Damon O'Banion
Photo by Jim Hensz
Hairway to Steven
The life and times of former Drunken Thunder frontman Damon O'Banion, who died in March of an apparent drug overdose, is being celebrated on Saturday at Trophy's with the first-ever Damonfest , featuring the reunion of Unicorn Magic, Toof, Pong, and O'Banion's Dixie Waste. "It's an opportunity to celebrate a good friend," says the event's organizer, Honky's Jeff Pinkus. Headlining is Jad Fair, who was accompanied by O'Banion on a recent Japanese tour, a portion of which will soon be available as a DVD. "He was quite the performer," recalls Fair, performing this weekend with an early lineup of Half Japanese that includes David Fair and Mark Jickling. "I remember we went out and did karaoke there, and he really got into some Guns n' Roses tunes." Gibby Haynes certainly has his work cut out for him, as he'll be fronting O'Banion's former hardcore faction the High Divers for the occasion. "It's going to be kind of different for me," says Haynes. "I wish I could say the Butthole Surfers were reuniting. In fact, you ought to, but the guitarist won't play. It's too bad. It would have been a good time for us to do it." Doors open at 4pm with a silent auction featuring artwork from Haynes and the Fair brothers, among others. For the complete interview with Haynes check out the "Off the Record."
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