"we stopped by the health museum in houston and found this inch worm that looks alot like a large version of my tumor.... so i told it to surrender to the light of my ultra healing badass rays... xoxo"
—Vanessa 2/21/10
Hey Gang, Vanessa went into surgery today Monday 2/22/10 at 2:18pm Houston Time. We haven't heard any word as of yet so please send ultra healing badass rays toward Vanessa right now as she undergoes the operation to remove her tumor.
This is just a small taste of what the YARD DOGS ROAD SHOW have in store for you on their newly launched Valentine's Tour! What you're witnessing is a very Special Performance by Members of the Yard Dogs as gift for Vanessa's Bitchass Benefit.
"Powerful and empowering, the Extra Action Marching Band seduces the pre-civilized will. They are immediate and visceral - more of a sweaty invitation than a show. They are a parody of idioms with shattering volume - guerrilla theater with the rug rolled up. Extra Action has performed in back alleys and at the Hollywood Bowl, they have played Black Sabbath in a synagogue for dancing octogenarians - but their preferred venue is a small locked room with the heat turned up."
Hey Gang, D.A. here. Extra Action has been my family since 1998 when pretty much the entire band lived together in a crazy "Live-Work" warehouse space simply known as SPACE in Fruitvale, Oakland CA.Space was a raw and explosively creative warehouse convergence powered by some wild and crazy kids all hailing from parts unknown to make amazing things happen in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1998, it was as if the beacon, the call, the lightning rod was here... and we answered it. In the short time that we were all together, from Oct. 98 —Feb. 00, some truly epic shows combusted within those walls. Crash Worship, F-Space, Seemen, Spaz, AWD (before they reformed as Xeno), and the End of the Word Cirkus, just to name a few. Once upon a time, the legendary Master Musicians of JaJouka from Morrocco held a very special and sacred show for us and our friends in Space that will never be forgotten. To this day, the Master Musicians laugh and refer to us as "the scary place." Those were the days..
But apparently... those days are alive and well. With deep-rooted friendships, veterans of Space led by Extra Action, Beat's Antique, and Yard Dogs, came together once again to rally for our dear friend Vanessa, to give you the Bitchass Benefit. It was a lovely spectacle. Watching the videos of the Benefit, it's fun to hear all the references to "Space" as if alluding to outer-space. Those of us who lived that experience know that Space was our home. Beautiful to think of our inside joke to be in reality, the fertile ground and jumping off point for the collaborations that would take us through the next phase of our lives.
Proud to know that 12 years later, those collaborative friendships are still making their way through the world into the future.
I would like to take this moment to thank those crazy kids from Space. You know who you are..I see you.
THANK YOU..your contribution will help Vanessa and her son through this time..
Send your love and support to Vanessa directly by email
thehealingdoor@gmail.com
Help Vanessa Fight Cancer
Vanessa Smith of San Francisco, Oakland, New Orleans, Austin, Dallas, and Black Rock City..
..rock & roll musician, artist, dancer, healer, student, single mother of a 5-year old superhero..
during a recent Holiday visit to her family in Dallas Texas was rushed to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery and diagnosed with Advanced Colorectal Cancer. The doctors are saying that her cancer is aggressive, however, it is currently localized and they are hopeful for a full recovery.
UPDATE: 2/3/10
After a second opinion on 2/2/10, M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER in Houston TX has diagnosed Vanessa with COLON CANCER.
NOT COLORECTAL CANCER as was previously diagnosed in Dallas TX.
The sigificance is that she will not undergo Radiation as was previously thought. This is great news.
Need for Chemotherapy will be evaluated after Vanessa's surgery on 2/22/10
Right now Vanessa Needs Your Help with her surmounting medical bills and covering basic living needs for her and her 5 year old son Logan.
Please help this passionate free spirit by putting a drop in her bucket and hit the Donate Button. THERE IS NO DONATION TOO SMALL.
Until our world can figure out the whole Health Care mess..it looks like we're just going to have to take care of each other the best we can..
..and our circle of friends is strong..and worldwide..and growing..
