Matt Mays, Joel Plaskett Emergency and other East Coast musicians will perform at a special three-part benefit concert and silent auction to help the family of Jay Smith, a guitarist in Mays' band who suddenly passed away last week while on tour in Edmonton.
According to CBC, the show will take place at Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax on April 7 with other performers including Carmen Townsend, Matt Andersen and Matt Minglewood. The show will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday with all proceeds going to the Smith Family Trust.
"Since Jay's passing, his friends in the East Coast music community and beyond have been working non-stop to organize this event to raise money for a trust to benefit Jay's two small children, Noah and Amy," Mike Campbell, the event's spokesperson, told CBC. "We all miss Jay desperately and we look forward to a fantastic day and night of music in celebration of his memory."
Mays echoed similar sentiments a few days ago via Twitter. "We really appreciate all of the support, guys," Mays wrote. "Thank you so much. You feel like a real family. -m"
A photo of Smith is on Mays' home page with "Jay Smith 1978-2013" below it.
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Casino Nova Scotia's site shed more info on the event, with tickets priced at $40 for each of three special shows that day. The first concert (1 to 2:30pm) will be a songwriter's circle featuring Lennie Gallant, Minglewood, Townsend, Steve MacDougall and hosted by Bruce Guthro.
A second songwriter's circle gig (3:30 to 5pm) features Andersen, Dustin Bentall, Carleton Stone, Thom Swift and is hosted by Gordie Sampson. The evening gig (6 to 10:30pm) includes Mays, Plaskett, The Stanfields, Young River, In Flight Safety and The Meds. Tickets go on sale April 3 at noon through Ticket Atlantic outlets.
As previously reported Smith was found dead in an Edmonton hotel room after playing a gig the night before. There's no word as to the cause of death but foul play isn't suspected. Smith won an East Coast Music Award in 2009 and had his own band Rock Ranger before joining Mays' band El Torpedo during recording sessions for "Terminal Romance."
Mays and the remaining band members carried on with a show in Calgary the next night stating it's what Smith would've wanted and to raise money for his family.