Jake Cramer of Morris Choice Entertainment is attempting to raise awareness around suicide prevention with his first ever benefit show Scream out the Silence. All proceeds from the show – featuring local acts Honeybabe, The Idiot Kids, ZZvava and DJ Raphy – will go to Six Feet Over, a Michigan-based non-profit that is devoted to preventing and assisting in the aftermath of suicide.
“Suicide is something that no one really talks about it. If someone dies, nobody talks about it. If someone is feeling suicidal, they don’t talk about it,” says Cramer. “The whole idea was like, if we’re trying to bring awareness to people, we need to put it in people’s face. I figured the best way to do that is by booking loud bands.” Although Cramer focused on “louder” bands for this show, it isn’t simply a roster of noise-rock artists. Honeybabe self describes its fuzzy surf-rock as “psychrockjazzpunk” and is a stark comparison to The Idiot Kids melding My Chemical Romance and Metallica. Meanwhile, ZZvava sits in between the two with ’60s inspired classic rock ‘n’ roll.
Cramer’s hope is that the event will not only raise money for Six Feet Over, but also encourage conversations about mental health and suicide to aid in prevention and healing. “I lost my cousin and best friend back in 2015 to suicide. I was just crushed. When it happened, I had this huge pain in me for a long time,” says Cramer. “Since my cousin’s passing, I’ve always wanted to do something for suicide awareness and prevent people from feeling the way I felt.”
Scream Out The Silence will be held on January 19th at The Old Miami on Cass Avenue. Out-of-towners can also make a donation directly to Six Feet Over.
