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I have said it before and I’ll say it again: Bob Benjamin is a real-life PD hero. Through his efforts, leadership and example, the face of the PD supporter has changed dramatically, and the face of Parkinson’s itself has been altered,,,no more glitzy, formal and priced-beyond-the-reach of most parkies (although these events have raised countless dollars and awareness for the disease and thank God for them!!) , Bob has made it hip to be a contributor and an activist for PD. I just got home from my second “Light of Day” concert put on by Bob Benjamin, and I cannot tell you the amount of love, hope and awareness that was the outcome of this event, to say nothing of the huge donation that Bob will be able to donate to Parkinson’s.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bob and his grand achievements, a brief history: This event began in Bob’s backyard as a birthday party he threw for himself. Bob manages bands (including the amazing Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers- the hottest bar band in Philly), a record producer, promoter and a die-hard Bruce Springsteen fan. His little birthday bash has evolved into a monster event lasting 3 nights and is in its sixth year as the “Light of Day” concert. It was named for the Springsteen song of the same title. It is aptly named for the lyrics to the song that say “I’m just around the corner to the light of day” which exactly depicts the hope and dreams of Bob. Bob is a joy - the man knows everyone who is anyone, and he refuses help when they try to help him stand or move about. Backstage on Friday night, the first night of the 3-evening concert, Bob sat like a rock-n-roll godfather. Extremely dyskinetic, he managed to greet all of the performers and other guests who all stopped by to show their respect and to shower him with birthday gifts.

We are talking about big-time legends in rock-n-roll. There was the sweet, charming and very talented Pete Yorn who flew in from California to do three nights. There was La Bomba from the Conan O’Brien house band, Southside Johnny from the Asbury Jukes, the legendary Gary “US” Bonds, Joe Grushecky, and Soozie Tyrell - the fiddle player and vocalist from Bruce’s E- Street Band & her guitarist Steve Conte. I was seated next to Bob for most of the evening, and he made sure that I was introduced to all of the celebrities & indulged my passion for star-gazing.

When it came time for Soozie Tyrell to perform, I made my way back to the Stone Pony and was pushed in my wheelchair up to the front of the stage, right in the middle by Pete Boot himself - a member of the 70’s metal band Budgie! I was thrilled to see Soozie’s talent and energy. She was joined onstage by Southside Johnny and Gary “US” Bonds and what a treat it was!!

After their set, I decided to keep my front row seat and to watch the next set. I was somewhat startled to see a pedal steel guitar and an acoustic guitar brought onstage by the roadies. “These can’t be Jersey boys,” I thought to myself and indeed they were not. It took about 10 minutes into their set before the tumblers in my brain finally all fell into place. But I finally figured out that this band was the Robert Earl Keene band from Austin, TX and if this was the case; then the pedal steel player had to be my long lost buddy, Marty Muse, whom I hadn’t seen in 30 years. Sure enough, there was Marty - the best steel player in the states. I sat there thunderstruck to see him playing at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey. I waved to him, and he looked back at me but after the set was done, he packed up and started to leave the stage. I couldn’t believe it! So I called out his name, and he came over and shook my hand, finally getting a good look at me. Then the recognition hit him like a BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious)!

We met down at the end of the stage and went backstage. There we were joined by a group of friends : Marty’s bandmates, the ever-irreverent Ken Aidekman (founder of the Parkinson’s Unity Walk), Pete & Nancy Boot from the UK, a reporter and various others. Robert Earl Keene brought me a drink, and I was stunned at his “regular guy” persona. I realized as we spoke that it was no act. Marty and I had a lot of catching up to do and we had a wonderful time reminiscing about old friends in my hometown of Peoria, IL. Steve Conti walked up and just for grins I asked if he might know another session player from Peoria who is well-known in New York for his session work, Dave Keyes. Steve knew him right away and also his brother Dan, who was one of Marty’s old friends from a lifetime ago in Peoria. All of this stirred up more old memories and stories.

