Gravity of The Situation:
Remembering Vic Chesnutt
"What this man was capable of was superhuman" Kristen Hersh

When I got the news on Christmas that Vic had died from an overdose of muscle relaxants I was saddened and shocked by the horrible turn of events that ended the life of one of Americas most vital artists. I immediately thought back to the first time I heard the music of Vic Chesnutt. I was visiting my brother at his then South Boston apartment and he was playing 1991's Michael Stipe produced, West of Rome and I was immediately taken by Vic's music and his dark lyrical wit. Since that fateful day, I have followed Vic's career, from the major label debut, About to Choke to the two stellar records he released on Constallation, North Star Deserter and this years At The Cut.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to have seen Vic live, at various stages of his career and each show was equally as powerful and impassioned as the next. However the first time I saw Vic Chesnutt was in the fall of 1994 at the Paradise and that's the show I've been thinking about over the last few days since getting the news of Vic's passing. To say he was on top of his game that night would be a major understatement. What came out of that man on stage was mind blowing. After a while you saw past his physical disability and saw Vic for what he truly was, the genuine article. Vic, I hope you finally found the freedom and peace you were looking for. RIP.

Please make a donation to the Chesnutt family to help with the costs associated with his hospitalization and death.

Photography courtesy of Jem Cohen