Reggae: Past, Present and Future

This is the first portion of my column, The Hum, which hits the street tomorrow in the North Coast Journal. I called Coco today and just heard back from him a few minutes ago. He wanted to clear up one thing in particular. I thought his cancer was in his throat. It's in his tongue, and he's hoping that might mean something to someone who can help...

It was one of those phone calls. The caller-ID on my phone said St. Joe's. Not a good sign. It was my good buddy Gregg calling from a hospital room where he was visiting our mutual friend Coco Hogan, a longtime Humboldt resident, someone I've known since I started going to Reggae many years ago. Coco was a SoHummer back then, one of the guys who helped build the Mateel. He's been living in Eureka for a few years for reasons I needn't go into here, but he's always been a constant at Reggae, one of many hardworking volunteers who do what's needed: haul garbage, recycling, whatever, always with a warm smile.
I just talked with Coco for a little while -- it was a difficult thing for him to do. He's been diagnosed with tongue cancer, a serious bummer and, no, he doesn't have health insurance. What he wanted me to know was that he has a way to bring together the dueling forces down SoHum way: The Coco Benefit.
"I get along with everyone," he told me, "and they'll all be there." Friends arranged the event, which takes place this Saturday, April 28, all day, from 1-11 p.m. with free organic food, auctions, both silent and live, music by The Non-Prophets, Black Sand, Skunk Train, Something Different, Quantum, Corry Hanna, Anna Banana, Chris McCurdy and Peter Childs, Darryl Cherney, Andy Barnett, Andravy Mayes, Kim Sirean, and others plus a dessert potluck and a healing circle. Admission is whatever you can afford -- you know the drill. This is why you have a community center, a place to gather to help out a friend in need.
While it may bring the community together for a day, the party won't end the deep rift that's developed in SoHum over Reggae. That's a different healing circle. Coco's benefit brought me to the Mateel website this morning, where I found a just-posted file containing a series of offers and counteroffers between lawyers from both sides laying out possible scenarios for financial resolution. It's complicated business, and that's really what it boils down to, a business deal that will likely result in Tom Dimmick buying or renting the Reggae on the River trademark and doing the show with People Productions. That said, there's still way too much bad blood -- you can read it between the lines. My opinion? It's time to heal, make a deal and move forward, forget the past and get the party going.