Over the Christmas holidays, I received a surprising e-mail from my pal Neil Haverty of Toronto's Bruce Peninsula. He was letting his friends and colleagues know that he'd been diagnosed with acute promyeolytic leukemia, a frightening but highly treatable form of cancer. In the message, Neil was upbeat and ready to fight this thing with everything he had. When I posted news about my National Hum show on my Facebook wall last week, Evening Hymns' Jonas Bonnetta reminded me of The C is for Cure Fundraising Extravaganza taking place at the Music Gallery in Toronto this Saturday. Featuring performances by Evening Hymns, Timber Timbre, Austra, Snowblink, The Deeep, and Kith and Kin, all proceeds from this event benefit Neil and his family. And if you can't make it, you can still donate funds for the cause. On today's show, Neil chats with me on the phone about the fundraiser and gives us an update on his condition.
Are you planning on seeing any of the aforementioned artists in the near future? Will you be attending the C is for Cure event? Have you ever caught an illness or ailment just in the nick of time? Even been accused of being a hypochondriac? What other local musical events and/or festivals are you most looking forward to over the next while?