David George Gordon is a municipal treasure. He's a naturalist, bug chef, cookbook author, musician, and one of the odder (and more endearing) stars in the constellation of Seattle culture.

I first met him in 2008, when he came to my kitchen for a Stranger video about how to cook a tarantula (the squeals you hear in the background are courtesy of photographer/videographer Kelly O and food critic/managing editor Bethany Jean Clement):


Later, I got to know him as the harmonica player for God's Favorite Beefcake (two of whose members were killed during the Cafe Racer murders). And I've always been a fan of his "Feast of St. Gratus," when he cooks a bug banquet and serves it up to the public.

Recently, Gordon had stroke—thankfully, he lost none of his cognitive abilities, but he's got some steep hospital bills to pay. Tonight, Cafe Racer is throwing a benefit party starting at 6 pm. (I'm not sure exactly what it'll look like, but these folks know how to have fun. Facebook page here.)

On a side note: I'm always (and increasingly) infuriated by how many people have to resort to fundraising to cover their necessary medical bills. This is old news, but still—when we have to crowd-source and rely on donations to pay for urgent medical care, we have been failed by both the government and the market.

It's pathetic.