Dan's Papers - September 14, 2007 - Twentysomething...By David Lion Rattiner

One of the most tragic events I have ever experienced happened almost five years ago, and I'll never forget it. I was still in college when I heard that Kris Dalene, an East Hampton local and a high school friend of mine, was killed in a car accident while driving home. It sent a chill through the entire East Hampton community. Kris was a standout kid from a big family that everybody knew. He was a musician and the best drummer any of us had ever heard, dazzling audiences at local music events. It seemed like the whole town was following his musical career. I, along with just about everybody else, had bought his band's CD called "Leap of Faith."

And then just like that, he was gone.

The entire incident really spooked me. I have a sister who just got her driver's license and it worries me constantly.

Kris' family is resilient, however, and I recently learned that Tim Dalene, Kris' cousin, has rallied family and friends and has organized an art and music festival in East Hampton called Chiaroscuro in his honor. Tim wanted to do something for Kris, and his art and music festival has grown from an idea to one of the largest collaborations of music and art in the Hamptons, complete with nine bands and eleven artists, both local and non-local.

Chiaroscuro is being sponsored by Crossroads Music, an excellent music store in East Hampton, as well as the Lion's Club and Tim's organization NRO (no real organization) and everybody I know is going to go and listen to bands like The Isles and Blue Jackets who will be performing throughout the entire day and night. Having played sports and done theater together in high school, I met Tim and Josh Borsack, a custom guitar builder who also went to East Hampton High, at One Ocean in Bridgehampton for a drink to talk about Chiaroscuro. "It is going to be great. We have so many good bands and artists and a big stage along with local surf videos."

I swigged some Guinness, "This sounds awesome, man."

"So many people have been supporting this. We are even building a half pipe that kids can skate on."

It is so nice to see so many locals spring into action for such a good and meaningful cause. It is like something out of a movie. With the owner of Crossroads Music getting on board, and local artists like Christian Little and Katherine Dalene getting pieces ready, along with bands like Tequila Mockingbird, The Isles, Kiss Kiss, Consent of Kings, Bastards of Boom, Jet Jaguar, Hot Lips Houlihan and Igniter agreeing to perform, it really is a grassroots, local event. Even the East Hampton Lion's Club is involved, providing all of the food and The Baldon Group has agreed to pay for the insurance in full.

All I could think about was how I could support this event as well. And the best way for me to do that is to write about it here. So that's what I'm doing. Like Lilly Singer, a local photographer who will be there for Kris, I wanted to do my part.

And so, you should go to Chiaroscuro this Saturday at East Hampton Studios on 77 Industrial Road in Wainscott and check out all the activity that is going to happen between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. You can call Tim at (631) 885-2558 if you have any questions about Chiaroscuro.