Received word last week thatAchille Lauro's Matt Close, was recently hospitalized after the bike he was riding was hit by a van. The accident, which left Close with a fractured pelvis and rib damage, has sidelined the singer/guitarist from performing for the time being. (In a bit of cruel irony, Achille Lauro's most recent disc is titled You're Going to Live (and Other Nice Things to Hear). In the meantime, until Close gets back to good, a few benefits are being planned in his honor to help him cover his medical bills. Check back here for the when and the where. Details will be posted as they become available.
On a similar note, Jim Dalton recently had his own death-defying experience. Last Monday night, he made his way to the emergency room with complaints of being short of breath. After running the Railbenders’ frontman through a slew of tests, the doctors informed him that he had two pulmonary embolisms – blood clots on both sides of his lungs. While Dalton is reportedly on the road to recovery and planning on performing tomorrow night at Herman’s Hideaway, he’s been instructed to take it easy and to make some immediate lifestyle changes. “Bad habits die hard,” he wrote in an email to fans earlier this week, “but maybe good habits keep you alive.” So don’t be too surprised -- or offended -- if Dalton passes on the whiskey shots this time around.
Finally, last week, drummer Devon Shirley parted ways with the Photo Atlas in the midst of the outfit's East Coast tour. Officially, it sounds like the old stand by of creative differences is to blame. His slot is temporarily being filled by Paulson's drummer until a permanent replacement can be found.
-- Dave Herrera
