Hip-hop duo Atmosphere has returned to New Mexico to perform two benefit concerts for the family of Marissa Mathy-Zvaifler, the 16-year-old fan killed at the group's July 16 show at the Sunshine Theatre.
The proceeds from yesterday's show at Santa Fe's Paramount Theatre and part of the proceeds from tonight's show at the Launchpad will go to an organization Erica Zvaifler is creating in her daughter's name.
Sean Daley, the group's emcee who is also known as Slug, has been hesitant to speak to the press about Mathy-Zvaifler's death, saying, "I don't want this to be a 'me' thing."
"I wanted to speak to her mother before I spoke to anyone else about it," he said. "After I spoke to her mother, I didn't feel like I had the right to chastise or criticize anyone."
Erica Zvaifler said she isn't a hip-hop fan, but she was planning to attend the Santa Fe show. She said the proceeds go toward promoting self-awareness, creativity and empowerment in teenagers, and to support a rape crisis center and self-defense classes for young women. Erica Zvaifler said she also wants to see some of the money go to outreach programs for families of homicide victims.
"Things like this are happening all over," she said. "We were amazed at how little outreach there was for grieving parents who don't have a support group like I do."
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Erica Zvaifler said she intended to meet with Atmosphere before last night's show. She and Daley both said these performances were to be emotional experiences about the process of grieving and healing.
"It's the right thing to do for these kids and for her family," Daley said. "Even though I'm distanced from what happened - I'm out in Minneapolis - every time I go to that region those kids give me so much respect."
Daley said he wants the event's focus to remain on the community.
"My views and feelings are nowhere near as important as the other people's in the community," he said. "I don't want to shallow out my feelings or anyone else's."
Daley and Erica Zvaifler said they felt it wasn't appropriate for the benefit concert in Albuquerque to be at the Sunshine Theatre.
Dominic Akers, a janitor at the theater, is charged with her death. Akers told police he strangled Mathy-Zvaifler in a secluded area of the theater. Her body was found July 19.
"I think it would be too emotionally charged and disrespectful," Erica Zvaifler said. "It's still hard for her friends to even walk by there."
Daley said the responsibility for audience safety rests on security guards everywhere.
"These people are paid to take care of these children at shows," he said. "I see security guards all over the world treat the clientele like assholes. I think that's a little backward because these kids keep the lights on."
Daley said it's valid for fans to wonder about his response to the murder, but that the focus on him makes him uncomfortable because he doesn't want to use tragedy to gain media exposure.
"It's a weird thing because of who I am," he said. "If I was one of her friends nobody would ask me about it, and here I am in the paper again, but it's because of this terrible thing."
Though he can't yet predict all the effects this will have on his music and performance, Daley said Mathy-Zvaifler's death brought him a needed dose of reality.
"I know there are certain things that I don't do or say anymore (onstage)," he said. "It's changed my life. The magic to what I do dissipated somewhat. The fantasy changed. I had forgotten that reality can still happen. I'm actually glad that some of the magic is gone. There's no telling where I could have ended up if I continued the way I was going."
Erica Zvaifler was not surprised Daley has been so affected and said that her daughter's spirit continues to have a presence in the community.
"I don't know if anybody out there believes in reincarnation, but it's like Marissa is everywhere."
