Shocking but sadly true… DMBQ, who were scheduled to play at the WFMU record and CD fair today, were in a terrible van accident yesterday afternoon, resulting in the death of their drummer, China.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer, who incorrectly identified the band as “Japanese tourists:”
A three-vehicle accident near the Delaware Memorial Bridge yesterday killed a female tourist, seriously injured another, and sent three other people to local hospitals, police said.
An Econoline van had crossed the bridge near Carneys Point in Salem County shortly before 1 p.m. when a Mitsubishi Eclipse clipped the van’s left rear fender.
The van spun out of control, and careened over a barrier on the ramp to Route 40. The van - carrying four Japanese tourists and a woman from San Francisco - then rolled several times down an embankment and into the path of a Ford pickup truck, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, spokesman for the state police.
I can’t believe it. DMBQ was one of the bands that reminded me of why rock and roll exists in the first place — loud, psychedelic, fucking heavy as hell and yet incredibly joyous on stage. The show I saw at Maxwell’s in Hoboken ended with the drummer and her kit crowd surfing while she was still playing.
Rest in peace. This is a sad day.
(More info over at brooklynvegan)
(Also, some photos from a recent DMBQ show in DC)