About halfway through their set on Sunday, Midlake frontman Eric Pulido ordered a round of shots for his fellow band members.
“We don’t usually take shots mid-set,” Pulido explained. “We try to be cool and mysterious … but the veil is off.”
The crowd raised their own drinks as Pulido said a toast for the event and the man at the center of it.
“We’re just so thankful [to be here] and want to say, ‘Cheers to you, Des,’” Pulido concluded.
Midlake, a folk rock band that formed in Denton in 1999, played alongside other local musicians at A Song for Des on Sunday. This event, hosted at Dan’s Silverleaf, is part of a fundraiser for local artist and musician Des Smith, who is battling a rare form of bone cancer.
Event organizer Shaina Sheaff said she has been friends with Smith and his wife, Melanie Little Smith, for nearly a decade. The Smiths collaborate together as ARTLAB3000, perhaps best known for the colorful Denton-centric mural outside Juicy Pig Barbecue. They’ve also painted murals at sites including the Denton Community Shelter, Denton County Brewing Co. and Old Town Lewisville.
“Mel and Des are really integral parts of our community,” Sheaff said. “If you feel like you don’t necessarily fit in in this world, you feel you belong at their table.”
Sheaff recruited several musicians to perform at the benefit concert and fundraiser, including Ginny Mac and Paul Slavens, who performed during Sunday afternoon. Between their performances, Melanie Smith led the crowd in a spiritual, musical prayer of gratitude and healing.
Sunday evening’s concert featured Denton-formed Danny Rush & the Diamonds opening up for headliner Midlake.
Jesse Chandler plays the piano and flute and provides background vocals for Midlake. He said that most members of Midlake have known Melanie Smith since the ’90s and early 2000s.
“I actually live next door to [the Smiths] and rent my place from them,” Chandler said. “Living next door has been great because we’ll have movie nights or game nights. We even briefly had a Dungeons & Dragons group.”
Midlake recently finished recording a new album, which Chandler expects to release later this year. This was their first show in Denton in three years, and Pulido told the crowd that guitarist Joey McClellan flew in from Nashville, Tennessee, for the gig.
“It was kind of a no-brainer for us,” Chandler said. “We’re just trying to do whatever we can to help out.”
Along with selling tickets to the event, the fundraiser also includes a silent auction. Prizes range from original artwork to gift certificates and experience packages, courtesy of local businesses like Steve’s Wine Bar, Stoke Coworking and more.
The auction will be live online until this Saturday, so there’s still time to place a bid. Norman Roscoe also has A Song for Des T-shirts available, with proceeds going to Smith. As of Monday afternoon, Sheaff said the event has raised about $10,000 for Des Smith’s medical expenses.
“The response from everyone in our community and the generosity shown by everyone in our community really speak to the kind of person that Des is,” Sheaff said.
Musician and onetime Denton resident Sarah Jaffe also started a GoFundMe to support efforts for Des Smith. More than $15,000 has been donated toward the $25,000 goal as of on Monday.
CAMILA GONZALEZ can be reached at 940-566-6830 and [email protected].
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