Dave Melrose gets by with a little help from his friends

Dave Melrose has found that, when the going gets tough, it's good to have friends.

Especially great friends, like he has.

Melrose is struggling with gastro-intestinal stomal tumors (GIST), a form of cancer that was diagnosed about two years ago.  It's tough and not easy to treat.  In fact, it was treated once and came back. So his friends are throwing a benefit in Altadena with some big names to help pay for his cancer treatments. 
Those are good friends.

"I have so many connections, it blows me away," Melrose said. 

The benefit is  called "Save King Dave,"  a concert/auction which will run from about noon to midnight at 711 W. Woodbury Ave. tomorrow (Sat.).  Melrose is the founder of the nonprofit San Diego Chess Academy (hence "King Dave"), but chess is just one of the activities where he's collected friends and supporters.

Melrose started gathering his friends when he worked at the Espresso Bar (E-Bar), a legendary Pasadena coffeehouse during the 80's and 90's. Habitues included the likes of Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and director Tim Burton, who for a time was a resident of the nearby Hotel Green.

Melrose was known as the "fastest, most expert espresso drink maker" at the Old Town establishment. During his time there, he said, the regulars became a family, "THE family," Melrose said, "a place that encouraged us to be ourselves at the extreme."

Melrose, who lived for a short time in Altadena, moved to the San Diego area in 1995, and split his time before his illness between Carlsbad and Sierra Madre.  Along the way, he started the chess academy, which has 14 instructors to teach children all about chess, claiming 2,500 students in school districts from Pasadena to Escondido.

This is also not the only benefit for Melrose:  there is an art event planned for the westside of LA, and a benefit concert by Melrose's favorite band, "NoMeansNo" in Vancouver on May 27, all in hopes to collect about $300,000 for cancer treatments.

Melrose is planning to travel to a clinic in Thailand as part of an experimental phase II drug study as part of his treatment.  While he says he tries to save his energy, it doesn't stop him from mountain biking -- Melrose said he's sporting a huge scab on his knee right now.

James Gunther, one of Melrose's friends who is organizing the Altadena concert, said that the featured acts include "dos," a band that unites punk bassists Kira Roessler (Black Flag) and Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and the Stooges), and features an A-list Hollywood comedy star in a tribute to Black Sabbath (it's not too hard to find out who it will be).  It's not just a benefit, Gunther said: "It's people we know, friends of friends -- it should be a really neat event."

Melrose says that he'll be coming up from San Diego Saturday morning and attend the benefit, and looking forward to the informal E-bar reunion that will take place.  "I'm really excited about it, and a little nervous ... I guess I have incredible friends.  i don't know what else to say."

Espresso Bar memory page: http://theespressobar.org/visitorsproposalpage.html

"Keep Dave Alive" page: http://www.keepdavealive.org/