Hi Guys.

i don't know the words to introduce this. i keep typing and erasing...

It is with a heavy heart that i write to tell you that a friend and supporter of ours, Casey Calvert, died last night. Casey played guitar for the band Hawthorne Heights.

i was introduced to Casey through a forwarded email. We've had the chance to get know a lot of great guys in a lot of great bands, but it came as a surprise to hear that Casey had sent an email to our info account. He wrote to us out of the blue, just before Warped Tour, reaching out to say that he believed in the work we were doing and he wanted to connect with us. Casey and i exchanged a couple of emails, and i had the chance to meet him this summer on Warped. In those brief moments, Casey was honest about his journey, that our story mattered to him because it was also his story.

i've asked Michael (Schneider) from our team, and Danny DelPrincipe (The Almost crew), to write a few words about Casey. But first, i want to share a statement from Hawthorne Heights:

"Today is probably the worst day ever. It's with our deepest regrets that we have to write this. Casey Calvert passed away in his sleep last night. We found out this afternoon before sound-check. We've spent the entire day trying to come to grips with this and figure out as much as possible. At this time we're not sure what exactly happened. Just last night he was joking around with everyone before he went to bed. We can say with absolute certainty that he was not doing anything illegal. Please, out of respect to Casey and his family, don't contribute or succumb to any gossip you may hear. We don't want his memory to be tainted in the least.

Casey was our best friend. He was quirky and awesome and there will truly be no others like him! His loss is unexplainable. As soon as we know more we will let you know."

Sincerely
Hawthorne Heights
Eron, JT, Micah and Matt


From TWLOHA's Michael Schneider:
"I remember the Virginia Beach Warped Tour stop quite vividly. I
remember sitting behind Bayside's bus in a folding chair, dropping my
drink and awkwardly introducing myself to Eron and Casey, who I soon
found out played for Hawthorne Heights and loved to laugh at my
misfortune. It didn't take many encounters with Casey to hear his
story. He was one of the most joyful, honest people I'd ever met, and an
uncontrollable grin covered my face every time he stopped by to say
hello.

Casey was open with me about his struggles with depression, and so
I knew when he asked if he could support To Write Love On Her Arms,
he supported it with his heart. Our conversations furthered, and Casey quickly
became one of my favorite people to talk to. I remember laughing with him
when we both showed up to watch Paramore's last set on the tour, and we were both wearing LOVE
hoodies, probably looking quite silly standing next to each other.

The last day of Warped Tour, I snuck away from the booth to watch them
play. Standing right behind him, I watched what became one of the most
impressive performances I'd ever seen. Right before their last song,
after changing from his shirt and tie, he looked at me and smiled,
"Love Is The Movement" was the message his shirt displayed.
I remember the day we took a picture together, both smiling like big
goofs... I really think that's why we got along so well. About a week
ago, I posted it on my myspace page with the caption "I am a big fan of
this guy." That statement remains true, and will always hold true. To
one of the most incredible people I've ever met: Casey, I'm so proud
to have known you."

Casey Calvert (left) with TWLOHA's Michael Schneider (right). Warped Tour 2007 - Scranton, PA


From Danny DelPrincipe:
"i just wanted to write something here about my friend Casey Calvert.
Casey and all the members of HH will always hold a
special place in my heart. Basically they took a
chance on a completely unexperienced merch guy (that's
me) and gave him the opportunity to see the USA from a
15 passenger van and turn it into an absolute dream
come true. Casey and i definitely had our fair share of
good times and memories. We bonded over our love of
music and listened to many amazing (and not so
amazing) bands on our countless overnight van drives.
One of my fondest memories is the way he would make
fun of my accent non-stop. Yes, i am from New York and
yeah, i have been told that i have quite the new yorker
drawl if you will. Either way i could always rely on
Casey to completely blow it out of proportion and make
it sound absolutely hilarious and way more rediculous
than i actually sound. Another thing i loved
about him was that he was so grateful and happy to be
on tour, playing music and doing what he loved.
He was always the first one to talk to bands that we
had just met on tour. We even had matching bayside
tattoos in memory of our incredible friend John Beatz
Houlihan (which happened to be my first tattoo and i
remember casey laughing at me as i was freaking out
about the pain). I apologize for being long-
winded in this blog, but i have so much on my mind
right now. My heart goes out to his family, friends,
HH, and his lovely wife Ashley. Casey, you are loved
by so many people and you will be missed....Love you
my friend."

(from TWLOHA's jamie tworkowski:)
Our hearts and thoughts and prayers are with Hawthorne Heights and all of the friends and family and fans of Casey Calvert. We are committed to you. We believed in your friend, as he believed in us. We say tonight that his story was important, and that he was an encouragement to us. We will remember him, his smile, his honesty, as we continue to do this work that he believed in.

To the TWLOHA audience, we will keep you guys posted as we learn more about ways you might be able to help. For now, we would love for you to show your support for Hawthorne Heights by responding to their blog.

Thanks for caring. Community is the idea that we're all in this together, that people need other people, especially in moments such as this.

jamie