Aaron "breakself" Anderson

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  • Jonny_Paycheck said:
    that night, Aaron kicked my ass in beer pong, and I passed out in my car.

    Sharing memories with people today has made me realize the majority of the time I was around him how inebriated I/we was/were. It is making me regretful but it also shows a lot about his character. He really was a dude that could make anybody comfortable. Whenever I heard he was in town, it meant good people were going to get together, and let loose. I don't know how many people have said today that they only met him a couple times but considered him a great person. Indeed.

  • djannadjanna 1,543 Posts
    Rest in peace. Sad day.

  • Rob, I feel you on that man. On the one hand, the last time I saw Aaron - at the APT gig with Brad Hales - I eventually reached a point of being pretty faded and subsequently, my memory of the night is less good. And being that it was the last time, I wish it were clearer.

    But like you said, I think it speaks to the beauty of his spirit that he just made everyone so comfortable, and it was a party no matter where, when, or who.

    I once saw Aaron with his friend Asaf early morning at the Chelsea flea market. It was a pretty dreary selection of goods but nonetheless his spirits were high, and he inspired me to attack the boxes with a little more vigor than I had mustered up to that point. I pulled some nice shit. They were still up from the night before. Funny dude.

  • Jonny_Paycheck said:
    that night, Aaron kicked my ass in beer pong, and I passed out in my car.

    That was a great day/night... memories of my old backyard and the face melting heat Aaron dropped on all of us. If I recall, we snuck Spelunk into the bar later that night and Aaron was tossing ice cubes at everyone from a distance while chuckling like a little schoolgirl. The best part was earlier when we all thought Jonny had just gone home without telling anyone... but instead found him passed out in his running car... hours later! We formulated a stealth mission to climb up on his car and sneak attack him from all angles. The look of sheer confusion on his face when we woke him up was priceless.

    I've been running through this memory and many others all day with heart warming and heart breaking appreciation that I was able to know and be friends with such an admirable person on all levels. Our Sparkle Motion nights where we'd hit up Goodwill to find the most ridiculous outfits before hitting the town telling everyone we were in an 80s cover band... to the mellow times where we'd just sit and listen to records. Aaron had a story to tell for every record... how he got it, its origins, finding and talking to the original artists, but most importantly... how much each one meant to him. We're all record nerds so we should understand the true appreciation... but I've never know anyone to have it at such a high level.

  • RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
    I didn???t know Aaron Anderson nearly as well as a lot of you did. We spoke on the phone and shared emails. He initially contacted me out of the blue because he had found an LP he thought I would like and wanted to send it to me. I knew he was a good dude the first minute I spoke to him, his love of music and quest for knowledge exuded from his voice. He asked me to source a band and insisted I keep most of the copies which I tried to talk him out of and then just sent him half against his wishes. Like so many of the people I???ve met here we spoke about meeting in person and I never thought it wouldn???t happen. Writing this there is a lump in my throat now knowing that we won???t.


    Never to be forgotten my friend???..crackin??? open a Dogfish Head Ale in your memory as soon as I get home.

  • Such a sad day.

    I only got to hang out with him a time or two, but I will echo the sentiments of everyone who had the great fortune of knowing him much better than I did and say, "What a guy." So friendly and so positive in an incredibly infectious way. Talk about raer.

    Rest in peace.

  • DocMcCoy said:
    Sad news indeed. Sympathies and condolences to all who knew and loved the man. RIP.

  • TabaskoTabasko 1,357 Posts
    Rest in Peace Aaron.

  • It is amazing how one soul can touch so many lives. I've been choking up about Aaron's situation for weeks now. Shit just doesn't seem fair. This world needs more folks like him, not less. *sigh*

    Knowing Aaron was knowing passion personified. While I cannot say we went way back, I was instantly inspired by the dude, just downright impressed by his genuine but infectious zeal for raer. Then the homey always looked out for any and all; giving you the shirt off his back if he knew you needed it. Like c'mon...

    Having read the family updates, I'm just glad he's at peace now. I get where he got his strength and compassion. I just hope he knows how much of an impact he made on people.

  • eliseelise 3,252 Posts
    I am grateful that I got to meet him one night with OM. Such a sad, sad day to lose a powerful person. My love to all of you that were close with him and his family.

    We're gonna miss you.

  • Did not know the man personally, but all the sentiments expressed here are a testament to his character and spirit.

    Very sad indeed that someone with such a passion for life had his cut short needlessly.

    My condolences to this family and friends.

  • djdazedjdaze 3,099 Posts
    I never got the chance to meet Aaron so I can't say that I knew him but man...I wish I had. Reading what some of my friends have been writing on his page the last couple weeks really struck a chord with me and made me sad to know someone that great might be leaving us soon. Then today, finding out he was actually gone, the news just sucked and hit me like a ton of bricks. And like I said I've never even met him, but knowing my friends and other people I know thought so highly of him really meant something to me.

