Joe Black update - Obituary and more

The Portland Press Herald posted a few kind words about Joe this week, and so they're online somewhere with the rest of this info, I'm going to put them in here for folks to read. His obituary is so short it's hardly more than two lines.

Joseph J. Black
BLACK, JOSEPH J. - 25, of Portland, Sept. 7, 2007. Memorial service, 6 p.m., Sept. 14, Norm's Bar & Grill, 617 Congress St., Portland. Benefit show, Geno's, 625 Congress St., Sept. 16.
[Source]

However, in other forums more was said...

SAYING GOODBYE TO JOE
Tonight 25-year-old Joe Black will be remembered and celebrated at Norm's Bar and Grill, 617 Congress St., starting at 6 p.m. The memorial service will be followed on Sunday with a benefit concert at Geno's, 625 Congress St., with a number of local bands performing.

Black died Sept. 7 when he fell six stories down an elevator shaft in the building where he lives. Police do not believe there was foul play involved.

Black was a vibrant musician and well-known in the Portland local music community, most recently as a member of the band Claymore Minds.

His family is asking people who knew and loved him to bring along any photos or stories to tell about him to either of the events.[Source]

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Tribute People all across Portland's arts and music community were stunned to find out Claymore Minds guitarist Joe Black died last week. Police say Black fell down an elevator shaft by accident. Black's accident caught a lot of people off guard, and tonight friends and family are coming together to celebrate his life and help out his family. Tonight at Geno's Claymore Minds, Covered in Bees and Cryptic Overcast are playing starting at 8 p.m. It's a $5 ticket and all proceeds will go to help out Black's family.
[Source]

Thanks to Giselle Goodman and Justin Ellis, and thanks the rest of you, for not letting him go silently alone.

Joe Black benefit show SUNDAY

For those of you who knew Joe, possibly one of the nicest guys around, here is a final send-off for him, and some help for his family.

In case you missed it, here is what has been going on. Strange Maine it is, but some of the saddest Strange Maine I've ever seen.

Joe's death is finally in the paper.

Click here to read the Press Herald article.

I'll post the text here in case the link eventually expires, so folks can read it. To see it in print is a strange feeling. Barely a hint.

Missing man found dead in elevator shaft
By David Hench, Portland Press Herald Staff Writer
September 10, 2007 12:52 PM

Portland police say a man who was reported missing Friday was found dead Saturday night at the bottom of an elevator shaft in the building where he lives.

Joseph Black, 25, was found at the bottom of an unused elevator shaft at 18 Casco St. Police do not suspect foul play, but instead believe Black fell the six stories – 74 feet – by accident.

Black had been on the roof of his apartment building Friday night shortly before he disappeared and there were indications he may have fallen then, Lt. Tony Ward said.

Friday night at 6:00 is the get-together at Norm's on Congress Street for a memorial gathering. So far as I know the family is not holding any kind of public funeral service, and it is their hope that everyone can gather and toast Joe at these two meeting points. They are also hoping that anyone with photos of Joe will bring them to share.

It makes sense to find out that Joe was the youngest in his family. It's strange to hear him referred to as a "missing man." He was a perennial boy more than anything. So damn excited about everything, even when he was trying his damnedest to be cynical and hard. He could never quite seem to manage it convincingly because of all his enthusiasm. Here's to Joe, and here's to those left missing him.