Bassist Mike Smith’s battle with melanoma has inspired creation of The Free and Clear Foundation, which will benefit from tonight’s ‘Black Friday’ reunion show at The Intersection. (Podcast, video)
Reunion With a Cause: Mike Smith, right, and Chris Hartley, left, of Kamilla, along with Scott Willis of Johnny Logic. (Photo/Local Spins)
Kamilla is proof that not all band reunions are built alike.
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Invariably, it seems, every rock band that cultivates a devoted following and scores success finds a reason to relive its glory and revive that special musical camaraderie through an anniversary blowout of some kind.
While Kamilla’s much-anticipated reunion on Friday night is certainly about the camaraderie that made the heavy metal band one of the region’s most popular acts about a decade ago, there’s an even more compelling, driving force at work.
The reunion show at The Intersection will raise money for The Free and Clear Foundation, a nonprofit group launched by band bassist Mike Smith, 38, of Grand Rapids, who was first diagnosed with melanoma in April 2012 and has since undergone multiple surgeries with more treatments to come.
Kamilla Back in the Day.
“I’m really proud of us,” Smith says of the band which also features guitarists Chris Hartley and Jim Borchers, drummer Troy Middlecamp and lead vocalist Jason Wood (who now sings for the Buffalo-based metal band It Dies Today). “For years now we kind of knew we wanted to do an anniversary show. I consider us lucky: We get to have our anniversary show, but we get to do it in a way that’s not selfish. We’re it for the people that the foundation is going to help. It’s awesome.”
Kamilla, which has the distinction of winning two major West Michigan band battles the same year – Aris Hampers’ Hometown Rock Search and the Heavyweight Championship of Rock – hasn’t performed together in about eight years, ever since Smith injured his wrist working his day job, sidelining him as a bassist for several years.
GETTING ‘THE ORIGINAL BOYS TOGETHER’ FOR A 10th ANNIVERSARY SHOW
Friday’s event also coincides with the 10th anniversary of release of Kamilla’s popular “Red” album and brings together several other bands who were popular at the time, including Johnny Logic, Thunder Chicken, The Dead Last, The Storied Life and The Fred Thompson Trio.
Band members have been rehearsing for the reunion show for a couple of months, anxious to deliver the melodic metal that first revved up audiences. “We’re excited about it,” says Smith, noting that Wood is traveling from Buffalo, N.Y., to rejoin the band. “We’ve got the original boys together.”
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Considering Smith’s illness – Stage III C melanoma – that in itself is a remarkable story.
“It was very eye-opening. It’s scary,” Smith concedes. “It happens quick and it’s totally random, and that really is the scariest thing about it. I went in for a physical and wound up being told I had a malignant tumor on my back and it had to be removed.” After the surgery, Smith believed he was “free and clear” of the cancer, but it returned last May in an aggressive form, requiring more surgery and treatment.
His experience has led Smith to form The Free and Clear Foundation (sparked by the title of an old Kamilla song) in hopes of helping those who come to Grand Rapids for melanoma treatments to cover their expenses and provide “living assistance” to him during his treatment over the next 12 months. “When these families come into Grand Rapids, we’re going to be looking to make things as easy as we can on them,” Smith says. “Pay for cab fares. I’m looking to buy about 7,000 Happy Meals, whatever they need while they’re here.”
As such, “Free and Clear” has become the band’s new anthem. So earlier this week, Kamilla put together an ad hoc acoustic version of the band – featuring Hartley, singer Jake Van Ravenswaay of Ignite the Borealis and guitarist Scott Willis of Johnny Logic – to perform the tune on Local Spins Live in the studios of News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW). Listen to the show podcast here and check out a video of the one-of-a-kind performance below.
A REUNION TO BE PROUD OF
“I supposed back in 2003, none of us could have guessed that we’d be using that song title for something that I think we can all be proud of,” Smith says. “Back 10 years ago, we were using that song to promote Kamilla and get bigger shows. Now, we’re using it to help other people. It feels really good to turn this around.
Kamilla-Plus: From left, Scott Willis (Johnny Logic), Mike Smith, Chris Hartley, Jake VanRavenswaay (Ignite the Borealis)
“In a year, when I’m done with my treatments, that’s when the foundation’s going to get down to work. I’ve got a year of being treated to lay the groundwork for what we’re going to do.”
Back in 2003, Hartley recalls, the band was just having a blast cranking out its hard-driving songs. “There were a lot of fun times,” he says. “We just liked to play music and get people to enjoy rock music in Grand Rapids.”
Although Friday’s event is a one-time event for Kamilla, the concert will be captured on video and Smith says group members will “never totally close the book on the band.” And he says he intends to organize a Black Friday benefit every year for The Free and Clear Foundation.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for Friday’s reunion show, with music beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the 16-and-older show are $8 at the door. More details online here.
“Having all of these band members from all of these different bands get back together 10 years removed, dust off the old songs, put strings on guitars and whatnot, to do it for other people, it’s fantastic. It really is,” Smith says. “People are getting kind of stoked. They’re getting excited.”
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
