Mental health issues affect millions of people. Let’s talk about how we can help each other before it’s too late.
Neal Casal and I met in 2010 on the set of the movie Country Strong, an age-old portrait of a train-wreck musician (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) spiraling toward her tragic demise. The director wanted realism, so she hired real musicians (Neal on guitar, me on bass) for Gwyneth's band. In between takes, Neal and I jammed, traded dry jokes, and shared a lot of laughs. After the movie wrapped, we stayed in contact, hung when he was in Nashville, and Neal contributed photos to my column. Two years ago, we filmed a Rig Rundown with his band, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. It appeared that Neal was thriving ... then he killed himself last August.
Neal's suicide was shocking, but sadly it's an epidemic. Worldwide, there are roughly 800,000 suicides per year, which translates to about one every 40 seconds. If that's not grim enough, Rolling Stone recently cited a 2018 study by the Music Industry Research Association, which found that 50 percent of musicians reported symptoms of depression. Studies tell us that mental health struggles are more prevalent among creative types, but if you are one, or have spent your life surrounded by artists, you've probably seen it firsthand.
Adam MacDougall (Black Crowes) probably knew Neal best. They toured together for nine years in the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and formed their own band, Circles Around the Sun, which was just getting its legs when Neal checked out. I asked Adam if he saw Neal's depression issues.
"I saw it in him, as he probably saw it in me. Poets, writers, musicians through the ages have always been the sensitive ones looking for an outlet for this beautiful sadness. Neal and I tended to turn that into macabre humor. But I've been listening to his back catalogue of songs. It's surprising how often it was alluded to. Artists wear their hearts on their sleeves, so it wasn't a red flag, but listening to it now is just chilling. But honestly, every musician I've talked to, particularly after Neal, not one of them hasn't considered [suicide] at least once."
Mental health, especially depression, is the most dangerous thing that we're afraid to talk about, probably because it carries an embarrassing stigma and is easily misunderstood. People have plenty of reasons to be sad, be it bad luck or bad choices, but the clinically depressed have inherent issues that are often biological and can't be fixed with a Band-Aid of sheer willpower alone.
For those struggling with mental illness, a risk one takes in talking about one's problems is being perceived as an overly dramatic complainer. Some people may need to hear, "you have no reason to be depressed, be strong, man up," but to a depressed person, those platitudes make them feel unworthy of what they're feeling. So, they try to work it out themselves or disguise pain as humor. I know a lot of musicians who joke about suicide, but few who open up about it.
Rig Rundown - Chris Robinson Brotherhood
In retrospect, you could see all of that in Neal, which leads to the inevitable question: Who's next? This is a musician mag so, statistically speaking, half of us, including myself, have issues.
I was diagnosed as manic depressive when I was 22. (A few years later, the DSM-III—the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders— changed the term to bipolar, thinking the term "manic" might offend the nuts, but I prefer it, thanks to Hendrix's hardest rocking 6/8 song ever.) I disagreed with the diagnosis, but over the past 30 years I've checked off nearly everything on the bipolar brochure. I've been involuntarily hospitalized, medicated, incarcerated, twice divorced, and had five other psychiatrists and psychologists label me bipolar II. Combine that evidence with all the crazy shit I'd never tell you, and my tendency to run naked down the street or break into long, uncontrollable crying jags, and I concede the doctors may be onto something.
My glitches don't define me. I love my life and, although the lows are ass-kickers, the highs make it totally worth it. (Nobody talks about it, but for me the upswings of mania are truly, deeply, fabulously, furiously fun.) I'm outing myself because Neal's suicide makes everyone who knew him wonder if there was some way they could've shown support and love while encouraging him to get help.
I keep my glitches under control by fighting the lows like a person fighting cancer. I limit booze, exercise daily, do yoga, acupuncture, meditate, pray, try to get enough sleep, see the shrink when I must, play music as often as possible, and make a mindful choice to look for the good in this whole beautiful catastrophe. So far, this has worked for me, but everyone is different.
If you think you might need help, you probably do. Here are some places to start:
• Backline
• RecoveryFest Nashville
You don't have to white-knuckle it. There are more support and help options now than ever—many offering free treatment for musicians with mental health issues. Don't wait, get help.
[Updated 7/27/21]
The tour will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the group's Shake Your Money Maker album.
Los Angeles, CA (November 11, 2019) -- The Black Crowes' Chris and Rich Robinson will herald the thirty-year anniversary of their landmark quintuple platinum debut album Shake Your Money Maker with a world tour beginning June 17 in Austin, Texas. Tickets and VIP packages are on sale now. To celebrate the announce, the band will play two intimate shows, first at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City this evening, followed by the Troubadour in Los Angeles on November 14. More info about tickets will be shared on @theblackcrowes Instagram page. The Black Crowes, which Melody Maker proclaimed as "the most Rock n' Roll Rock n' Roll band in the world" will be playing their debut, described by Rolling Stone as, "a guitar-party cracker that marries Southern R&B crunch and Anglo cock-strutting attitude" in its entirety plus all the hits from the band's illustrious catalogue. The ever-volatile Robinson brothers have not played a show since 2013 when they vowed never to play or speak together again. Thankfully for fans, times seems to have healed these wounds.
According to an article in Rolling Stone, the new lineup will consist of guitarist Isiah Mitchell, bassist Tim LeFevbre, keyboardist Joel Rainbow, and drummer Ojha.
