Jon Styf’s life changed two years ago when his best friend, Western Michigan University student Taylor Pierce, was diagnosed with leukemia.
“That was a really important event in my life and I learned a lot about myself from it,” the journalism sophomore said. “You don’t think about your best friend living with that. You just don’t count on that happening, and it made a big impact on me.”
Styf organized a benefit concert at the Common Grounds Coffeehouse in the Akers Hall basement to give back to Pierce, who is in remission. Remission means he is still diagnosed with leukemia but isn’t showing the effects of it right now, Styf said.
The show starts at 7:40 tonight and features Grand Rapids-based bands Merry Bomb, Joyride and The Glow That Forms.
All proceeds from the show will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “I wanted to give back for all the care he received because without that I would be without my best friend,” Styf said.
Aquinas College student Jaymz Pyne is in the band Joyride.
“I grew up in Cedar Springs with Jon and we’ve been in contact ever since,” he said. “It’s for a good cause and I think that’s great.”
Styf said when he contacted the Common Grounds Coffeehouse and the bands, they were especially receptive.
“(Common Grounds) thought it would be cool to do, and I knew the singers of two of the bands and they said they would do it in a second,” he said. “Merry Bomb was really cool about it.”
Pyne met Pierce just before he was diagnosed with the disease.
“I went down to visit Jon one day and met Taylor. He’s a good kid,” he said. “I found out about all of that stuff and thought it was just horrible. This is a great thing Jon is doing.”
He described his band as emo-rock with a lyrical influence from the Smashing Pumpkins.
“Our music is more like ’50s bubble gum music put to modern rock,” he said. “We try to mix The Cars and Weezer and sound more like the Pixies. We are influenced by all of that.”
Pyne is looking forward to performing for a good cause.
“I’m in a band to play music and if you can do something good while you’re doing that, it’s more reason to play,” Pyne said. “I would have done it if it was just a concert, but since it’s for a good cause, there’s more reason to do it.”