Marty, as it turned out was staying at the same hotel that I was staying, just down the block from the Stone Pony. So after we were finished with our impromptu party, we left and went to the hotel lobby and talked until 3:00 in the morning. I just happened to have a scrapbook with pictures of lots of my family and PD events; he had his computer filled with pics of his wife and kids. It seemed as if time had frozen and the conversation was easy and punctuated with ‘I cannot believe that we ran into each other’ amazement! Marty had to leave for the airport to catch a plane back to Austin at 5:00 a.m. so I hope that he’s finally caught up on his sleep!!

I must apologize- this started out to be a story about Bob Benjamin and I couldn’t help but tell about my experiences at his wonderful event. On Saturday evening, we piled into a taxi and headed to the Starland Ballroom where the night’s concert was taking place. This evening, I spent mostly in the VIP room, hobnobbing and meeting and talking with the varied assortment of people there. Ken Aidekman brought in a beaming Robin Elliott from the Parkiknson’s Disease Foundation. There were filmmakers who were there to do a documentary on Joe Grushecky, along with all of Bob’s friends. Suddenly, I was swooped upon by a lovely little man whose presence just about knocked me over. I found out that this was the one and only Garland Jefferies, and I was thrilled to have him to chat with for a few moments!

Then, just as suddenly, an Irish leprechaun with twinkling eyes and a merry laugh, he grabbed my wheelchair and said, despite my protestations, that it was time for me to go hear some of the great music that I was missing. He pushed me up to the stage area; the perfect opportunity for me to say that the staff at both the Stone Pony and the Starland Ballroom were extremely conscientious and helpful. I was treated like a princess, and I can only attribute this to their natural kind hearts and also to their respect for Bob Benjamin. The man who was working the security area at the side of the stage saw me and opened a path for me, my wheelchair and my new Irish friend right at the end of the stage. We had the best seats in the house!
Right away, Garland Jefferies took the stage and what a showman!! He was into a funk- Reggae groove and was moving around the stage like James Brown. He would summersault into the audience only to reappear after a few moments of being smothered with friendship from the crowd. His set ended with a grand cover version of the Question Mark and the Mysterions’ classic “96 Tears.”

Next the staging area where I was sitting was filled with performers all waiting to go up and join Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers. Wow - what a show that was!! Rock-n-Roll as good as it gets!! There was a horn section that blew you away with their talent!! And wonderful, screaming vocals!! A huge organ was played by Tony - and the hot, cute, young guitar player was Joe’s son. By the end of the set, the crowd was worn out. What a fabulous night of music!!

Sunday evening was no less memorable. At the hotel, my friend, Carol, and I had met two young men from Maine who were in town to go to the concerts. Jason and Matt were huge Pete Yorn fans. When I got to the show, they were sitting there sipping beers while Joe Grushecky, Joe D’Urso and three others were onstage. This was acoustic night and the Starland Ballroom was filled, but not as rowdy as the night before. I went over to buy a round of drinks and saw Pete Yorn standing at the entrance to the VIP area. I called to him and he came right over. I asked him to do a favor for me. I asked him if would please come over and meet two of his fans who came all the way from Maine to see him. He immediately grabbed my wheelchair and off we went to find Jason and Matt. When they saw me approaching with beers in my hands and Peter Yorn steering me thru the crowd, they said later that they thought they were in a dream or having a heart attack! Pete was so gracious and spent the next 45 minutes with us talking and posing for photos and making this a night that the guys would never forget. I do remember the players on stage doing a cover of Harry Chapin’s classic “Taxi,” but I was so interested in speaking with Pete that I’m afraid that’s all I can remember.

After the first group was done, we were escorted into a table near the stage by one of the wonderful employees just in time to see Pete take the stage with four other players -
one of whom Pete referred to as “the assassin” for her sensuous, extremely sexy rendition of a Cream classic.

All too soon, it was time to go. But I had time to realize that Bob, with his determination, connections, and the fierce loyalty that he inspires in people, had changed the concept of fundraising for PD forever. Thank you Bob - I love you!

PS: Bob is the winner of this year’s Alan Bonander Humanitarian Award, presented each year at the Parkinson’s Unity Walk in New York City.

Congratulations and I’m proud to call you friend.
Joan*