...
Rat Bastard called half an hour ago with news of Gerard Klauder's death. I'm stunned...
His intellect was fiercely acute, his aesthetic intuition second to none. One of the coolest people ever...
Goddamn, what a fucking tragedy...
Gerard and I started The Smack Shire and Memories of Underdevelopment together. He was erratic, half-crazed, blessed with every material comfort yet often convulsed with doubt and self-loathing.
He "got" me, understood my music, my mind, my sense of humor. I thought he was hilarious - droll, acerbic, just fucking brilliant...
From 2000 to 2001 we turned his three-story quayside townhouse in North Miami Beach into a sort of Bizarro World Playboy Mansion. (The welcome mat might as well have read Bipolar Grindcore Whores Only...) Man, those were great, wasted days. So many amazing people passed through those doors (or, passed out in the elevator).
I'm at a loss.
His intellect was fiercely acute, his aesthetic intuition second to none. One of the coolest people ever...
Goddamn, what a fucking tragedy...
Gerard and I started The Smack Shire and Memories of Underdevelopment together. He was erratic, half-crazed, blessed with every material comfort yet often convulsed with doubt and self-loathing.
He "got" me, understood my music, my mind, my sense of humor. I thought he was hilarious - droll, acerbic, just fucking brilliant...
From 2000 to 2001 we turned his three-story quayside townhouse in North Miami Beach into a sort of Bizarro World Playboy Mansion. (The welcome mat might as well have read Bipolar Grindcore Whores Only...) Man, those were great, wasted days. So many amazing people passed through those doors (or, passed out in the elevator).
I'm at a loss.
Comments
Tom
Man...I don't even know what to say...this is too fucked up. I don't want to say anything else.
Thanks for your very thoughtful words. Everyone is totally freaked by GK's death... I've barely slept since receiving the news...
This is a good time to pull together, to mend wounds.
I'm sorry for our past disagreements, Carlos. In the wake of recent developments, they're extraordinarily irrelevant. I offer this public apology and olive branch with sincerity.
No schedule yet for a service, wake, etc. We're ready to move as soon as we get the word.
Best,
Tom
I'm just so fucking sad; everyone I've spoken to has been similarly affected. Such a tragedy...
Best,
Tom
It's Roger from Monotract, by the way.
We artists - regardless of our predilections - should strive to find commonality rather than bicker over trivalities.
I apologize to you and Nancy too...
Hope we can all convene in MIA to celebrate Gerard's crazy life. It's a gut-rending loss.
Yours,
Tom
roe, thank you for your very kind words... your expression of love and concern is very much appreciated.
love to you both,
tom
I don't think I know any of you, but I've been reading your posts and things for information about Gerard, and since I've been feeling a terrible need to share my unhappiness about his death and some memories of him with people who knew him, you guys are it.
In 1995 and 96 I had the great honr of playing drums for Gerard in Chicago in an act he called Sing-Song. We met through Ed Willmore, who produced recordings for both of us (and also payed in Sing-Song, including one show for which his instrument was to break glass bottles in a microphoned box). Besides having a lot of fun, and enjoying his amazing roast beef and fried egg sandwiches, I learned a lot from him, about music and performing.
Just one story, since I have to tell someone: at a show at Chicago's No Exit cafe, Gerard asked me to think of all the beats I could hit in 30 seconds, and stretch that out over thirty minutes. With Gerard leading on a poor nylon string guitar, we opened with a kind of quiet noise environment, notes here and there, no particular coordination among the players, that really did go on for a long time. Much of the audience, expecting the same kind of easy-listening college pop that I would later be performing that night, was getting really restless. How long could he keep this up?
Then, with no particular cue, Gerard played a real chord and began to sing - to sing with that delicate, strange, sad, and beautiful voice of his - and the effect was really pretty magical. The point of the whole intro, I realized, was that with it GK forced the audience to listen to him on his terms, and to hear the beauty of his music with a patience and concentration that would have been impossible for a bunch of college kids just in from the street. From behind the drum set, my nervousness turned into admiration for GK, and pride to be in his weird and great band.
I'm so sorry Gerard decided to do this, and really wish he hadn't. I hadn't been in touch with him since college, which now seems incredible, and inexcusable. I miss him now, and will for a long time. My love to all the rest of you who clearly cared so much for him.
Ben Martin