"Ant's adopted name was apt. Like the diminutive picnic staple, he was ubiquitous on the Bay Area stages, impossible to miss at jam sessions and shows. But his most ant-like quality was an ability to lift dozens of times his weight, carrying an entire music scene on his back. "He manually sent out text messages to hundreds of people every week, so everybody would have a chance to participate, for their voices to be heard," said Kaila Love, who helped organize the tribute."
"Ant's primary vehicle for this roiling musical democracy was the jam session, starting at The Layover in downtown Oakland in the mid-aughts. "He took over from me when I went on tour," said bassist Stephen Paul Godwin. "When I got back, the place was packed, like 200 people. It got too big for the club." Ant organized sessions at other Oakland joints, including Legionnaire and the Starline Social Club, before settling in at the Starry Plough."
Anthony "Ant" cultivated a vibrant Bay Area music community through persistent, welcoming jam sessions starting in the mid-2000s. He ran sessions at The Layover, Legionnaire, the Starline Social Club and the Starry Plough, growing attendance from sparse early crowds to packed rooms of roughly 200 people. He personally sent text invitations to hundreds each week to ensure broad participation and to amplify diverse voices. He created a supportive environment that rescued inexperienced players from dismissal, prioritized local community musicians over touring, and sustained a roiling musical democracy that energized the local scene. A tribute followed his death.
Read at Kqed
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