Casey Calvert, Hawthorne Heights Guitarist, Found Dead

Not many people outside the Midwest have heard of Dayton, OH. And making a confused attempt to correct my pronunciation of Daytona doesn't make you seem more intelligent. If you are exceptionally worldly, you might recall the Dayton Peace Accords of 1995. You might even remember that Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the airplane in Dayton. Perhaps, if you're reading this, a single neuron might flicker when I mention that Guided By Voices formed in the 1980s and recorded the low-fi masterpiece Bee Thousand in dusty basements around the city.

But, chances are, if I'm talking to you in the real world, you don't frequent this website, nor have you ever heard of Brainiac or Swearing at Motorists. However, if you're under the age of 30, mentioning the band Hawthorne Heights usually elicits some sort of response along the lines of "OMFG I LEIK LUV THOSE GUYZ THEY R SO HAWT" or "Dude, I didn't know Dayton was emo." Either way, I've managed to establish Dayton, OH as a viable metropolis, and we can move passed the mystery of where I came from.

While I've never been a fan of Hawthorne Heights, I have felt some sort of bizarre Gem City kinship with them. Which is why I'm genuinely saddened to hear that Hawthorne Heights guitarist Casey Calvert was found dead last Saturday afternoon. No cause of death has been given, but the official website insists that "he was not doing anything illegal" at the time.

Hawthorne Heights have canceled the remainder of their 2007 tour to be with Calvert's family.

Update: Peta2 is doing a day of action for animals 12/8 as a memorial tribute to Casey Calvert. You can find more information here.

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