If you’ve ever played in Eureka/Arcata, California, you probably know Nick Stoiber. He plays in a band called Komatose.
You probably think of Nick Stoiber as the guy who went out of his way to help out any band traveling from or to California by means of Washington or Oregon. Maybe you think of the guy who had a considerate vegan meal waiting for you and your bandmates which you appreciated (even if you weren’t vegan) – the guy who lived at a house adorned with so many show flyers of other bands he helped out in a small, close-knit community.
He’s that dude to Brain Tumors, at least. He’s only guy from Portland to Davis, CA that agreed to help us and our 30 year old van out through a maddening and treacherous journey down the coast. He set up an excellent show at his house.
Nick was recently involved in a street altercation where a man was stabbed and died. While I don’t know the whole story, one thing that is clear is that Nick punched the man in the lip and a person he was with committed the stabbing and has had their charges brought down to “involuntary manslaughter”. Nick worries that he will not receive the same mercy and will made an example out of – a warning for other dangerous no-gooders. Or whatever bullshit people want to use to further their political agendas.
I don’t know Nick through and through, but I know him in the sense that he did something really selfless by setting a show up for us, feeding us, and giving us a place to stay. Add that to the fact that I’m against the prison system in the first place, and you’ve got a cause to do something decent with your dumb day.
All you have to do is write a letter. Long or short, handwritten or typed – it doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, anything describing how he helped you could prevent him from sitting in prison, then struggling with housing and employment for the rest of his life.
I know a lot of bands that Nick has helped out and I have reached out to them, but there are so many bands I do not know. So please, if you remember any of your friends doing a West Coast tour, direct them here.
If you have a letter, send it to us at teenageimpotents @@@@ at GMAIL
Nick was a VERY friendly guy to ALL of our tour party.
Nick helped out my band Atrocities and our tour mates BS77 on our west coast leg of a US tour last August.
When we arrived out of the mountains we found his house and our music venue for the night. He had made veggie pasta and bread.
There were even handpicked strawberries by the bowl-full for desert.
We played an incredible VIOLENCE FREE show and talked music and art all night.
On the walls of his house there were fantastic band posters, flyers, and artwork of many assortments and styles. There was in one corner a flyer trying to spread awareness and help identify a known rapist. This struck me not as the type of decorations of some deranged killer or violent delinquent, but rather the house seemed to portray a compassionate human being, with excellent hygiene and cooking skills. One who had a flair for activism and being a great comforting host.
Nick proved to be one of the most endearing souls of that entire month long trip. We met so many people of all different types, but Nick stuck out like a sore thumb. He was supremely kind and personable. When someone talked he listened, and it’s a shame to see him in trouble. The fact is it is quite difficult to believe that Nick did anything of any kind to hurt anyone.
–TIC James Gregory