Chris Robinson says of reuniting, "I'm thrilled & blessed to be playing with my brother celebrating the music we've made & bringing our lives together full circle. Long live Rock n' Roll & The Black Crowes!"
Rich Robinson adds, "First and foremost, I'm really happy to have my brother back in my life. To be able to play music again together and celebrate the first record we made as kids, is a gift. To have these songs stand up after 30 years is something I could've never fathomed."
In 1990, when journalists were lamenting the death of rock, as cheesy pop and hair metal dominated the charts, Atlanta's Black Crowes gave the genre a swift and much needed kick in the ass with Shake Your Money Maker. Fueled by singles "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard", "She Talks To Angels", and the rollicking cover of Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle" the band immediately took the rock world by storm, topping Rolling Stone's "Best New American Band Readers Poll" in late 1990.
The Black Crowes went on to release eight studio and four live albums, selling in the tens of millions along the way; they sold out shows around the world; had legendary guitarist Jimmy Page join as a member; got kicked off a tour with ZZ Top for insulting the sponsor; got screwed by bad record deals; got married and divorced, fought amongst themselves and the rest of the world; in other words they've done everything a legendary rock group should do. 2020's reunion and tour produced by Live Nation is sure to further cement the band's legacy as one of the best and most loved rock bands of all time.
Tour Dates:
- June 17 - Austin, TX - Austin360 Amphitheater
- une 19 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
- June 20 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Presented by Huntsman
- June 23 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
- June 24 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
- June 26 - Birmingham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
- June 27 - Atlanta, GA - Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
- June 30 - West Palm Beach, FL - Coral Sky Amphitheatre at the S. Florida Fairgrounds
- July 1 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds
- July 3 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
- July 4 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
- July 7 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheatre
- July 8 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheatre
- July 10 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veteran United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
- July 11 - Washington, DC - Jiffy Lube Live
- July 14 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
- July 15 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
- July 17 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
- July 18 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
- July 21 - Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
- July 22 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
- July 24 - Hartford, CT - XFINITY Theatre
- July 25 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
- July 28 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
- July 29 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
- July 31 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater
- August 1 - Pittsburgh, PA - KeyBank Pavilion
- August 13 - Minneapolis, MN - Xcel Energy Center
- August 15 - Chicago, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
- August 16 - Indianapolis, IN - Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
- August 18 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
- August 20 - Cincinnati, PH - Riverbend Music Center
- August 22 - Milwaukee, WI - American Family Insurance Amphitheater
- August 23 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
- August 26 - Bonner Springs, KS - Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
- August 28 - Omaha, NE - CHI Health Center Omaha
- August 30 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- September 1 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
- September 4 - Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre
- September 5 - Ridgefield, WA - Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
- September 8 - Concord, CA - Concord Pavilion
- September 9 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
- September 11 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
- September 12 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
- September 18 - San Diego, CA - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
- September 19 - Los Angeles, CA - Forum
For more information:
The Black Crowes
The all-star lineup includes Circles Around the Sun, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Dave Schools, and many more.
Port Chester, NY (September 12, 2019) -- On Wednesday, September 25, The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY will host a musical tribute to Neal Casal, who tragically passed away on August 26. Casal's former bandmates and musical friends will join together to remember his friendship and music in a career-spanning musical biography.
Artists scheduled to appear include:
- Beachwood Sparks
- Chris Robinson Brotherhood
- Circles Around the Sun
- Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton & Scott Metzger
- Hazeldine
- Mapache
- Dave Schools
- Citizen Cope
- Jeff Hill
- Bob Glaub
- Dan Fadel
- Davis Jaynes
- Don Heffington
- Dori Freeman
- Jesse Aycock
- John Ginty
- Jon Graboff
- John Lee Shannon
- Kenny Roby
- Leslie Mendelson
- Rickey Medlocke
- Robbi Robb
- Zephaniah Ohora
Additional special guests to be announced shortly.
Tickets for There's A Reward: A Celebration Of The Life & Music Of Neal Casal go on-sale this Friday, September 13 at Noon ET with all net proceeds to be donated to MusiCares. A special pre-sale begins today from 1pm to 10pm ET with passcode: moonlight
Tickets at: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1886987
Casal's band, Circles Around The Sun, completed recording a new studio album the week prior to his passing. The album's producer Jim Scott will see the recording through to its completion with plans being made for its release in early 2020. CATS had also collaborated with drummer Joe Russo on an EP entitled 'Circles Around The Sun Meets Joe Russo' that was already set to be released October 18 on limited edition vinyl and digital formats. CATS had previously announced tour dates in October and December, while plans were in the works for the band's busiest year yet in 2020. Casal left behind specific wishes for Circles Around The Sun to continue in his absence. The surviving members, keyboardist Adam MacDougall, bassist Dan Horne and drummer Mark Levy, have decided to honor that request and move forward together. A new guitar player will be announced shortly and all 2019 tour dates will go on as scheduled.
Tour dates:
- October 16 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
- October 17 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
- October 18 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel
- October 19 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s
- October 20 - Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon
- October 24 - Live Oak, FL - Hulaween
- December 27 - Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre
- December 29 - Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theater
- December 31 - Buena Vista, CO - Ivy Ballroom
- January 7-12 - Miami, FL - Jam Cruise
