Music Fights Back

2018 Music Fights Back Music Festival
by Al Brzostowski
June 2018

MFB Flyer Prairie Du Chien - photo by Music Fights Back Flyer

MFB Flyer Prairie Du Chien
photo by Music Fights Back Flyer

Music Fights Back is a non-profit cancer foundation with a mission of raising money to provide cancer patients with iPods through live music performances & donations. Music gives us comfort, it becomes part of our souls & gives us strength in our times of need.
Proceeds raised during The MFB Music Festival in Prairie du Chien will go towards buying iPods for children fighting cancer.
Jeremy Cuff, the president and founder of the Music Fights Back Cancer Foundation, has always had a love for music and concerts

Maximum Ink spoke to Jeremy a few days before his event to speak about Music Fights Back.

Maximum Ink: We’re coming up to the event this weekend. How’s things going?
JC: Things are going great.  Getting stuff in order. Things are moving. A lot of stuff going on. Setup and minor things are left. Couldn’t do it without the volunteers. One of the bands kicked out the drummer (Rev X) so I’ve filled in for him. Going back and forth from Madison to the Prairie. We’re doing great. The grounds are ready. Just setup time now.

MI: Explain the organization a little, and what the event is for.
JC: The cancer Foundation and Music Fights Back, I formed in 2014, as a benefit. I had cancer, and a friend threw me a benefit. A fundraiser kicked in, and I didn’t want money for me like that. Actually this was formed because I had to drive back and forth from Prairie du Chien to Madison, to do radiation treatments and I would be in my car for a long time. I would be in the silence while driving, and you know, you get lost in your thoughts. It got depressing at times. As soon as I would get the music playing, and as you know, I love metal and rock, and it would instantly change my mood. I would feel like the music would take over and say “Fuck You! You don’t have cancer!” One of the other things I noticed, sitting there in the waiting room. I would sit there messing around with my apps, talking to friends on messenger. I remember at one moment, looking up, seeing everyone watching the TV. Watching CNN or whatever, and looking at their faces, and seeing how depressed they looked. I though how I was in a different world with the iPod. To ease their minds. Music soothes the soul. The other thing was, they can use the IPOD to communicate with friends and family, play games, to get the out of that situation mentally.

In 2015, was our first MFB. We had 3 bands playing at this fundraiser. My band, and other cover bands. We had raffles, auctions and giveaways. It was great. We had roughly 300 people. We gave out 10 IPODs. We rolled the money back to work on it again. The next year, we had some other fundraisers. One thing we didn’t like, was that we felt like we were begging for money. I thought that we can get some bands, some decent ones, and do it that way. We had Bobaflex, Shallowside and other bands. It grew quickly.

What we do is we get children IPODs that are already ready with music and apps. So they can be in a different place. A better place. We are using music for music therapy.

MI: Who’s on the lineup?
JC: Vyces, Wayland, Saliva, Rev X, 3 Pill morning, Throw the Fight, Eva Under Fire, Divided Minds, to name a few.

MI: Who has donated so far?
JC: We get a lot of donations at the event. Mostly food. Hardee’s Burger. Huckleberry’s Buns. Kwik Trip donates ice. Our fundraiser in March does a lot for this. We do a 8 pin tap bowling tournament.  We bought an inflatable canopy from the fundraiser.

MI: Any sponsors or thank you’s worth mentioning?
JC: The sponsors are Starks Sport Shop in Prairie du Chien. We also get an advertising grant from Prairie du Chien Tourism Council. That’s a big one. We get Culvers to sponsor. Leisure Time Sports Bar & Bowl in Prairie Du Chien. Exit Realty and Brock’s Tattoo, Decorah, Iowa. We get a lot of local sponsors.

MI: Looking for to next year. Any prospects band wise?
JC: We’re hoping for Royal Bliss, Nonpoint. We’re reaching out to a ton of them.

MI: Anything else you would like to add?
JC: I want to thank all the volunteers and sponsors. They truly believe in what we’re doing. The community of Prairie Du Chien. Prairie Du Chien Parks and Rec. Prairie Du Chien PD. I especially want to thank Julie Simon. And of course THE BANDS. Everyone has dealt with this. Our graphic designer, Elwood Lee.

Event Times:

Friday June 22nd, 2018 Lineup
2:00 pm The peOple
3:30 pm CHARLES WALKER BAND
5:00 pm NATTY NATION
6:30 pm MARAH IN THE MAILSAIL
8:00 pm MOCCASIN CREEK
10:00 pm WAYLAND

SATURDAY June 23nd, 2018 Linep
1:00 pm SIX SHOTS ‘TIL MIDNIGHT
2:30 pm AMILLENNIAL
3:30 pm REVOLUTION-X
4:30 pm DIVIDED MINDS
5:30 pm EVA UNDER FIRE
6:30 pm 3 PILL MORNING
7:30 pm VYCES
8:30 pm THROW THE FIGHT
10:00 pm SALIVA

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