Pitchfork: Chavez to Reunite for "Fuck Cancer" Benefit

Chavez to Reunite for "Fuck Cancer" Benefit
Julio César Chávez still having trouble with King Hippo on 'Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!'

Wherever music geeks are thrashing in arrhythmic ecstasy to the sound of three or more guitars, there's at least one guy with a Chavez sticker plastered to his heart. Take next week off, my brothers, our boys will shine tonight: Chavez have announced a long-awaited reunion concert! The show will take place at May 11th's "Fuck Cancer" event at New York's Bowery Ballroom, which benefits Jackie Farry, a young tour manager who suffers from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood. The benefit will also feature a solo set by Cat Power and performances by J Mascis, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Har Mar Superstar, among others.

According to Matador Records' General Manager Patrick Amory, "Chavez are close friends of Jackie Farry and have gotten back together just to play this show. No information on whether any further shows will result." Chavez frontman Matt Sweeney has also donated a guitar lesson to a raffle for Farry's benefit. Other raffle prizes include a guitar from Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a guitar lesson from Stephen Malkmus. According to Farry's website, a portion of the proceeds from the raffle will go to benefit other young people with cancer.

Chavez haven't released an album since 1996's revered Ride the Fader, and aren't believed to have played a show together since 1999. Back then, it was Matador's 10th Anniversary year, and every band on their roster played shows in honor of the event in October and November-- except Chavez, who had already dropped off the map. A formal break-up was never announced, but Sweeney and drummer James Lo began to work on other musical projects, and Chavez was quietly shifted to "alumni" status, where they have remained ever since.

In addition to having been famously recruited into the short-lived Zwan by Billy Corgan, Sweeney has also contributed to Cat Power's The Covers Record and Dave Grohl's Probot, and played with Guided by Voices and Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Earlier this year, we reported that Sweeney was playing a show with Will Oldham under the moniker of Cockfighter; he is reportedly working on a project with Oldham under the same name.

Even stranger are the post-Chavez exploits of second guitarist Clay Tarver. According to the Internet Movie Database, Tarver now has a film career that was launched when he directed the "Got Milk?" series of television ads! Are we ever overpsyched! The site reports that he also "directed the 'Jimmy the Cab Driver' spots on MTV... [which] starred Donal Logue who was Tarver's former roommate." (As an aside, Logue co-hosted an earlier "Fuck Cancer" benefit that took place on April 1st in Los Angeles.) To top it off, Tarver co-wrote the 2001 horror flick Joy Ride, starring Steve Zahn and Paul Walker. Your unreal is here... now.