The Southgate House Revival Photo: Google Maps screengrab

For the ninth year in a row, the Rock’n Revival for the Cure is keeping John Forsthoefel’s memory alive. “It’s about remembering him and doing it in a way that he would want,” says his son and organizer of the event, Adam Forsthoefel.

Forsthoefel’s father passed away from stage 4 cancer, glioblastoma, in 2017. When the doctors told the family he had six months to live, Adam says they “made the best of bad news.”

“I played in a band,” Adam says. “And so I thought, how can I use my gifts for the greater good?”

John Forsthoefel was a man who enjoyed a good concert and a fun time, which is exactly what his son has created in his memory with the annual Rock’n Revival for the Cure concert.

The concert features more than 25 local musicians — including Noah Wotherspoon and the Ben Levin Trio — performing at the Southgate House Revival’s Sanctuary space in Newport to raise awareness for glioblastoma. As of the article’s publication, over $100,000 has been raised towards finding a cure.

“It’s affected all of us,” says Adam. “I guess you could say attack it with music, make a light out of a bad situation.” John Forsthoefel received a majority of his treatment at UC Health, which now has a foundation set up in his name that’s dedicated to glioblastoma research.

All bands performing at the event have donated their time and energy to performing, as they do not get paid for their appearance. Many bands have asked to come back for the following year, which is a testament to the impact the event has had on them.

“That’s huge in my eyes,” says Adam. “Every year they want to come back and be a part of it. It’s a lot of live charity going around.”

The sense of community is almost “spiritual” for Adam, which is something to be noted as the event center was formerly a church.

Adam says the community is more like a family by the end of the night of performances, with everyone embracing and spreading positive mantras.

“By the end of the night, everybody’s holding hands and having arms on their shoulders, saying, ‘You know, we’re gonna make it.'”

The Rock’n Revival for the Cure takes place at the Southgate House Revival in Newport on March 8 at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and available for purchase on Ticketweb.com. For more information about the Rock’n Revival for the Cure, visit facebook.com/rocknrevival.

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