great performance. Later she and I discussed the nuances of their sound while blotting lipstick in the bathroom. Recently signed Stereotactic gave a rocking performance that was praised by Benefit show organizers: Matt Munoz, JR and NL Belardes.

Baketown and I got a little break from our door duties in time to watch the Filthies set up close and personal. The Filthies managed to pump up the crowd and get them all excited about their rural rock punk songs. Mento Buru followed the Filthies. Ska king Matt Munoz and his ensemble Latin Ska band turned in yet another feel-good performance that had everyone dancing.

Back on door duty-- I watched as SevenDust signed glossy 8 x 10 photos for kids that had lined up in the lobby, while the Filthies and Stereotactic stood by their merchandise tables longing to reach that illusive level.

Hard-core band Relapse Trigger filled in for Karmahitlist who had to cancel because Punk-Rock-God Seantastic had broken his ankle a few days before the show. Karmahitlist was missed by many kids who inquired at the door if they would be performing, and by me.

The final two bands of the day: American Standard and Throatshot gave hard rocking performances that the kids loved and slam danced too.

My day at the door, while long and tiring, wasn't all that bad. I got to see so many different kinds of people, and fashion imaginable. Was able to hear all of the bands. Got up close and personal with belly dancers. Received hugs from my favorite local rock stars and was respected by all the kids as I enforced the events rules. Baketown and I chatted it up in between ticket sales. NL, JR and Matt Munoz checked on us regularly and brought us food and water. All in all everything went pretty smoothly at the door with only one incident where a patron felt the $10 donation entry fee should be optional not mandatory and one incident very late in the day that involved an over agressive slam-dancer being escorted out by security. Although I've donated what I can, I don't have a ton of money that I can donate to the Hurricane relief efforts so it felt good to spend the day working for all those who really need our help.

The Hurricane Katrina Benefit show was a great success! Bakersfield youth came out in droves and there was quite a good response from the media. Three news stations, the Bakersfield Californian and KRAB radio all came out to report on the day. At the end of the day we raised over $3,000 in donations from local music fans. Everyone involved, workers, bands and those who attended should all be proud of what we acomplished.

I’m just glad I could do my part for my once family and for the people of that grand old city New Orleans and the beautiful gulf coast of my memories.  posted by Matildakay at 10:54 PM