"For the Love of Charlie" Benefit Show

On July 24, the Houston music community teamed up for a benefit show, dedicated to a musician and artist well-loved in the local scene: Charles Eddy.

Charles (Charlie) was the drummer in dreampop/rock band El Lago for nearly ten years and is now a part of the darkwave/goth pop duo, Raudiver, alongside his wife Lauren Eddy. Making waves in the Houston music scene with the release of Raudiver’s debut album Leave Before Dark, the Eddys’ lives were suddenly flipped upside down in February 2025 when Charles experienced a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. Testing and brain scans revealed Grade 4 Glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain tumor.

As Charles now undergoes both standard-of-care treatment and an experimental type of chemotherapy, the Houston community continues to show up and show out in support. The “For the Love of Charlie” benefit show, which took place under the sunset at Axelrad, raised over $3000 for the Eddys.

The show featured seven performances handpicked by the Eddys, including Glancing, Trans Parent, Ghost Party, Sofia Silueta, Young Mammals, Death of the Last Beautiful Jaguar, and DJ Temptrix. 

There was also an art auction featuring some of Charles Eddy’s original collage pieces, and a special cocktail, “Charlie’s Mule,” the proceeds of which went directly to the Eddys.

Throughout the evening, in between performances, people looked at art, sipped on mules, and spoke kindly behind the Eddys’ backs. Everyone seemed to have the same view of how much the Eddys have done for the local music scene, and there was a resounding desire to give back as much as possible.

Young Mammals on stage at Axelrad

Art by Charles Eddy

As McCoullough Ferguson of Ghost Party stepped on stage, he captured the sentiment of the night beautifully: “We’re bringing people together, we’re showing love, and we’re just trying to make some light out of some darkness.”

If you’d like to support the Eddys, please consider donating to their GoFund Me campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-charles-eddy-fight-brain-tumor. You can also find the Eddys and their band Raudiver on Instagram: @charliedont__, @laurenshreddy, and @raudiver. 

Photos and Story by Shelby Mathews