Helping out one of the truly good ones
You’d be hard pressed to find a friendlier, more helpful, or more generally beloved figure in the local music scene than Michael McDade. His own talent and career aside, Michael has done as much as anyone, and more than most, to foster a positive, uplifting, and nurturing spirit in the musical community.
The founder and host of numerous “Open Mic Nights” over the years, Michael has never hesitated to lend his skill, advice, support, and even his equipment to folks who could benefit from it. Never underestimate the value of that, or take it for granted.
The music community in the place I grew up was nasty and backstabbing, the prevailing attitude at the time being that any gig someone else had is one you should have gotten, and it’s like that in a fair number of places.
That we have a scene in which musicians generally support one another (or at worst, fail to try and undercut each other) is a gift.
Michael McDade is one of the people who’ve helped foster that. Indeed, there’s more than one popular and successful performer in the area who owes some of their success to his mentorship and support.
To say that Michael has a big heart is both an understatement and a ham-fisted segue in to the point of today’s feature, namely that Michael recently had to undergo heart surgery.
He’s recovering well, but the state of healthcare being what it is in this country, coupled with the resources of a hardworking, dedicated, and selfless musician means that medical bills are monumental.
I’ve said it before, both from personal experience and from firsthand knowledge of other performers in need, our community takes care of its own. Michael being who he is, a stellar lineup of A-list local names have stepped up to volunteer for the Michael McDade Benefit Concert at Songbirds South on Thursday, Augustw 15th.
The current lineup of luminaries features such well-known locals as Hara Paper, Butch Ross, Jennifer Daniels & Jeff Neal, Amber Fults, Lew Card, Jordan Hallquist, Ryan Oyer, Scarlet Love Conspiracy, The Rounders, and The Bohannons.
This would be a powerhouse lineup for a regional music festival, and it’s all for the sake of a treasured peer who, true to his nature, has managed to remain sunny and upbeat in the face of major surgery and the monstrous costs associated with it.
Tickets are available now through Eventbrite, and more information may be found at the Facebook event page, “Michael McDade Benefit”. Proceeds will help defray medical expenses until Michael can get back on his feet.
There’s no better opportunity to return the favor for a man who has given so much of himself to Chattanooga music.