    I've met so many cool people on this site, some of which have become true friends. Shit, I met Herm on here and now he's one of my closest homies and the godfather to my kids. It's just a testament to how great this little community is and how much it really means to lose one of us.

    Rest In Peace

  • I lost a brother....and there's not much more I can say. If you haven't already, I encourage you to listen to the mix I made with/for him...

    you will be missed, and always loved...no tears can relieve the sadness I feel...but, celebrate life and music, that's what he would have wanted, I'm sure.

    Deejay OM & Breakself-The Buddy System by Deejay OM

  • Real sad

    RIP

  • R.I.P.

  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    just terribly sad news, when I saw the thread title, my heart sank. the only positive thing to say is that knowing such a genuinely good person touched so many lives only proves he changed this world for the better. condolences to everyone close to Aaron, and love to the community for sharing their stories and love on this hard, sad day.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    DOR said:
    R.I.P.




    Really great dude. Sad loss and I wish him peace.

    He brought such a good vibe in here. I hope his family stays strong.

    Love.

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    Deejay_OM said:
    I lost a brother....and there's not much more I can say. If you haven't already, I encourage you to listen to the mix I made with/for him...

    you will be missed, and always loved...no tears can relieve the sadness I feel...but, celebrate life and music, that's what he would have wanted, I'm sure.

    listening now, sounds amazing.

    Left Jonny's shop (Good) a couple of hours ago and he started his radio show off with a tribute. Then everyone just stared into space for a while as Gil Scott Heron played.

    plus what SOI said...

  • djdaze said:


    I've met so many cool people on this site, some of which have become true friends. Shit, I met Herm on here and now he's one of my closest homies and the godfather to my kids. It's just a testament to how great this little community is and how much it really means to lose one of us.

    Had a long(ish) post typed up but accidentally deleted it somehow. Daze captured the gist of it.

    I never knew Breakself, but reading these posts makes me wish I had. He friend requested me on Facebook quite some time ago and I accepted based off mutual Strut-related friends. Never knew he was Breakself until this. My condolences to his family and friends.

  • kalakala 3,359 Posts
    sadness
    ;-(
    rest in power breakself
    every day is a gift

  • This is really fucking me up, sitting here sobbing thinking/reading/checking out old photos of Aaron. I hope you can all make it out to his memorial party in November so we can all cry/laugh/get throwed/ in AA's honor, as it should be. Gotta get my ass out of this apartment and go jam some 45s in your honor Aaron. Love you dude. Never forgotten....

  • Rest In Peace

  • What sad news. I remember him and admire that he was seldom here in this last year, instead, living to the fullest and going on a roadtrip. Terminal illness at any age is heartbreaking but at his age it seems so unjust. To anyone who is grieving his loss tonight I can only hope you are comforted in some small way by the outpouring of great things that are being be said about him, how he lived life and who he was. RIP

  • chasechase 767 Posts
    RIP

  • i've seen a bit more people dying young than i'd want to (well you don't want to see ANYONE die young). i just want to remember his joyous love of music and his sense of humor. His strength in the face of his mortality. He told me it is scary but also important to experience every moment in life, because it is limited. My heart goes out to his friends and family.

  • Rest in Peace....never met him, but mailed him a 45 once. Wish I would have had the chance to meet him, especially after reading everyone's found memories of him. My condolences go out to his family and friends.

  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    Wow, several years ago I went on a road trip with DCastillo to Detroit and on the way back we stopped off at the University of Michigan where Aaron was going to school. We hung out with him for that night, listened to some tunes, got some food. It was the end of a great time, and he'll be sorely missed.

  • I keep playing his Records Are People Too mix over and over, anyone know what the first track is one that mix? I'm trying to put a tribute mix together for him and wanna use that track. Aaron was like no other, I met him once and talked to him a ton of times. Dude had no problem hooking a dude up either. It's gonna seem weird not being able to reach out to him for info or advice anymore.

  • dayday 9,612 Posts
    I had seen his FB page a couple of weeks ago and was concerned that things had taken a turn for the worse. This morning I found out on the way to the airport and it was like someone punched me in the stomach. Such a great dude. While I only met him once, like many others have said he he was a very warm guy who exuded good vibes and was a long standing member of our beloved nerd community here.

    My thoughts are with his friends and family. He will be dearly missed.

    Rest in peace, Aaron.

  • I just finished up my garage sale today. Aaron was on my mind the whole time.
    Mid way through I started giving away 45s on some tribute steez.
    I see why he was so generous with the records, it just feels good
    to hook someone up with good music.

    Breakself for life..

    Oh, anyone know about the financial state of the family?
    The treatment must of been expensive.
    Maybe get a heatrock auction started or something.
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