The Tragic Death Of Dance Gavin Dance Bass Player Tim Feerick

Dance Gavin Dance bass player Tim Feerick died on April 13, with the band sharing the tragic news across their social media platforms. "We are absolutely devastated to share the news that our friend and bass player, Tim Feerick, passed away last night," said a statement. It continued, "We ask that you respect our privacy and that of Tim's family while we deal with this heartbreaking and untimely loss." Feerick was 34 years old and no details on the cause of death have been released as of this writing.

With a mix of punk, screamo, R&B, and jazz elements, Dance Gavin Dance is well known for its genre-bending rock music. The band was formed in 2005 at a time when bands like blink-182 and Green Day were dominating the airwaves. Since then, Dance Gavin Dance has released nine studio albums and now racks in over 1 million listeners a month on Spotify. Feerick's death came just as the band was about to kick off its tour on April 23 at Swanfest in Sacramento, California, and it's unclear how the devastating development will affect the group's plans.

Of course, the focus for many right now is honoring Feerick's life and legacy, which can be seen in an outpouring of messages on social media.

Over the years, Dance Gavin Dance has had a number of revolving members but Tim Feerick has been the band's full-time bass player since 2012, according to Upset magazine. So when news broke that Feerick had died, fans were quick to take to Dance Gavin Dance's social media pages to express their remorse. One Twitter user wrote, "He [Feerick] was one of my inspirations when it came to playing bass." Another fan wrote about Feerick's distinct sound and stage presence, tweeted, "Tim was never a flashy individual on stage, but he had that presence about him that you couldn't help but turn your attention to him on stage."

Members of the music world also took to social media to say their condolences, such as Atilla lead singer Chris Fronzak, who wrote, "You were an extremely talented kind soul." Vocalist of the band Monuments, Andy Cizek wrote how awful the news was, adding, "I am grateful for having been able to call you a friend." Additionally, Dance Gavin Dance singer Tilian Pearson thanked fans for reaching out to him. "It actually really helps," he tweeted. "The pain is unbearable but it gets better when someone wants to share it." 

It's unclear how Feerick's family and friends plan to honor his legacy, but based on how loved he was, we imagine it will be incredibly special.