We all know what happened at the Indiana state fair where Sugarland was scheduled to play last summer. But it's been quiet for some time. Until last week, when some bits were in the news. 2 items actually. The first was that they were reaching the first round of settlements with some of the people that were hurt. This is good as all those people have had to live on for the past 4 months was a $7500 check from the state as a down payment to get by.

    The second reason it was in the news astonished me. They arrested two women for falsely saying they were hurt in the stage collapse. These two women who were NOT at the concert, showed up at the emergency room and dropped down on the floor. They complained of internal injuries apparently, and did a fine acting job I guess. Because they actually received the same $7500 the actual victims did. Days after the accident many of the victims had to tell their side of the story in order for insurance forms to be filed etc. These idiots had a story that did not pan out I'm told. Rumor was they said the band had played two songs before the storm blew in to create havoc. We all know the band never took the stage that evening. Game over, busted. Revoke the get out of jail free card.

     This issue hits a little close to home for me. An old friend of mine was standing on the upstage truss when the roof fell in. He was hurt badly but last month he hobbled on to my FOH riser when I played Indy. Why and how he is alive is a miracle. Unfortunately, Nate Byrd, one of his colleagues who was up on the same truss wasn't as lucky. He passed on to the great gig in the sky.

       Steve Stover is well known to us traveling roadies cause he's just a loveable teddy bear of a guy. He always comes up to say hi to folks at FOH and introduce himself as a spot op for that evenings' performance. I've known him over 15 years I reckon, so when I heard of his misfortune I took it pretty hard. I played Indy last summer about a week after the accident. The local crew told me he was alive, but was in an induced coma to relieve the pain. His whole face had to be reconstructed as he had done a face plant of massive proportions. His shoulders and back were fubar'd as well. In his honor, Spot 6 was left unattended for the summer's performances at the shed in Indy. I asked that not only could it be left empty but my band would like to pay for Steve's normal union call bill that evening. We also donated to funds for him and Nate that had been set up.

     So I brought Steve down to catering and had him tell me all about his last few months, starting with the show. He saw the storm coming, but the band basically said they were use to performing in all sorts of weather and they would try and start the show. He and Nate were instructed to get up on the truss. That alone is a bad call when there is apparent rain coming in. But they went up. I am not sure if Steve was told to come down or if he just decided he would be better off on the ground, but he got up and made it to the top of the ladder. His harness was hooked in to the horizontal lifeline attached to the roof. Whether this lifeline saved him or damaged him further is something we will never know.

     Steve had to watch in horror as the wind picked up the entire roof system and it hopped a few times toward stage left while he was up top. Yup, the whole thing lifted up and started hopping towards the edge. Apparently it hopped until the downstage left upright truss left the concrete slab that was the actual stage, and went into the audience. At this time Steve was turned into a human pinata'. As the roof went to fall down, Steve's life line threw him around to the upstage center side of the rear truss. His 250 lbs flew through a soft LED curtain, head first into a drum kit. This drum kit and the LED curtain may have saved his life.

     Countless surgeries later, he is up walking but far from being done. Amazingly his face had been reconstructed and I recognized him. His Frankenstein scar from having his forehead opened was healing smoothly. A few weeks ago he had his shoulder reconstructed so he could lift his arm up again. Last week he had to have some work done on his bowels which were screwed up because of all the medication he has been on since the storm hit. He's got a long hard road ahead of him, but he will come through. His constant smile is still there. I don't know if he'll ever be the same stagehand again but he's welcome on my crew any time. As soon as his shoulder is repaired I expect to see him on my spot call at least.

      When Steve and the countless others injured in this unfortunate mishap were clinging to their lives, some idiots took the doctors and their valuable time away from them to attend to these faked injuries. I can only hope they get what's coming to them.