I heard today from Greg Hipskind of Wicked Liz and the Bellyswirls that Randy Archer, the bass player for Spatterdash, a great alternative band here in the Quad Cities who I've worked with many times, died yesterday evening of a heart attack.
Randy Archer
Randy had just finished giving a presentation to a large group at his job for Modern Woodmen of America insurance in Rock Island yesterday. He sat down after giving his talk and a little later he slumped over in his chair. They worked on him for about an hour, but they couldn't save him. He was 46.
Randy was as good of a guy as he was a bass player. He was also an accomplished wood worker, and he made a funky looking blue bass guitar that he was very proud of. Unfortunately, it's not the one he's playing in this picture.
I got to know Randy through working gigs that Spatterdash played for Street Fest and Rib Fest over the years. However, we were bound together by one near disaster involving his homemade bass guitar that was averted by a quick hand.
A few years ago, Spatterdash was playing an afternoon gig at the Street Fest in downtown Davenport. It was a very windy day - so windy that the stage tent was literally lifting the stage. I was the stage manager that day and helping the band get equipment onto the stage.
Randy had just finished work on his handmade bass guitar and he was showing it to me. I was very impressed with the craftsmanship he poured into making the bass. I told him I would have never had the patience to do something like that. He said making it was more of a stress relief for him than anything.
He put the bass onto the tripod stand holder on stage and we went back to getting stuff on stage. Suddenly, a major wind gust came up and caught the bass. In a moment of slow motion, we all sort of stood there and watched the bass begin to fall forward. At the last moment - and I don't know how I did it to this day - I reached for the neck of the bass and caught it about six inches before it hit the stage.
Randy had this look of horror on his face, then one of genuine relief. He took the bass from me and said, "Whoa, man! That was close! I haven't even played a gig with it yet. That would have surely broken the neck. I owe you, man!"
So every gig that I worked where Spatterdash played, or if I ran into them when they were playing out and around in the Quad Cities, Randy would always bring up the great save I made on his bass that day years ago.
Not to make this about myself, but I went in and got checked because I'd been having some discomfort in my chest recently. Had my heart checked out and I passed with flying colors. (Or as my doctor likes to say, "You know, for the shape you're in, you're in great shape.") It was more muscle discomfort than anything.
I vaguely remember Randy telling me one time that he'd had some heart problems, but talking with some people today they couldn't confirm that he actually had anything wrong with him up to this point. At least anything that outwardly caused red flags to come up.
Randy was a good guy, he was always fun to talk to and he was a good musician. The visitation will be tomorrow, the funeral on Friday.
He was only 46. Man, that's too young. Then again, life is too short...
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