As loyal concertgoers—in whatever area you may be in—we all have our favorite clubs, and along with that, our favorite bartenders. They know “our drink,” and are a key part of the concert experience for many of us.
Paul Rondelli was that bartender for many people in the DC area. Paul was a longtime bartender at the 9:30 Club. The guy in the hat, the guy with that smile. Ask anyone who knew Paul, and one of the first things most people would mention is his smile.
Sadly, Paul was in an auto accident on his way home from work at the 9:30 on April 29. He was surrounded by love and support in the ICU for several days while the doctors tried to assess and heal his injuries. Unfortunately, the brain damage was too severe, and Paul died on May 5, 2013.
Paul left this world as a superhero, however, and because he was an organ donor, he impacted the lives of up to 100 people. Paul is survived by his wife Kate, as well as a 4-year-old daughter and a 5-month-old son.
There will be an event to celebrate Paul’s life on Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day) at the 9:30 Club.
THE DETAILS | The celebration of Paul’s life will be from 4-8 pm at the 9:30 Club (815 V Street, NW). This is a free, family-friendly event. Kids are welcome. There will also be a cash bar and light fare.
This event will also help to raise funds for Paul’s family. There will be t-shirts for sale, and all money raised by the sale of the shirts will go directly to the family. Additional donations can also be made at the event.
We will be making a memorial scrapbook for Kate and the kids at the event, so if you knew Paul and have any pictures, please feel free to them to add to the scrapbook.
If you can’t make it to the event but still want to show support to Paul’s family, Paypal donations can be made to melissa@307knoxrecords.com.
The Facebook event page for Paul’s Celebration can be found here.
