The family of Mike Scaccia will officially launch the Mike Scaccia Heart Rock Foundation for Heart Disease with a special concert on May 24th at Emo’s in Austin, Texas. This is Non-Profit Organization that was put together by Mike’s wife, kids and siblings.

Description:

After the unexpected heart attack that lead to the death of guitarist, Mike "Mikey" Scaccia (Rigor Mortis, Ministry, Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters), his family wanted to make a statement that heart disease is real and more common than we realize. It is known as the silent killer among men, women and children. This fact, through the eyes of those held victim to the devastation it can and will cause, is unacceptable. Through simple screenings, tests and examinations we can raise the awareness, make healthier choices in our lifestyles and try to put an end to this horrible disease.

Mission:

To spread awareness that heart disease is the leading silent killer, promote testing and healthy living through what brings us all together: MUSIC.

Rigor Mortis vocalist Bruce Corbitt comments:

“They asked me if I wanted to come on board and help with setting up a show for their new upcoming heart foundation in Mike’s name. Of course I was honored to even be asked. I think this is amazing what they’re doing in the aftermath of such a devastating, life-changing tragedy. Not only is it important for them to keep Mike’s name and legacy alive. But they truly care about making a difference and saving lives by educating everyone about the scary facts of heart disease.

So by having a band like Down headlining this first Mike Scaccia Rock The Heart Concert … we couldn’t really ask for a better start than that. The impact from this first one will help establish this as a significant annual event. Mike’s family has a goal for this to one day turn into the Mike Scaccia Rock The Heart Tour. They also have plans to have other shows/fest for music outside the metal genre. Mike Scaccia loved many different types of music. So even though metal is Mike’s home as a musician… the Mike Scaccia ‘Heart Rock Foundation’ plans to educate fans of all kinds of music.

The family will have a nice display area setup at the show with info, brochures and pamphlets about their heart foundation and the risk, warning signs and prevention of heart disease. They will also have merchandise for sell with all of the profits going towards their fight against heart disease. Donations will also be accepted in this area.

We will also be showing a couple of special films that night. The first is a 3-minute video factoid about heart disease… which will be accompanied by the music of Mike Scaccia/Rigor Mortis. Devon Brown… the singer of Dead Earth Politics was cool enough to put this together for us.

Our second film will be over 20-minutes long. It will be the premier of chapter 1 of the upcoming Rigor Mortis Documentary that I’ve been working on with Michael Huebner of 12 Pound Productions. It will be titled Welcome To Your Funeral (The Story of Rigor Mortis). This first chapter pretty much tells the story of how Rigor Mortis was originally formed. The anecdotes is told by all of the Rigor Mortis members… including Mike. It’s also narrated by Philip Anselmo and it contains some classic never-before-seen interviews, stories, pictures, flyers, video footage and of course it features the music of Rigor Mortis. The entire documentary itself won’t be released until 2015. So this is an advance/sneak peak/sample for those that will be in attendance on May 24th.

In between bands we will also play some tracks from the upcoming new and last Rigor Mortis album that will be called... Slaves To The Grave. The album is scheduled for release in October.

Finally, something I know I feel honored just to be part of is … The Scaccianators… which is a tribute to Mike Scaccia and his music with Rigor Mortis. Basically all of the surviving Rigor Mortis members will perform a set of Rigor Mortis classics to honor Mike. We will have several special guests join us for certain songs. But the man that will have the most important and difficult part of the entire show will be our longtime friend Mike Taylor from a band called Rabid Flesh Eaters.

Josh Vargas is also putting together a bunch of classic horror and gore movie clips to be shown on the screen behind us during our set. That will be appropriate for Rigor Mortis and the subjects of our songs. Plus, Josh is also going to bring his film crew in to film every band’s entire set. It will be eventually edited for DVD and it will be sold in the future to help raise money for the Mike Scaccia ‘Heart Rock Foundation’ for Heart Disease.

So there you have it… it’s going to be an extraordinary event and one that the fans that are lucky enough to be there will never forget. As Scott Shelby of Warbeast elaborates… ‘Come pay tribute to one of the most important guitarist of our generation… Mike Scaccia. His influence will always be with me and help out the awareness and cause of heart disease!’”