I was out of town this weekend, checking out a concert with my husband, and met two different gals from West Virginia. Neither of them were even from our area, and both were from different West Virginia towns of their own, but there was an instant kind of connection over a common tie. One of them, a gal who shared a love for one of my favorite bands, became a fast friend that I could see myself keeping in touch with over time.

I often find a similar kind of bond with people who share a love of someone, or something like music, locations, sports and television shows – and I have kept friendships with many people I’ve met along the way, making a great blend of friends in my life. Sometimes friendships overlap, and people even end up knowing each other through me, or even other friends. I tend to personally find the most friendship overlaps in the music world, as well as the strong loyalty that comes from hanging out with people who connect with music in the same ways I tend to. When you love our local music scenes, you start seeing the same people at different places, and you come together.

Being in the smallish community of the Mid-Ohio Valley, there’s also a chance that you may know Erica Belcher. She’s friends with the team behind Jesse Smith & the Holy Ghost (one of our local, talented rock acts), and therefore, a friend of mine. Erica recently underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor from her brain. The surgery went well, and she now is traveling to Ohio State (James Cancer Center) weekly for her radiation treatments. With the reduction in income for their family, and the raise of costs, Erica is finding it increasingly more difficult to make it home to her daughter’s weekly Basketball games in Belpre. Upon hearing this, some very talented musicians have decided to come together to help raise funds for her travels and hotels during treatment.

This coming Sunday, April 17th, at the Adelphia Music Hall, four awesome rock bands are teaming up to create “Cause for a Cure – The Team Erica Cancer Benefit.” Tickets are $15, and include performances from Guns Out at Sundown, Poynte and co-headliners Screaming for Silence and local band Jesse Smith & the Holy Ghost. While all funds raised will be donated to Erica’s travel needs, there will also be musical memorabilia raffled off throughout the evening.

Doors open at 7 p.m. at the Adelphia Music Hall with music starting at 7:30 p.m.

Can’t make it to the event, but want to help raise funds for/contribute to team Erica? You can donate here.

This will be the last local performance by Jesse Smith & the Holy Ghost before they hit the road to promote a new album due this June.

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