A random act of senseless sadness

Drummer Michael Dahlquist, longtime member of indie rock stalwarts, Silkworm, was killed (murdered) when a suicidal woman crashed her car into the car carrying Dahlquist and two other fellow musicians, in Chicago. As befitting a world without any justice, the crazy woman received only minor injuries.

For me, this has a bit of a personal connection because of the opportunity that I had back in 1995(?) to meet Dahlquist at one of Portland's great nightclubs from the past, Raoul's, on outer Forest Avenue. Silkworm was playing a Thursday night indie gig and I had headed into Portland for rock and $1.00 PBR's. The opening act, Engine Kid, were deafeningly loud and I had migrated to the steps outside to rest my eardrums. I met Dahlquist and Tim Midgett, Silkworm's guitar player. Truly nice guys, who were as much fans of rock, in addition to being talented musicians, we had a great conversation and went back inside for beers. I met bassist Andy Cohen and they invited me to their show the following night at the Port Hole, where they were playing. While I was unable to go, I just was struck by how down-to-earth and without pretensions all three were. It was always one of the characteristics that made me love the indie rock scene in general. For me, meeting the trio was special, as Silkworm's music has been a staple of my collection for over a decade. At the time I met them, I was totally in love with their L'ajre record. When I told them they were impressed and dedicated a song to "our fan Jim, one of the 10 people who owns L'ajre." Obviously, quite a few more own it than that, but the point is that they appreciated their fans.

My thoughts and sympathies go out to Michael's family and the other members of Silkworm, as well as the families of the other musicians, John Glick and Douglas Meis.