Veteran Chronicle Music writer Greg Beets called our attention to this horrific story out of Portland, Ore., last night involving his onetime bandmate and Austinite Jonathan Toubin, who was run over by a taxi as he slept in his motel room.
The Oregonian‘s account isn’t for the faint of heart, but Beets reports that another local musician who’s been in touch with the victim’s family says that the Toubin was moving all his limbs and had been stabilized for surgery.
In Austin, Toubin manned guitar in both Cheezus (’91-’92), with Lyman Hardy (later of Ed Hall and now Pong), and then Noodle (’92-’95) before joining the Hammicks and later moving to New York in 1998. There, Toubin’s become “the New York Night Train,” a global soul archeologist who spins his rare finds at record hops from Israel to Mexico. Toubin, who was in town earlier this year spinning during South by Soutwest, was in Portland for just such an event.
According to the New York Night Train Facebook page the benefits have already begun – including one organized by Knife in the Water’s Aaron Blount, featuring DJs starting at 10pm on Sunday at the 29th Street Ballroom – and a Paypal account for Toubin has been set up at ihearttoubin@gmail.com.
This article appears in December 9 • 2011.
