Benefit show planned Nov. 15 for ailing Tri-City musician

Music brought them together.

It’s how they met, how they first connected.

And, fittingly, it’s how their friends are now helping them through a tough time.

Perhaps the toughest time in their life together so far.

Jaime Torres, 32, a musician and photographer, suffered a brain bleed in August, caused by a previously undetected cavernoma, which is a cluster of abnormal blood vessels.

His fianceé, Amy Hanson, also 32, has been by his side day in and day out — in the hospital, in rehabilitation.

Although Torres is improving, he has a long road of recovery ahead. And costs are mounting.

So Torres and Hanson’s musician friends are holding a benefit show Nov. 15 in Richland.

Acts from DJ JD to Get ‘Em Tiger, Holly Barkem, Fuller Dale, Supper Club, Lingering Souls and Joe Undem are on the bill. A silent auction also is planned.

The benefit starts at 4 p.m. at Emerald of Siam, 1314 Jadwin Ave.

A donation account also is set up at www.gofundme.com/d568sang.

“I’m overwhelmed by everybody’s generosity,” Torres said. “My motto is, ‘Strength in numbers.’ When we all get together as a community, we can do great things. This is an example. I’m just grateful and blessed.”

Torres and Hanson both graduated from Pasco High School — Torres in 2001 and Hanson in 2002.

Although they walked the same hallways and had friends in common, they didn’t connect until years later.

Torres was playing drums for Get ‘Em Tiger and Hanson sang and played bass with Haüs Cats. His band opened for hers one Halloween.

“I said, ‘Ooh, that drummer is cute,’” Hanson recalled. “I was wearing a cat costume and he thought I was cute, too.”

Hanson eventually joined Torres’ band.

“When we started jamming together at practice, it was really kind of a natural thing,” Hanson said. “It’s hard to explain jamming — it’s all very (intuition-based). You use your intuition a lot, your feelings. You’re trying to stay on the same beat, the same key, at the same time. Some people just can’t jam (and instead stick to sheet music). But jamming is more organic, it requires good chemistry. That was important in the foundation of our relationship.”

“Being creative, playing music — that’s us,” she added.

Three years ago, Hanson left the Tri-Cities for Oakland, Calif., where she’d gone to college, and Torres followed a year later.

They were working, making music and making a life when Torres’ brain bleed hit.

It was Aug. 14, and Hanson had just left for work when she got an urgent call from Torres saying he needed help.

He was stumbling, his speech was slurred, his sight was affected.

He spent about three weeks in intensive care and a month in in-patient rehabilitation.

“I’m still not 100 percent. I’m still not walking yet. I have to re-learn everything,” Torres said. “But I have a strong spirit. I’m trying to do the best I can every day.”

Music is still an important part of his life. He’s been making beats using a computer program.

“We sit at the computer and make them together — these new sounds,” Hanson said. “When he gets better, we want to play music together again.”

For now, they’re back home in the Tri-Cities. Torres has months of physical and occupational therapy ahead of him.

And he has Hanson by his side. Plus family, friends.

The kind who’ll pick up an instrument and lend their talents and their songs.

“To see everybody coming together and have all this love and support — (it shows that) even if you go thousands of miles away, home will always be here,” Hanson said. “We’re really excited to see everybody.”

“We’re excited and blessed,” Torres added, “that’s for sure.”

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Benefit show planned Nov. 15 for ailing Tri-City musician."