Elsinore Reconfigures Firebird Show Because Drummer Was Injured By a Drunk Driver

On Saturday, December 18, the Firebird is hosting a pop-tastic show with Jumbling Towers -- in fact, it's the band's de facto local CD release for the Ramifications of an Exciting Spouse EP -- Jon Hardy & the Public, and out-of-towners Canasta and Elsinore. Tickets are $8 to $10. Now, the Elsinore portion of the night is going to be a bit different, however; only vocalist Ryan Groff will be performing. Why? Well, drummer Dave Pride was hit by a drunk driver a few weeks ago after a show in Columbia. The band wrote a lengthy blogpost about the scary incident, which happened as the band was loading out after a show at the Blue Fugue:

A few people from inside the Fugue gave us a hand when they saw what we were fighting getting from the front door to the rear door of our van. Again, thank you for caring, Columbia! Chris, the Tetris Master of our band, started calling out what piece he needed next and within a few minutes everything was snug and safe. So, we hugged and hand-shaked and said our goodbyes. It was Dave's turn to drive, so he walked around the front of the van and the rest of us started piling in. Then, Dave yelled "JESUS!" and the van shook in a way you don't imagine a van being able to shake. The driver's side window shattered and a blue, 90's Camry slowly drove away as we all shouted and tried to figure out what was going on. A few people ran after the car to try to stop the driver or at least get a license plate number, and the rest of us quickly gathered around Dave to see how he was. It was frantic and horrible.

He was laying flat on his back next to the van under the driver's side door that looked like it had been mauled by a grizzly bear. He had that look on his face and that sound in his voice where you know he wasn't sure exactly what had just happened and if he was even still alive. We all got close enough to reassure him that he was alive and going to be fine. He giggled and winced and said his shoulder felt pretty bad, but that that was all that hurt. He told us he had turned around in time to see the girl in the driver's seat swerve into the other lane of traffic with her head down and her eyes shut, and then quickly turn back to be aimed right at him, and must have been going 25 or 30 miles per hour.

Pride fractured his shoulder blade, but otherwise it looks like he's going to be okay. Get well soon!