Answering the call The healing power of the Call for Action DVD BY BOB GULLA

It’s not over yet. The pain hasn’t subsided. The emptiness remains. They say that time heals all wounds. But for the survivors and families left behind in the wake of the Station fire, there’s not time enough in eternity for the pain and suffering to ease. The memory of those we lost will always be too vivid to simply fade into the past the way a bruise disappears from the skin. Epitaphs, etched in stone or not, cannot possibly express the living contributions of the people who lost their lives that most horrible night. So we can’t forget. Not ever.

On Wednesday, June 18, the remembrance continues with the national DVD release party for A Call For Action, a visual retelling of the three-day benefit that took place at the Call/Century Lounge mere days after the world watched in horror as hell came to earth that agonizing night.

As you know from being around town during the last three months, local musicians may not have deep pockets to fill the coffers of the Station Fire funds, but they sure have big hearts. There have been dozens of benefit shows since the fire, many successful financially, some not so. But the over-arching theme of these benefits is one of kindness and sincerity, of sympathy and strength. When called upon to assist, local musicians have responded overwhelmingly with their time, their energy, and their talent. Basically, all they have to give.

The Call For Action DVD is visual proof positive of this generosity. The three-night concert featured 15 local bands. In addition to those listed below who are performing at the release party, the DVD also features the Jim James Band, Betty Finn, Turning Blue, Some Weird Band, the Dino Club, Rick Mendes, Young Neal and the Vipers, and Dave Howard’s crew. The first edition of DVD is limited and split into two discs. One disc features interviews with and performances by many of the bands; the second is the soundtrack, for use in conventional music players. Together it’s a nice gestalt, a complete representation of what was a very memorable and emotional weekend.

The film segment itself is straightforward, with one or two camera angles framing the performances with very little gimmickry. The sound is stellar. To extract CD-quality sound in a pair of clubs must have been a real challenge, and the folks at Incus Productions and Busch Engineering have done a stellar job. David Busch took the original board mixes and worked some serious magic.

The bands also sound great. While the styles and performances are vastly different from outfit to outfit, ranging from blues and rock to alternative and jam, the resulting experience is a brilliant cross-section of the local music scene. Watching band after band, hearing song after song, you quickly realize just how many gifted acts, and how many great musicians we’ve got right here under our noses. Not only is this DVD a terrific barometer of our scene, it’s also a moving reminder of an epic tragedy. Amid the jubilant performances, there’s an undercurrent of determination, a sense that the bands on the film did not show up to play to a roomful of drunken patrons. They came to serve. They came to help. They came to heal.

Produced by Sibling Rivalry’s Tom Davies and Stephen Taylor, along with Dennis Pantalena, Ron Antony, and Chris Farrington, lots of people donated their services to this amazing project. The aforementioned Incus and Busch firms handled the sound engineering and mastering, with additional mastering done by Richard Hawkes and Ian Katz. Cubiculum Systems took care of the artwork; Cinzia Cittadino served as production assistant. All of the proceeds after manufacturing costs will be donated to the Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund.

A Call for Action’s national DVD release party will take place at Lupo’s on Wednedday, June 18, beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. Eight bands will perform: Psycads, Mr. Lincoln, the Schemers, Fungus Amungus, the StereoBirds, Green Tea, Ricky Valente, and Jon Tierney’s bunch. In addition, local comedian Charlie Hall will host a live auction. Admission is $10 at the door. For more info on the event, call 861-4756.

$KYHIGH MAKES TEN. Hats off to Rich and $kyhigh on the occasion of their 10th anniversary this weekend. In this rather unwelcoming climate for success in the rock and roll biz, it’s truly a credit to a band’s dedication, and a testimony to their love for the simple act of making music that must be enough to hold a group of musicians together. For a band to be able to play through the hard times and life changes that inevitably happen to a bunch of willing but realistic musicians is nothing short of biblical. So y’all have two chances to help ’em celebrate this weekend. They’ll be playing on Friday (the 13th) at Fiddler’s Green and at J.R.’s Bourbon Street Rock House in Cranston on the 14th. There are $1-off admission tickets located at www.skyhighrocks.com/tickets.html for the Fiddler’s show. Otherwise, post something nice for the occasion at www.skyhigh rocks.com.

WANDERING EYE. On Friday (the 13th) at the Blackstone, two bands whose names have been changed to protect the innocent — the Blizzard of 78 (Delta Clutch) and the StereoBirds (MockingBirds) — will appear together. TBO78 has a new Web site, www.tbo78.com, where you can play their entire new EP ("Give" is perfect); other new material is still posted under Delta Clutch at www.delta clutch.com. Heather and the StereoBirds are breaking in a new bassist. Check ’em out at www.thestereobirds.com. Also at the Blackstone next Thursday (the 19th) is a show with the Essentials and Lucky 57. The latter was based in Boston, but two members just moved to Providence and, by many reports, the roots-rock outfit is excellent. For info, click to www.lucky57.com. The Essentials are also a roots-rock comno and based in Providence. They’re playing a big show tonight (the 12th) at Fiddler’s Green, opening for New Bedford’s the Bind and Object Permanence. The band has designs on recording a demo sometime this summer. For more info about the group you can check out www.aventineavenue.com. The headliner that night, Object Permanence, returns to the Green with designs on bringing the house down. Fiddler’s Green is at 1705 West Shore Road in Warwick. Admission is $3, and the music starts at 9 p.m.

Sal’s R&B Club o’er in Johnston has a busy weekend (and some good beer on tap). On the 13th, the Doug James Big Band (www.dougmrlowjames.com) featuring Sugar Ray Norcia swings into town. On the 14th, Wayz & Means, a whopping nine-piece funk band, takes the stage, while Al Berrard & the Basin Brothers, an award-winning Cajun band from Louisiana, pulls in on the 15th.

E-mail me with music news at big.daddy1@cox.net