This past Saturday was a big one in Metroland.  The critical match against Los Angeles (which was dropped by the hosts in painful fashion) marked the first official sell out crowd at Red Bull Arena.  Yes, there were empty seats, but with 25,000 tickets sold for the game it is hard to complain too much.  There was still a lot going on besides the major match up and the crowd that lined up to watch it.

Clint Mathis, a local legend for his success with the Metrostars and US national team (as well as a respectable return for the Red Bulls in the chubbier tail-end of his career), was honored before the match after his retirement.  Still, the most notable part of the day was likely the Empire Supporter’s Club pregame fundraiser thrown to support former player Joe Vide.

Joe Vide played for the Red Bulls in 2006 and 2007, picking up 23 league appearances before getting picked by San Jose in the 07 Expansion Draft.  Vide was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in April of this year, and has been battling the cancer since then.  Receiving little help from his insurance company, Joe has been paying out of pocket for his treatments (which have been going relatively well but are still extremely draining and an uphill battle).  The fans and front offices of his three MLS teams (NY, San Jose, and DC) have all been supportive of Joe.  His longest tenure was with New York, and the Empire Supporters Club holds Joe in especially high regard because of an appearance in section 101 where he played the drums and sang with the fans.

The ESC organized a concert based fundraiser at their usual pregame spot, El Pastor in Newark, and ended up raising $5,115 for Joe Vide’s foundation.  Local punk bands Ambergris, Chris Skel, The Dead and Gone, and the Subway Surfers played sets, while card carrying ESC member/DJ’s kept the music going between appearances.  Prizes were raffled off, and a dunk tank was set up to further raise funds.

According to the event’s MC and ESC Board Member Tim Hall, the idea for a concert in the bar’s parking lot wasn’t new, “The idea of doing a concert came first. We have the stage at El Pastor, we have the space, we have a lot of musically-inclined members and friends, it seemed natural. So from there, we thought 'If we've got a ton of people coming anyway, how can we do something positive with that?'”

The concert turned out to be something extremely positive, breaking initial expectations in the fundraising department and creating a notable event before a big game.  One of the biggest draws of the day was the dunk tank, which saw ESC regular Jason Endres get repeatedly launched into a tank of freezing water.  Endres, who is almost always shirtless anyway, was a logical choice to man the tank.

“The dunk tank was a hit. It was a nice addition to the live bands, raffles, and various other methods ESC had put together to raise money to help Joe Vide. Being able to help raise money for such an important cause is rewarding especially when it's for one of our own. For one of the players who played for the club we love so very much.”- The oft shirtless Jason Endres.

Endres also talked a bit about the shift from tailgating at Giants Stadium to the more urban pregame routine at RBA.  He made it clear that although things are different and he enjoyed tailgating, he definitely feels right at home at El Pastor.  Saturday’s event actually felt a lot like tailgating, with an open parking lot, plenty of grilled food, and loud music.  As fans spend continuously more time in the bars and restaurants around Harrison and Newark, they will continue to perfect their pre and postgame rituals and think of exciting things like Saturday’s concert to maximize their experiences.

A lot of the credit for organizing the musical end of Saturday’s fundraiser lies with Truman Cadmus, an ESC member and part of the band Ambergris.  “As for the event as a whole, I would have to say it exceeded my expectations. There were so many people that went above and beyond to make the day a total success. What makes me proud to be an ESC member is that when you come up with ideas like this fundraiser, everyone is willing to help out in whatever way they can….For me, it was the best day I've ever been associated with the ESC.”- Truman Cadmus.

The 1-0 loss against Los Angeles was a forgettable one, but the rest of the day was not.  Thanks to the hard work of a lot of people involved with the supporters club, bands, restaurant, etc. the day was a success and concerts will hopefully become a more regular fixture before Red Bull games.

On a more serious note, although plenty of money was raised on Saturday, Joe Vide still needs our help.  More information can be found (and donations made!) at thefriendsofjoevide.org.  Thank you very much.

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