Tita Vichareli jokingly calls her family "a pile of junk" — medically speaking, that is. She and husband Jesse have been through a rough year with their 13-year-old son, Dante. He has needed a dozen surgeries to treat a brain-fluid disorder known as hydrocephalus. Dante's condition appears to be stabilizing, but the family is strapped with medical bills and the added weight of sending their daughter to college. So a group of friends has organized a benefit from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Davey's Uptown (3402 Main, 816-753-1909) featuring music by Bobcat Attack, Mr. Marco 's V7 and Elaine Knoepfle and Scott Easterday. The event also includes poetry from Gustavo Adolfo Aybar and an art auction curated by painter Garry Noland. "I guess you don't really realize how much your friends care about you until something like this is done on your behalf," Jesse says. Tickets cost $15, with all proceeds benefiting the Vichareli family.
Fri., Aug. 8, 5-8:30 p.m., 2008
