Houston's most fervent cyclists, skaters, musicians and artists converged on The Silo on Saturday afternoon to commemorate the life of fallen Free Press Houston staffer Lee Powers. The arty ruins in the warehouse district welcomed friends and family of Powers with enough space to reminisce and celebrate the late multi-media artist.

Walking around the benefit on Saturday afternoon, Rocks Off was struck at how much love and warmth there is for Powers. We only knew him casually, but we feel the survivor's pain as well. The bike and skate ramps were constantly full of cats his age and even younger, doing tricks and jumps that Powers himself loved trying to master so much in his nineteen years.

Everyone seemed very content to be amongst others who were also going through such an indescribable time. It reminds us very much of the benefit at Avant Garden for the late Dave Rask back in July. There were plenty of smiles and laughs, but it was easy enough tell that folks were still reeling.

This past year, Rocks Off has had to report on way too many passings in our cities small and talented indie world. It's never easy to have to look back on such a short life. It gets frustrating and heartbreaking to have to write about someone who had decades in front of them being inexplicably snuffed out. We understand that with our job comes the responsibility of having to report for our readers the tragedies that occur, but that does not make it any less bearable.

If you are the praying kind, let's all put a quick word into the ears of the man upstairs to go easy on us in 2010.