More than 40 Chicago punk, prog, noise, rock, and surf musicians, including current and former members of PiL, Pegboy, Naked Raygun, and Local H, will perform an October 21 memorial concert at Metro, raising money for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
The Rob Warmowski Memorial: A Benefit for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless will honor the lifelong Chicagoan who was a fixture on the local music scene since forming the surf-punk band The Defoliants in 1984. Rob died last month after a brief illness.
Musician and audio engineer Steve Albini will emcee the evening. Pegboy, Cheer-Accident, ONO, Silver Abuse, Watchmen, 007, and Dummy will perform, along with Rob’s own bands, The Defoliants, Buzzmuscle, SIRS, and San Andreas Fault.
When: Monday, October 21, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Where: Metro, 3730 N. Clark Street, Chicago
The evening will feature a DJ set by Scary Lady Sarah and a performance by the jazz band at Mather High School, Rob’s alma mater. Also performing will be special guests Martin Atkins of PiL and Pigface, Eric Spicer of Naked Raygun, and Scott Lucas of Local H and The Married Men. Metro owner Joe Shanahan is providing use of the iconic music hall.
Rob Warmowski was 52 when he died on Sept. 1, following a short illness. After breaking onto the Chicago 1980s punk rock scene with his band The Defoliants, he went on to form several other music projects over the next four decades. His most recent was San Andreas Fault, a surf-noir band.
Rob’s widow, Maureen Sullivan, planned the memorial to celebrate her husband’s life and work while raising money for a cause he cared deeply about – homelessness in Chicago.
A sound technician who worked at the Chicago Cultural Center, Rob saw the enormity of Chicago’s homelessness crisis as he walked downtown. He would often stop to talk with the unhoused people he met, helping them with cash, food, and other assistance.
Rob was grew up in the city’s Rogers Park neighborhood. He later lived in the South Side Bridgeport neighborhood for 28 years, where his wife Maureen was born and raised. In addition to his musical legacy, Rob wrote frequently about sports and labor issues, running the popular Twitter accounts @whitesoxski and @ScabbyTheRat
The Rob Warmowski Memorial: A Benefit for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is an all-ages, donation-based event with a cash bar. All proceeds go to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/492048414860791/?ti=icl
If you’re unable to attend and would like to make a donation visit https://tinyurl.com/CelebrateRobW