Hello, all. On Friday, September 23rd, Dave Gesualdo, bass player extraordinaire for MOV, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
, a type of blood cancer. He will begin treatment for his illness at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL in a few weeks. We are still not exactly sure what combination of Chemotherapy and/or Radiation he will be given, but we plan to keep you all informed as we learn more.
Dave’s outlook is extremely positive, and his prognosis is very good. We have begun a regimen of Juicing, massive amounts of Herbal Supplements, Essiac Tea , and lots of rest and relaxation to strengthen his immune system and detoxify his body, and to prepare him for the upcoming treatment.
Dave has written a statement on the Home Page of our website , and so many of you have already posted numerous messages of support and love for him on the message board . Bands such as Perpetual Groove and organizations such as Central Plains Jamband Society have already begun planning benefit shows to help alleviate some of the costs of this, and we deeply and sincerely appreciate it. It has been hard to get health coverage and Medicaid, but we are still trying. In the meantime, Dave and the rest of us are simply focusing on recovery and healing more than anything. As we have said time & time again, “The universe will provide.”
We have had to cancel all of our scheduled dates throughout the rest of the year.
Mike has made plans to leave the band in order to be close to his family. The future of Mountain of Venus is uncertain. But what we do know is this: OUR MUSIC WILL GO ON. We will be healthy and happy when we report our next run of shows in whatever way the new collective takes shape. But rest assured that we are still deeply committed to the music that we play and write, and the message of change that we intend to inspire. We will not ever let that go.
We have decided to keep FrankFest VII as planned on the weekend of 10.7-10.9 in Ironia, NJ. For those of you who would like to attend, please contact Frank: fkiser@patmedia.net. It will be a very special gathering of family for what will undoubtedly prove to be an unforgettable and perhaps life-changing weekend.
We will be posting progress reports on our website , so we encourage you to keep in touch with us, and keep Dave in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for all you have done over the years. We love you all very much.
Love and Gratitude from all of us~
Dave, Tanya, Mike, & Stingray
Mountain of Venus
Mountain of Venus
2915 S.R. 590
Suite 19
Clearwater, Florida 33759
