What defines a local music scene, really? Is it the musicians, the venues, the fans? Or is it all of those things, set to music?
I'd like to think that a good local scene has a lot of those elements working in tandem. But that in the end, it is the musicians and their music who bring together an ad hoc army under a unifying tent of true community.
South Florida's music scene is special in the sense that while large and diverse, there have always been a few individuals who acted as glue to many. Dan Hosker was one of those people. An energetic guitar force with a seemingly endless fountain of energy, he propelled classic outfits like the Holy Terrors, Harry Pussy, the Laundry Room Squelchers, and, most recently, Boise Bob and His Backyard Band.
To say many will miss him is underselling the point. This past May, Hosker was involved in a pretty bad late-night car accident that landed him in Broward General Medical Center in a coma. Many had hoped for this trying period to end and a realistically hard recovery to ensue.
Unfortunately, Dan Hosker, local guitar legend, passed away this past Saturday at age 46.
South Florida's underground music scene has lost one of its most pivotal and hard-working members. Although I'm not well-versed enough to wax at length about Harry Pussy or the Laundry Room Squelchers, I do know plenty about the Holy Terrors. One of my first writing gigs with this publication was a review of their retrospective/discography CD This Is What It Sounds Like When You're Dead, and it is an album that I have enjoyed many times since.
The Holy Terrors - "Angel Killer"
After disbanding Inside Outburst in Boston, Hosker and longtime friend and rock 'n' roll comrade Rob Elba made the genial decision of moving to South Florida in 1990. Like their website states: "Whatever made them think that the land of vacationing French-Canadians, retirees, and the $5.95 early bird special would be conductive to forming an original rock band is anybody's guess -- suffice it to say these guys weren't rocket scientists. But form a band they did. And with drummer Sam Fogarino and bass player Frank, they christened themselves the Holy Terrors and set out to conquer the Miami/Fort Lauderdale rock music scene, which took about two weeks."
The Holy Terrors - "Cigaretello"
That's pretty much true. And from there on out, the nucleus of Elba and Hosker begat the scene classic records like the "Spirit/Shine" single, the Cigaretello EP, and the Lolitaville CD/cassette. A 2010 Holy Terrors show at Churchill's featuring the original lineup was amazing. These are classic South Florida punk 'n' roll slabs. It's a tragedy that we won't hear these two guys rock out together again.
Dan Hosker, 12/09/1965 to 08/11/2012, rest in peace, brother. South Florida thanks you for your musical contribution. A viewing will be held at Landmark Funeral Home, 4200 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, on Friday, August 17, from 4 to 7 p.m. with services following at 8. In lieu of flowers, we have been asked to donate in his honor to MusiCares; please select "tribute" in the appropriate field.
My colleague Hans Morgenstern has also written a very personal piece about Dan.
Dan & Rob - "Never Talking to You Again" (Hüsker Dü cover), Yesterday & Today Records, Miami.
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