Kaleb Stewart, former bassist of Gainesville punks As Friends Rust, has reportedly passed away 25 March 2021.
The band released the following statement on their Facebook page.
“We’re absolutely gutted to have lost our brother, friend and bassist, who passed away yesterday due to health complications. Kaleb held down the low end, on and off, between 1998 and 2019, and was a driving force during our most electric and chaotic years. On the road, unsupported, broke, hungry and uninsured, we cheated death together countless times — from van wrecks to guns being drawn on us, threats from Polish mafia (more guns) to nunchuk-wielding skinheads and weird strains of flu — experiences that entwine us, inextricably, forever. Kaleb was fiercely loyal and sensitive and felt things deeply and acutely. He loved to philosophize about music and politics, and had tremendous depth. He was passionate, talented, wild. Even when not in the band, Kaleb was always in the band, and he will continue to be in this band even now and always. All of our love and thoughts to his family.Rest in power, brother. Tight Like Strings.”
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
