It was easy to be homies with Alejandro Morales. You might have met him at one of his gigs—he drummed in noise-punk band Running and experimental duo Piss Piss Piss Moan Moan Moan, among other projects—but all you really had to do was stand anywhere near him in the crowd at somebody else’s show or lurk by the DJ booth when he was spinning records. Sooner or later his earnest, supportive attention would land on you like a ray of sunshine. (Bonus points if you wanted to go deep about his favorite band, the Fall—that’s how this wolf got to know him.) Tragically, Morales passed away Sunday at age 46 while visiting family in Puerto Rico. In the eyes of his many friends, his generous spirit and boundless enthusiasm made him the beating heart of Chicago’s DIY rock scene, and his death hits especially hard.
A memorial to Morales has appeared outside the Empty Bottle. Plans for a more organized remembrance are still developing. v
