The loss of singer Todd Serious (AKA Todd Jenkins) to a rock climbing accident on March 7, 2015, had a tremendous impact on the Vancouver punk rock community. Besides being the charismatic and articulate lead singer for the band the Rebel Spell, Serious was an outspoken political activist, environmentalist and animal rights advocate, who walked his talk to the last inch, going so far as to single-handedly convert the band's tour bus to run on veggie oil.
He was also a supporter and champion of other musicians. Jeff Andrew – political folkie and friend to the band, who co-wrote "The Tsilhqot'in War" with Serious – says that "he pushed people to do their best and to live up to the potential that he saw in them."
Serious's enthusiasm for Andrew's music was "a big inspiration to keep doing it," Andrew says. "That was one of the really devastating things about losing him, the thought, 'Shit, what am I going to do now, I don't have Todd pushing me.' It left this hole that a lot of people felt."
Elliot Langford, the final bassist for the band says he found Serious "inspiring."
"Like, during Occupy, Todd was there, the whole time, in the kitchen, working for Food Not Bombs,” he recalls. “He had his priorities that were unconventional by societal norms but that made sense to me, and I was always like, 'Well, Todd's 42, and he's still touring Canada, making no money, playing in a band, so I guess it's all right for me to be doing that at 29!'"
As big an impact as Serious's death has had, the person on the Vancouver music scene who has likely felt the loss most acutely is the Rebel Spell's guitarist, Wretched Erin. She and Serious co-founded the group, along with original drummer Stepha, via an ad she placed in a local paper back in 2002. Besides Serious, she was the only other consistent member of the band, whose career spanned over 12 years, four LPs, and one EP.
Erin – meeting the Westender with her bandmates at Lanalou's, where the Rebel Spell played in April 2014 – says she still finds it difficult to talk about what losing him meant to her.
"This question gives me so much anxiety to answer,” she says. “It's like, I always thought it was important in life to make a point – in, say, a romantic relationship – of not basing your identity on somebody, to have your life outside of it. It wasn't a romantic relationship, but having him suddenly die made me realize that my identity and my whole world was built upon this guy, basically. So it's been a huge adjustment to just in a second lose that."
The remaining members of the Rebel Spell - Erin, Langford, and drummer Travis – are getting ready to put on two shows in memory of Todd Serious: May 20 at the WISE Hall and May 21 at 1739 Venables (a show that is already sold out). The dates were chosen because they're on the weekend closest to Todd's birthday, May 24. Various guest vocalists - including Stepha, former bassist Chris Rebel, collaborators Jeff Andrew and Lexi Marie, Nick Shrubsole of Kitchener punk band Broadcast Zero, and Serious's brother Cory – will join the band to give voice to Serious’s lyrics, and to provide a positive closing chapter to the Rebel Spell's history.
Erin in no way promises that she will keep it together for the shows.
"And that's okay," she says. "I was never a person to cry in front of people, but I've definitely gotten used to having breakdowns in front of people, now, and then I clean myself up and move on. The one thing about this trauma, versus other bad things that have happened in my life is that never in my life have I felt so many people care so much about me. Which is a weird trip – like, it felt inappropriate at times, because it's not all about me, but I definitely have had a lot of support."
Serious used to tell her, during times when she was depressed, that it was important to "keep busy," and she's been doing just that. She even has a new band in the works, an all-girl group called Alien Boys, who should start gigging sometime this summer.
But grief has a way of blindsiding you.
"I feel like it's actually just hitting me now, honestly, the past couple of weeks," Erin says. "I felt like I couldn't grieve before, because I couldn't comprehend what happened. I still am confused. I don't understand what death is. Todd was very adamant, it was even in the lyrics, that when you die, you're dead, you're gone, there's nothing left. But he's not dead and gone, because his ideas live on. And not everybody has that when they die."
Rebel Spell present a tribute to Todd Serious May 20 at the WISE Hall (19+) and May 21 at 1739 Venables (all ages). Both shows at 8pm. Tickets $15 at the door, or $10 in advance. TheRebelSpell.com
