How a tragic death brought Saul Williams to South Texas
The mysterious announcement came in August: World-renowned spoken word poet and rock star activist Saul Williams would perform in McAllen. A largely unknown promoter had booked the show, promising to donate 100 percent of the proceeds to domestic violence awareness.
Many fans were bewildered – why was a popular, politically-charged act coming to the small market of the Rio Grande Valley? (WIN TICKETS TO THE SHOW)
The answer lies in tragedy.
On Jan. 13, Lindsay Parker Tall died at home of four gunshot wounds to the chest. Mission police arrested her husband Joseph Anthony Mongiello (READ THE STORY) at the scene, and, according to an affidavit signed by investigators, he confessed to the crime. Mongiello, a former officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and port director at the Rio Grande City-Camargo International Bridge, currently awaits trial, scheduled for next month. It’s this alleged murder that has brought Saul Williams to McAllen.
Lindsay Parker Tall is survived by two teenage daughters from a previous marriage. Her 19-year-old daughter Katrina Tall booked the Williams show, aiming to raise money for domestic violence prevention and women’s shelters, and to soothe her own grief.
“The whole point was to turn my situation around,” Katrina said. “It’s my own kind of memorial service for my mom.”
As a small child growing up in El Paso, Katrina lost her father to a car accident. She moved to Mission with her mother and younger sister about five years ago. Mongiello is her stepfather.
Katrina has long-distance support from her maternal grandparents in El Paso and her 18-year-old sister Emily Tall, who studies marketing and advertising at Hawaii Pacific University. She’s alone in the Valley though, and for weeks after her mother’s death, she shut herself in her Edinburg apartment. She dropped her courses at The University of Texas-Pan American. Amid her grief, however, she had an idea: a benefit show for her mother.
To organize it, she formed a concert promotion company with 24-year-old graphic designer Frank Salinas. Frank had six years of event planning experience, and they named the business Love Hurts Music. Frank designed a company logo – a heart riddled with soft, black breaks. Katrina has the heart tattooed on her left shoulder with her mother’s name, “Lindsay Marie,” underneath.
Katrina wanted the benefit to change her life, to honor her mother and to help her move on. She wanted Saul Williams’s incendiary performance and political, emotion-stained message.
Katrina first fell in love with Williams’ music after he toured with Nine Inch Nails, one of her favorite bands. She connected with his writing, his message and his Niggy Tardust album, which features a cover of U2’s classic anti-violence anthem “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”
Katrina had bonded with her mother over the song. Growing up, her mother brought music into Katrina’s life. Together they attended concerts by Earth Wind and Fire, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. They listened to Prince, Michael Jackson and Dave Matthews Band. Her mother loved many artists, including U2. When Katrina played Williams’s cover of “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” her mother became a fan.
To call Williams an unlikely artist for McAllen is an understatement. He writes music, poetry and literature. He charges his work with thought-provoking lyrics about discrimination, hypocrisy and systematic injustices. “List of Demands,” arguably his most popular song, deals with fighting for societal change. Another song addresses racial discrimination, specifically the ignorance behind the n-word.
He’s hardly a banner act in a place where George Strait, Sugarland and Joel Osteen have pulled the biggest crowds of 2009.
Williams’ personal life also presented an obstacle. He moved to France in June, with no tours scheduled for the foreseeable future. A new concert date, or even a stateside return, seemed impossible. They inquired anyway. Frank contacted Williams’s management and described Katrina’s loss. Williams said yes.
In addition to donating the proceeds, Frank said they may also pass out domestic violence prevention pamphlets at the show. Even if their efforts only help one person, Katrina said it would be worth it. A couple of days before the concert, she felt a mix of fright and excitement.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do after Sept. 26. This has been my reason for waking up,” she said. “I’m going to be crying like a baby all day. From the time I pick up Saul at the airport, I’ll be crying.”
She expects the show to be emotional and cathartic. Particularly one song.
"Sunday bloody Sunday, wipe your tears away, wipe your tears away, wipe your tears away…"
WANT TO MEET SAUL WILLIAMS?
For a chance to win tickets and a meet-and-greet with Saul Williams, call (956) 683-4473 between 2 p.m. today, Wednesday, Sept. 23, and noon, Thursday, Sept. 24. When prompted by the voicemail message, leave your name and a phone number. A winner will be selected at random and contacted by Festiva staff members by noon Friday, Sept. 25. Good luck!
Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for Festiva. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.
