Pictures of Me Tribute Flyer
On October 21, 2003, singer-songwriter Elliott Smith passed away at the age of 34. The bizarre circumstances of his death would go on to become a hot topic of debate among fans—an inconclusive autopsy report further bolstering the mystery. But much like Kurt Cobain’s passing just short of a decade earlier, Smith left behind a legacy that continues to influence musicians to this day.
“You can draw a line from him to the explosion of really accessible indie rock of the early 2000’s—Death Cab for Cutie or The Shins,” says Milwaukee musician and writer Sahan Jayasuriya. “You listen to interviews with people from back then and there really weren’t other people doing what he was doing at the time.”
If it wasn’t already obvious, Jayasuriya is a fan of Smith’s music. His love for Smith’s songwriting can be traced back to Heatmiser—Smith’s post-punk band that formed in 1992 in Portland, Oregon—predating Smith’s much quieter solo material. So, when Jayasuriya wanted to follow up his Big Star tribute show that he put on around nine years ago, throwing a show where local bands would cover Elliott Smith songs was a no-brainer.
“I’m of the age where some people in my age group saw Elliott Smith live, but I just missed him,” Jayasuriya says. “I always think about how I almost got to see him but didn’t.”
Cactus Club Stage
“Pictures of Me: An Evening in Tribute to the Music of Elliott Smith '' isn't the cure-all scratch for those who are plagued by that same itch as Jayasuriya, who unfortunately never got to see Smith perform live. It is, however, a next-best option, as 11 Milwaukee artists will take to the Cactus Club stage and reimagine Smith’s songs through their individual styles. The lineup includes Chris DeMay, members of Disq, Graham Hunt and more, with each artist performing up to five songs, with no song being covered more than once by the different acts.
“A lot of different people who play a lot of different types of music are fans of Elliott Smith,” Jayasuriya says, adding that Smith once toured with post-hardcore act Fugazi, who were also fans of his music. “The way I saw it, it would be really cool to see all of these different people who play different styles of music just play Elliott Smith songs.”
“Pictures of Me '' isn't just a tribute show – it's also a benefit show. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee. This isn’t, however, a speculation on Smith’s controversial death. Smith’s music draws heavily from themes of loneliness, alienation and despair, and is an accessible segue into opening up conversations about mental health and suicide.
“The Milwaukee music community has been impacted by suicide, and in the last couple of years, its impacted many people in the general sense. It's a cause I feel passionate about,” Jayasuriya says. “Suicide is still relatively a subject that doesn’t get the discussion that the general blanket of mental health does. It’s not easy to talk about these kinds of things.”
Smith has been quoted as saying “’Depressing’ isn’t a word I would use to describe my music. But there is some sadness in it – there has to be, so that the happiness in it will matter.” And that quote sort of encapsulates what this event is all about – getting together in a room and singing sad songs together, so that happiness can continue to prevail.
Tickets to “Pictures of Me: An Evening in Tribute to the Music of Elliott Smith” are $15 and can be purchased here. The show will kickoff at 8 p.m. on July 29. Cactus Club requires proof of vaccination for entry.
