RIP Mr. Butch
Mr. Butch, the most famous homeless guy in Boston, was in a scooter accident last week, and did not survive the impact. For those who don't know, he was a fixture in the Kenmore Square area for years, until stuff got gentrified there and he moved to Allston. He's been around my town for awhile, still slingin' that guitar and wearing that leather jacket, and being... himself.
Thursday night I saw his name imprinted in the cement in front of Blanchard's and laughed, and explained to my visiting friend Don who Mr. Butch was and why I found him amusing. Then when we walked back from Marty's, I pointed out his jacket in a storefront and identified some of the other Mr. Butch... memorabilia there as well. I was puzzled by the entire display and the burning incense outside of it, because I didn't realize he'd died that morning. :/
Stef found a note about the accident in Mary's newspaper at Summerfolk Gatherum this weekend, which was when it all clicked into place. I confess I'm equally stunned by "he had a scooter??" as by the abruptness of his death*. I knew someday he'd be gone, because he usually had no place to go, and that's a hard life, but this was really the last type of passing I expected from such a street savvy guy.
I haven't interacted with Mr. Butch much in the last 17-18 years, because I don't get fucked up that often anymore and that was pretty much when I used to run into him; those late night runs to the pizza place in Kenmore Square after a hard evening of partying at the Inertia Palace. However, he added a lot to the spirit of the Boston scene for a long, long time, and I am sad that he got hurt, and that he did not make it through what was probably a scary crash.
Memorial service information, plus lots of other Mr. Butch links are available at The Mr. Butch Show website: http://billtmiller.com/mrbutchshow/
Rest in peace, but keep on rockin', you old goat.
* somehow I'm still kind of psyched that he had a scooter, even though it meant an untimely end
Thursday night I saw his name imprinted in the cement in front of Blanchard's and laughed, and explained to my visiting friend Don who Mr. Butch was and why I found him amusing. Then when we walked back from Marty's, I pointed out his jacket in a storefront and identified some of the other Mr. Butch... memorabilia there as well. I was puzzled by the entire display and the burning incense outside of it, because I didn't realize he'd died that morning. :/
Stef found a note about the accident in Mary's newspaper at Summerfolk Gatherum this weekend, which was when it all clicked into place. I confess I'm equally stunned by "he had a scooter??" as by the abruptness of his death*. I knew someday he'd be gone, because he usually had no place to go, and that's a hard life, but this was really the last type of passing I expected from such a street savvy guy.
I haven't interacted with Mr. Butch much in the last 17-18 years, because I don't get fucked up that often anymore and that was pretty much when I used to run into him; those late night runs to the pizza place in Kenmore Square after a hard evening of partying at the Inertia Palace. However, he added a lot to the spirit of the Boston scene for a long, long time, and I am sad that he got hurt, and that he did not make it through what was probably a scary crash.
Memorial service information, plus lots of other Mr. Butch links are available at The Mr. Butch Show website: http://billtmiller.com/mrbutchshow/
Rest in peace, but keep on rockin', you old goat.
* somehow I'm still kind of psyched that he had a scooter, even though it meant an untimely end