I was incredibly sad to get this in my e-mail box February 23rd. It took me days to think about posting or even talking about it. Although Kirk's diagnosis was terminal and the end inevitable, his life was purposeful and he left us a legacy of wonderful music. This is one of the few bands (along with the Old 97s) that I "discovered" through college music and that kept me going through good times and bad. Not surprisingly, both bands were on Bloodshot Records. I feel like I owe them a debt of gratitude forever for recording such fine music.

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From Bloodshot Records:

On February 22nd (2007), Kirk Rundstrom, the singer/songwriter/guitarist for Split Lip Rayfield and Scroat Belly, passed away after a lengthy and heroic battle against cancer.

Kirk was, without debate, one of the most dynamic and passionate performers we have ever seen. To see him on stage was to see a man totally focused on, totally POSSESSED with, the music of the moment. He never ever took his audience for granted and delivered the goods with a ferocious energy that flowed through the room. I had personally seen him play some 75 times and it was never boring, it was never phoned in and it was hard to take my eyes off him. If you left a show of theirs without sweating, without losing yourself in the joyous abandon of music, it wasn¹t from his lack of trying. Standing still at a Split Lip show just wasn’t an option. His gift was the ability to let rock and roll well up from its purest emotional state and give it to the room in all its liberating glory.

When Kirk was diagnosed last spring, he was given just a few months. It is a testimony to his incredible spirit that he was performing into this month.

The fans that came out during this time filled the venues with palpable love. To have played a part in this accumulation of affection, in this tight knit community of Split Lip lovers, over the years is truly a humbling honor. He loved playing and it showed, and the fans loved him back.

Kirk is responsible for a lot of people having a LOT of fun over the years; if everyone could have that on their resumes, the world would be a much better place.

He is missed already.

Bloodshot Records

For more information about Split Lip Rayfield and Scroatbelly, visit Bloodshot Records' Split Lip Rayfield page,
and their Scroat Belly page,
or Split Lip Rayfield's web site and Kirk Rundstrom's site.

Recent footage of Kirk Rundstrom Band performing December 12th at The Bottleneck.