On May 4th a public memorial for Michael Hurley took place in the park across the street from Mississippi Records in Portland, Oregon. The sun managed to shine all day and the only gusts of wind were eerily timed to seem like Michael’s commentary from the other side of the veil. The celebration went on for a solid five hours. As we know Michael would have wanted, there was plenty of food and drinks for all six hundred people or so who came. As we know Michael wouldn’t have wanted, a bunch of hoopla was made about how great he is (if you ever wanted to make Michael Hurley turn and rudely walk away all you had to do was blow smoke up his ass about how great he was. Maybe the only benefit of him not being with us anymore is that now we can blow away!) Michael’s backing band, The Croakers, played on and off for the full five hours – rolling with whatever song, key and speed any act who took the stage demanded of them. The park was covered in beautiful cardboard cutouts and murals based on Michael’s drawings – all made by his friends just for the memorial. Over fifty musical acts took the stage to cover Snock’s songs. I suspect Michael would have found it….satisfactory. 

Eric Issacson, Mississippi Records