When Dan Hosker passed away on August 11, 2012 after a lengthy battle following a terrible car accident, the South Florida music community mourned the loss of one of its greatest players. Hosker might’ve been best remembered at the time for his work with seminal punkers the Holy Terrors, but in the time since his passing, Hosker’s memory has coalesced into an ever-growing force of positivity.
It is a testament to Dan Hosker’s ability as a musician that the South Florida music scene has rallied in his name for the last four years to celebrate his memory and transform his tragedy into good works.
Former bandmate and friend, Rob Elba, is continuously amazed by Hosker’s pull. “I will say I’m still constantly blown away by how much love and respect people have for Dan. We thought trying to get some bands to reunite for this year's show would be cool, but I never imagined so many would, with a bunch of people coming in from out-of-town just for this!”
With Hosker’s primary love being music, the Dan Hosker Music Continuum (DHMC) is a fitting legacy that harnesses the spirit of South Florida and lends a charitable hand to deserving musical entities.
“Dan Hosker was across the board with the styles of music and bands he played with,” says Steven Toth, a Hollywood native and longtime collaborator on the project. “His enthusiasm to play any instrument with anybody makes his loss a void for the scene. This is one way we can fill that void.”
Last year’s event donated proceeds to another beloved local musician, Priya Ray of Kreamy ‘Lectric Santa fame, to help her acquire a handicap-accessible van. For this year, the DHMC will continue to fund their scholarship, and proceeds will go toward purchasing instruments for the Miami Girls Rock Camp, recent recipients of a Knight Arts Challenge award.
Another show of love, from South Florida’s expat community, is the reunion of a handful of bands from yesteryear, like the One Eyed Kings, who Toth, the group’s official fruit juggler/baton conductor explains, “have not all been in the same room since about 1999 and have not played together since 1997. Getting these six fools together is a bad idea for a good cause. And the crowd will love every minute of it.”
Other outfits of note are legendary pop-punkers Quit, polka-punks I Don’t Know, and old-school rockers the DT Martyrs and Black Janet, among others.
Good things can come from tragedy, and for South Florida musicians, long known for generating their own happenings, the DHMC is one of many avenues in which they can continue to grow as a community.
“It's really taken on a life of its own,” says Elba. Great music and a great atmosphere will be supplemented by artwork displayed for sale as well as a raffle and other surprises.
Set times:
Inside (Bobby Johnston/Jeff Tucci Stage):
7:30 - Boxcar Timmy (Greg Johnson)
8:30 - Los Diablos
9:30 - C60's/Dore' Soul
10:30 - One Eyed Kings
11:00 - Basketcase
11:30 - Tongues of the Heartworm
12:00 - Scraping Teeth
12:30 - DT Martyrs (Ian Hammond)
Outside (Dan Hosker Stage):
7:50 - John Bradley/DHMC Guitar Presentation
8:00 - Black Janet
9:00 - I Don't Know
10:00 - Quit
*DJ Skidmark on all the in-betweens
The Dan Hosker Music Continuum
With One-Eyed Kings, Quit, I Don't Know, DT Martyrs, and Black Janet. 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 11 at Jump the Shark, 810 NE 4 AVE, Ft. Lauderdale. $10 minimum donation. Call 954-667-4126 or visit facebook.com/jumpthesharkevents.
