‘Beat It Wally!’
Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Garbage, Jackson Browne, Keb’ Mo’ and a slew of musical pals play benefit to help drummer Wally Ingram at Alex Theatre
By Bliss 01/25/2007
You'd think multitasking would be second nature for a rock-star producer. But according to Butch Vig, who's helmed hits by Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth and his own band Garbage, ‘tain't necessarily so. Not when the detail-intensive task at hand is producing a benefit for a friend battling cancer.
“I've never done anything like this before,” Vig confesses. “I'm not a good multitasker; I'm good at producing records and doing one thing at a time.”
But when he heard drummer Wally Ingram had been diagnosed with throat and neck cancer, he wanted to help. Ingram, a popular “feel” drummer best known for backing Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Tracy Chapman, David Lindley and Bonnie Raitt, has insurance, but it isn't covering all his medical and related expenses.
“He's gone through pretty hardcore, aggressive treatment, both chemo and radiation,” Vig relates. “I'm happy to say he just finished it about a week ago and doctors think he's actually going to be able to play a couple songs that evening. He's getting his strength back pretty quick.
“But like a lot of people in this country, not just musicians, there's inadequate health coverage when you have something catastrophic like this. Plus he hasn't been able to work, and he just had a baby girl about a year ago; it's been pretty tough. So I just decided to organize a benefit.
“And I've gotta say,” he adds with a chuckle, “it's a pain in the butt! But it's all going to be worth it.”
His first calls were to Raitt (“She's been awesome; she [said], ‘I'm in, let me know whatever you need'”) and his Garbage bandmates, who were scattered between Aspen and Europe. Raitt put him in touch with Tom Campbell and Guacamole Fund, a tax-exempt charity that organizes benefits. They've shouldered production logistics, thereby easing Vig's multitasking headaches.
Also onboard: Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow, Keb' Mo', Victoria Williams & Tom Freund, Eric Burdon & the Animals, the Martinis (featuring Joey Santiago and David Lovering of the Pixies), Freedy Johnston, ex-BusBoy Kevin O'Neal and his gospel choir Radiant Voices. Vig is encouraging artists to play “outside the box”; Garbage, for instance, which hasn't performed in almost 18 months, will play with the Section Quartet and probably debut new songs.
He predicts “some sort of monster jam,” although, with 200 musicians expected to attend, it'll be interesting to see who gets shoehorned onstage, and how.
Vig says Ingram's “jazzed” about the benefit: “It just gave him optimism to want to push forward. ... All of that bullshit he went through is worth it: Right now, at least, the prognosis is really, really good.
“He's one of the sweetest guys in the world. I have a feeling that the stage is going to levitate with energy.”
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT