Family, Fans, Friends,

John Averill, band leader for MarchFourth, The Nowhere Band, and Judy Blue Eyes recently lost his sweet Pie, the circus dog with a heroic coast-to-coast story. Pie left this planet with 8 too short years of memories, but some of the best times of our lives. Pie underwent two separate surgeries for two tumors (one on her chest and another on her leg) early this summer. She recovered fully and enjoyed a summer of swimming and playing.

Unfortunately, X-Rays and ultrasounds in July didn’t show the aggressive tumor that must have quickly grew around her spleen. We said to good-bye to Pie on Sept 12th at 4am in the ER when that tumor ultimately took her life. It was shocking and traumatic, as just the day before she was playing in the yard and went on her usual night walk off-leash in the Lents neighborhood (she was trained not to cross the street until given the command to do so!).

Pie was young and healthy- a pit bull lab corgi mix John met in New Orleans in 2019 who he brought back to Portland for an unimaginable magical life - rivers, parks, kayaking, and show dog (performing in the White Album Xmas the past two years). Pie loved people, kids, dogs (especially little ones), and especially cats. She loved eating fruits and vegetables, and If you let her, she probably licked your face. She was deeply empathetic, and knew how to read the room in all social occasions.

The overwhelming bills for the first two surgeries were put on borrowed credit cards, the night her life ended was put on another. The totals for the surgeries and the devastating diagnosis are over $13,000.

A musician’s budget doesn’t begin the cover a fraction of this.

If you’re a lover of MarchFourth, The White Album Christmas, Nowhere Band and Rose City Circus (or sweet Pie in general) we hope you join the community in donating for John Averill’s relief fund for Pie.

All our hearts,

Joe Cawley, Alberta Rose Theatre, The Nowhere Band, MarchFourth, John Averill & Seann McKeel