jfolks

Oh Herdy...may the four winds blow you safely home old friend. Truly devastating to hear this news today. Herdy was a force of nature. His contagious laughter, his zero fucks to give, his huge heart, his generosity; too many positive traits to list here. When I was a young buck I worked two part time minimum wage jobs while being a full time college student in Oklahoma so I could travel to see as many DSO shows as possible without becoming homeless or flunking out of college (pretty much had to "get on jets to see a cover band" living in Oklahoma - you NE people have always had it so good!). There was no way I could have racked up as many shows as I did back then if it weren't for people like Herdy. It really all goes back to the ledges, doesn't it? My first ledges was 2006 and that was where I met most of you in person for the first time. We had bantered so much on the forums, it felt like we were already the closest of friends. Herdy instantly took me under his wing. He would let me stay at his bunk ass farm house (yard bowling, anyone?), he would pick me up from the airport, he would let me tag along on tour, he would show me a good time in bumfuck Harford County Maryland on the days off. Hanging with Herdy made me feel like one of the cool kids for the first time in my life. From New York to San Francisco, from Amsterdam to Jamaica, I traveled the world with that crazy man. His job was to shed light. I will never forget him. He introduced me to all of you - and I will forever cherish the times we had. With each other. With Herdy mothafuckin Gerdy. Herdy was the glue. We're all better people because of him. He taught us how to have fun, how to be ourselves. At least he won't ever have to pay that Buffalo Marriott back for the smoking fine from JK's last show (I told them it wasn't our fault - it was the damn Canadians!).