I loved Brendan Mullen, I loved how he changed our world, he will be sadly missed. And during the process of seeing him pass yesterday, with his beloved wife Kateri, his friend of 32 yrs, bandmate Steve, and his cousin Naill; I saw, as well, true compassion from the doctors and nurses in the ICU, I saw the best health care could do. And I prayed a little that everyone is able to have the health care they deserve, and a life as full and beautiful as the ones Brendan created for himself and everyone he affected. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers wrote:

When Brendan started the Masque, it was a pure act, creating a place for people he liked (the aforementioned bands and many others) to do their thing, have fun and get wild, no salesmen allowed. It became a nucleus for a thrilling new music environment that gave birth to the Southern California punk rock music scene, which later gave birth to some of the most important rock music to ever come out of California: X, Black Flag, Los Lobos and then later, the Minutemen, Jane’s Addiction and the (humbly I say) Red Hots. He also played drums for Hal Negro and the Satin Tones.

It was an exciting cross-cultural punk scene that embraced all races, genders, sexual orientations and any manner of deviant. It was beautiful. Just no phonies. Brendan Mullen was key in all of this. Brendan was also a part of and present for the first hip-hop scene that made its way to Hollywood, working on shows with Ice-T, Afrika Bambaataa and the Arabian Prince.

Goodbye Brendan, thank you.