Friends of Suicide Silence singer Mitch Lucker gathered for a candle light vigil at Back to the Grind in Riverside on Tursday, Nov. 1, 2012. (Rodrigo Peña/Freelance Photographer)
I just returned from a vigil at Back to the Grind in Riverside that honored Mitch Lucker, Suicide Silence’s dynamic lead singer who died Thursday morning after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle crash in Huntington Beach Wednesday night.
Lucker grew up in Riverside, on the Western side near Corona. About two dozen friends and a few fans paid their respects Thursday night.
Lucker’s longtime friend Jacob Cato has a monthly exhibition, the Tattoo Artist Perception Slideshow Exhibit, at the Riverside coffeehouse for Arts Walk.
One of the artists featured this time was going to show off his tattoo ink, and the tattooed Lucker was going to be the live model.
Cato and a number of the friends who stopped by had been friends with Lucker for years, all playing shows, working at and hanging out at the old Showcase Theatre in Corona.
“The Showcase was the catalyst,” Cato said.
He showed me photos of show fliers where Suicide Silence played with bands such as Drexl, years before Suicide Silence would go on to play to tens of thousands of fans on tours like the Mayhem Festival.
One of Lucker’s favorite places to go when he wasn’t touring was John Montgomery’s Grand Tattoo Lodge in Redlands. He and his friends would ride their fixed gear bikes to Redlands.
Sean Foster, of Riverside, started hanging out with Lucker when they were in junior high and would go skateboarding together.
“He’s Riverside through and through,” Foster said. “He just wanted to play metal music.”
He described Lucker as a good guy and a family man.
Photos of Lucker with his daughter, Kenadee, and his dogs showed the softer side of the singer in a guest book assembled by Cato’s mother Cathy, who all the friends called “Mom.”
The book included photos of Lucker on stage in front of thousands and at home with his daughter.
“He loved his baby girl,” she said.
It was a really somber memorial. One of the things that struck me was the banner that had a message written by Jacob Cato. This part was particularly touching and really hit the nail on the head describing the down-to-earth guy Lucker was.
You made your mark. You touched peoples lives across the world. You built a career from garage band dreams. And in the process you kept the same friends and added some along the way.