Billy Corgan Plays a Benefit for His Number One Fan

It’s the classic scenario that you always hear about but hope never happens to you. You have an unorthodox, creative job that makes it hard to afford real health insurance -- or if you do have health insurance and get into a serious accident, you might be in just as big of a pinch. That’s the scenario that Laura Masura finds herself in. Luckily, she’s got big friends in high places, namely Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan and his other band, The Backwards Clock Society, are headlining a benefit show on Sunday for Masura at Echoplex. (The band also includes Kerry Brown of Ancient Chinese Secrets and Mark Tulin of the Electric Prunes.) Additional performers include The Happy Stars (Brian Young from Fountains of Wayne), The Pulsars, Tim Rutili (Red Red Meat, Califone), Pity Party and Light FM. If you're a Pumpkins obsessive, a couple of goodies are being auctioned off, including Jimmy Chamberlin’s autographed drum kit used in Gish, and one of Corgan’s bass guitars. But how does one get Billy Corgan to play one's benefit show?

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Turns out Masura was the head of the Smashing Pumpkins fan club from waaaaaay back. Like, way, way, way back—and the band remembers and appreciates her so much they are pitching in. Said Billy Corgan himself:

Laura’s involvement with the Pumpkins goes back to the earliest days of the band. You know the old story where the band says ‘in the old days we used to play in front of 20 people’? Well, Laura was one of those 20 people. At one point in time Laura used to run the SP fan club, and in the days before email would personally correspond with them. Jimmy thought enough of Laura in the 90s to give her his drumkit from our first album, and it’s ironic that we auctioned that same kit off now to help her. She’s the nicest person you would ever want to meet, and you can see how many people are coming together to help her through this difficult time.

All together now: Awww. Masura is currently in a wheelchair, but hopefully with the funds raised by the benefit, she’ll be up and at ‘em in no time. Tickets are available here; doors open at 4:30pm.

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