Soundbites

HONORING JONATHAN

As we noted a few weeks ago ("Music Is Medicine," Jan. 26), Jonathan Holden passed away on Jan. 17 at age 60.

He helped launch community radio station KXCI FM 91.3 and sat on its original board of directors. From the mid-'90s on, he was the primary force behind Rhythm and Roots, a series of concerts held at various venues throughout town that largely focused on nonmainstream acts in a variety of genres including blues, folk, jazz and country—local performers as well as touring acts who likely would have never played in Tucson without his efforts.

This week, a slew of musicians, friends and family will gather to honor his memory.

Music Is Medicine: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Jonathan Holden will take place at the Plaza Palomino Courtyard—the site of many Rhythm and Roots shows over the years—from 2 to 6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 19.

In addition to a silent auction including artwork, gift certificates and music, there will be performances by Sabra Faulk, Jo Wilkinson, Mitzi Cowell, Louie Levinson, Gary Mackender, Gene Holmes, Jack Wood, the Titan Valley Warheads (Ed Davenport, Earl Edmonson, Gary Kuitert and Andy McCune), John Coinman, Peter McLaughlin and Friends, Steve Grams and Danny Krieger, and likely several others.

If you've been touched by Holden and his musical efforts over the years, please consider stopping by and making a donation in his honor, while enjoying some great live music. Plaza Palomino is located at 2790 N. Swan Road.

At the time of his death, Holden had a full slate of shows booked for the spring season, and his wife, Susan Holden, and the rest of the Rhythm and Roots team are making sure the shows go on. The next one will feature a Caribbean dance party with percussion-driven Afro-Caribbean band Sticks N' Fingers, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17, at Suite 147 in Plaza Palomino. Tickets are $15 in advance; $18 at the door; or $10 for students. For more information, or to order tickets, head to rhythmandroots.org. Call 319-9966 with questions.


TORA FOR A CAUSE

Even if you prefer to stay home and watch TV instead of devoutly following local music, the name Tora Woloshin should ring a bell.

Local music fans might remember her as the frontwoman for a few bands, including Less Than Famous, but many more know her as one of the women selected by Simon Cowell to advance to the Top 32 on the premiere season of The X Factor singing-competition show on Fox.

A few months ago, Woloshin was delighted to come across a fan video of a toddler dancing to one of her X Factor performances. It wasn't until she started doing research to find a charity beneficiary for her upcoming CD-release party that she discovered that the toddler in the video, a Tucsonan named Caleb, was afflicted with neurofibromatosis (NF). According to a press release, "NF is a common neurological disorder that can cause tumors to grow anywhere in or on the body and can result in cancer, blindness, deafness, bone deformities, loss of limb and scoliosis." But that wasn't all: Caleb's 10-year-old sister and their father are also afflicted by the disorder. Woloshin had found her beneficiary.

This week, Woloshin will drop that CD, Open Heart Surgery (JukeBox), with a release party that doubles as a fundraiser for the Children's Tumor Foundation, which is "dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by NF."

Tora Woloshin celebrates the release of Open Heart Surgery on Saturday, Feb. 18, at DV8, 5851 E. Speedway Blvd. Doors open at 8 p.m., and special guests include Vintage Sugar, Broken Romeo, DJ Brandon and rapper Chris Young. Tickets are $10, or $25 for a VIP package that includes a CD. All ages are welcome, and there will be a bar for those older than 21. For more information, call the venue at 885-3030, or head to showclix.com/event/ToraCDRelease.


ONE TOUGH BROAD

Sure, she's sweet, sexy and crazy-talented, but let's get one thing straight: Candye Kane is one tough broad.

Her back-story is fairly well known by now: With a less-than-ideal upbringing, Kane became a teenage mother, a pin-up cover girl and a punk-rock-influenced blues-belter by the time she was 21. A product of the roots-punk scene in 1980s Hollywood, she played alongside acts like Social Distortion, X, and The Blasters while raising two sons, championing large-sized women, and fighting for the rights of sex workers and the LGBT community.

But her biggest fight began in 2008, when she was diagnosed with pancreatic carcinoid neuroendocrine cancer. After a successful procedure, it appeared she had beaten the cancer. She was back out on the road playing shows exactly two months after the procedure.

Since then, she's continued touring and has released a pair of albums, 2009's Superhero and last year's Sister Vagabond (both on Delta Groove).

But shortly before writing this, I received some very bad news via a statement Kane released: The cancer has returned.

"I will be giving myself injections of Sandostatin three times a day subcutaneously for 11 days at the end of February," she writes, "graduating to one injection a month after the initial trial. Sandostatin is used to stop the progression of this disease, and the subsequent surgery will be used to remove the tumor(s) and unblock the duct that has been causing me so much pain. There are no guarantees that they will be able to alleviate all of my pain permanently, or that they will be able to remove all of the cancer, but this is the best chance I have to rid myself of this cancer again and get back to a better quality of life. If they are successful, I could be in remission for many years. Of course, this is our hope."

That aforementioned surgery was postponed until the beginning of May in order to fulfill her touring obligations—and, frankly, because she needs every penny she can get to afford her medical expenses.

A Candye Kane show is a real treat unto itself, as she's a consummate performer and singer—anyone who's seen her onstage can attest to that. But if you've never seen her live, do yourself—and her—a favor, and buy a ticket to her performance this week. You'll be blown away by the show, and you'll be helping a true survivor keep on surviving.

Candye Kane performs at Boondocks Lounge, 3306 N. First Ave., on Sunday, Feb. 19. The show will run from 5 to 10 p.m., with the Last Call Girls opening. Ages 18 and older are welcome until 9 p.m., when the show becomes 21-and-up. Tickets are $10 in advance, and $12 on the day of the show. For more info, head to boondockslounge.com, or call 690-0991.

If you can't make it to the show, but would like to make a donation, Kane's PayPal account is candyekanetour@aol.com.

We wish Ms. Kane only the best in her fight.


ON THE BANDWAGON

The Chieftans' 50th Anniversary Tour at UA Centennial Hall on Sunday, Feb. 19; Gomez's The Quinceañera Tour with Hey Rosetta! at the Rialto Theatre next Thursday, Feb. 23; The Slackers' 20th Anniversary Tour with Funky Bonz at Club Congress on Wednesday, Feb. 22; Benny Benassi at the Tucson Convention Center Arena on Friday, Feb. 17; Machine Head and others at the Rialto Theatre tonight, Thursday, Feb. 16; LeeAnn Rimes at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 19; Brad Garrett at the Casino del Sol Event Center on Sunday, Feb. 19; Dance Gavin Dance and others at The Rock on Monday, Feb. 20; RAW: Natural Born Artists of Tucson featuring DJ Z, The Natives Are Restless, Young Mothers, Boreas and others at Plush next Thursday, Feb. 23; Pop Gestapo and Big Eyes at The District Tavern on Sunday, Feb. 19; Serpe at Plush on Wednesday, Feb. 22; Empire of the Bear, Ramshackle Glory, Dr. Dinosaur and Happiness Machine at The Boxing Gym on Saturday, Feb. 18; The Swellers at Skrappy's on Friday, Feb. 17; Circus Emporium Roadshow at Surly Wench Pub on Friday, Feb. 17.