Motet Drummer Dave Watts Lost His Home in Marshall Fire

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January 7, 2022

Image: The Motet's drummer Dave Watts (second from right) lost his home in the Marshall Fire.

The Motet's drummer Dave Watts (second from right) lost his home in the Marshall Fire. Shervin Lainez

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Dave Watts, the drummer and founder of local funk band the Motet, lost his home in the Sagamore neighborhood of Superior in the Marshall Fire last week. It was yet another casualty along with nearly 1,000 other homes and buildings that were destroyed.

While Watts, partner Danielle Gregory, son Milo and roommates Tori Michael and James PK Williams weren't home at the time of the fire, three pets were inside — two Yorkshire Terriers (Aria and Tracey) and a Himalayan cat named Luke. The back door of the Watts's house was unlocked so there's a chance that someone helped them escape. Watts asks that anyone with leads on the missing pets email him at [email protected].

"There is something cathartic to seeing your life’s work in a smoldering ruin," Watts wrote on Facebook. "All material possessions in this world are temporary, including our bodies, and there will come a day for all of us when we have to give it back. I suppose if I was in that basement last Thursday, deep in the shed with my headphones on, I might not be here today.

"Let’s hold tight and appreciate the most basic thing we have in this life: each other. We love all of you and are forever indebted to you for your kindness and support. Danielle and I still hang onto hope that our sweet pups will come back to us. Maybe little Ari is in a prairie dog hole in the field back there, with her new tribe learning prairie dog tricks of survival. A man can dream…"

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Watts, his son, Gregory and Michael to assist in everything they lost in the fire. So far, more than $60,000 of its $80,000 goal has been raised.

"They are currently searching for a home, in the Boulder County area, to rebuild," stated Paul Rushing, the GoFundMe page's organizer. "They will need furniture, kitchen appliances and to fill their walls with artwork. Please find it in your hearts and wallets, to help them rebuild their life from scratch. The insurance money is limited and would not nearly cover the cost of their home and all the valuables destroyed by the fire."

Jon Solomon writes about music and nightlife for Westword, where he's been the Clubs Editor since 2006.

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