Tuesday, March 19 was a bittersweet night of love honouring Dylan Willows, formerly of The Zone 91.3 FM, as he faces terminal cancer.
This was the second of two sold-out shows that made up the Dylan Willows Celebration, put together to help raise money for Willows and his family. Willows was overwhelmed by the support, pointing out that his whole family was present, even a cousin from Australia. It was also a reunion of old Zone and Q 100.3 FM staff such as Sara P., James Sutton, and Chris the Roadie.
Willows is one of a kind, a huge supporter of the local music scene—he was the director of The Zone’s Band of the Month program, co-founder of V.I.C. Fest, and co-owner of Capital Ballroom until 2019.
Most of the bands that played were former bands of the month: Current Swell, Vince Vaccaro, Jesse Roper (then The Roper Show), and Acres of Lions, to name a few.
The night was hosted by Willows’ long-time morning co-host Jason Lamb, who managed to hold back tears until Willows spoke towards the end, thanking the crowd for supporting him and his family. Former Zone music director Brian Boitano was also there DJing and helping to introduce a few of the bands.
Each band played a few songs, with some band members joining in with other bands for a song. For example, Miina joined Current Swell; Vince Vaccaro played piano for Acres of Lions. Roper, who was unable to attend, appeared by video, proudly showing off his Dylan Versus the World mug.
Throughout the night, stories were shared by people who worked at The Zone and The Q. Lamb talked about meeting Willows and working with him. Pol and Jenny, the new morning show hosts, shared what Willows meant to them. Ed Bain from The Q talked about how he and Willows would start their day insulting each other in jest.
I’ve been to shows to honour someone’s passing, but this was the first time I’ve been to a show paying tribute to someone before they’re gone. It’s heartbreaking seeing Willows sick, but he held on to his same bright spirit and love for his community.
After knowing Willows for around 20 years, I have many memories with him. We used to live in the same neighbourhood, and I’d run into him when he was walking his dog. When facing a challenge in life, Willows always had good advice and a positive attitude that left me feeling better than before we talked. Willows has watched my son grow up, first meeting him when he was seven days old when we crashed one of Willows’ Tour de Rock fundraisers. It was toward the end of the night, so Willows teased me a bit but was happy to meet my baby.
Cancer has taken many people in my life, but this is hitting harder than others. I’m not just losing a friend; our city is losing someone who truly cared about its community. People like Willows are rare; he has given his heart and soul to see the local music scene thrive. That’s how I will remember Dylan Willows.