As many readers of this newsletter already know, a traumatic event occurred this week in the Columbus music arena that sent shock waves across the entire heavy metal industry. Wildly reported on media outlets from CNN to Rolling Stone to practically all major newspapers, the shooting rampage at the Alrosa Villa on December 8 has got a lot of attention.

I didn’t know any of the four victims and I really don’t have much to add to the incident—but as someone who considered photographing the show and having shot thousands of photos on the stage where the men lost their lives, I can say that it sent chills down my spine. Many of my friends were there, including some that were on stage as the night played out. One of my friends witnessed one of his idols pointlessly murdered from a few feet away.

As everyone in the local music scene recovers from the loss of icon Darrell Abbott and three other innocent victims, I think it’s important to ignore some of the hype in the media. Accusations from some naïve corners point the finger at music causing this tragedy; I’ve heard of conversations where people shrugged and said that anyone going to a rock concert is just asking for that kind of outcome.

Those words are naïve. Rock-and-Rollers have their set of flaws like the rest of us… but what happened at the Alrosa had nothing to do with music or performing arts. Whatever the cause was, (and I doubt anyone really knows right now), it wasn’t music. Dave Mustaine aptly told Rolling Stone, "That’s not heavy metal, that’s a random act.”

I just hope the scar isn’t so deep as to force some of the talented musicians crowding this city into a state of fear that cripples their ability to perform. I’m sure there is a lesson to be learned in all this… but I just want to encourage the artists to keep their chins up and try to keep positive. It’s fine to reassess your values and goals—but hold onto your dreams and talents too.

Anyway… my friends in Noise Auction are playing with Sevendust on Sunday at the Newport Music Hall. Let’s hope everyone goes and has a good time listening to good music…

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I’m sorry I haven’t added a lot of new content these last few weeks. I can’t seem to get away from work and programming websites long enough to write much or go out on any photo shoots. Also, getting all our clients set up on the new server was a project in itself. Hopefully I can get some new work up soon.

I do want to share a site with everyone this week. Programmer Thomas Weibel created an online Mahjong for anyone to play. It's JavaScript-driven and should work in most modern browsers. He shared his site with me last month, and I think some readers would enjoy it.

Stay safe and creative.
Shawn

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