Steve Guzman has been a longtime friend of the local music community and has put together numerous benefit shows to help others through his Turkey & Friends non-profit organization, which was started in 2005 when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Since then, Guzman has been fortunate enough to not experience too many side effects. On May 14 however, he suffered a MS-related seizure while driving home from the first day of his new job. Guzman lost consciousness and control of his car, hitting a wall on the side of the freeway.
As a result his car was totaled and he ultimately lost his new job since he would need time to recover from the accident and the seizure. Without medical insurance, Guzman has been strapped with over $10,000 in medical expenses.
When Trisha Smith of local folk outfit Honeypie heard this news, she began organizing a show with some of the artists that have played Guzman’s past benefits, which have raised funds for charities like the MS Foundation and the American Cancer Society.
“He’s always done these benefits for everyone else and I thought we should all really help him out,” Smith says. “I think everyone I asked to do it said yes.”
The “Come Together” benefit show will take place at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30 at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa and feature acoustic performances by the New Limb, Jameson, Micah Brown, Honeypie, the Devious Means, the Ultimate Bearhug, Denny White, Carly Layne, Golden Afternoon Ladymonster and Single Girl, Married Girl.
A minimum donation of $5 will be collected at the door and is 21-and-up.
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The Danvilles, Echo Echo (pictured, right), Jarrett Killens and Man the Station are hosting a special benefit show at the Constellation Room in Santa Ana Thursday, Sept. 6 to raise funds for the family of 30-year-old Santa Ana resident Andre William Gheysen-Jones who took his own life on Aug. 19.
