Hitting the Right Notes: Meet the Adverse Events Free

What do you get when you take a classical pianist, a classic rock guitar player, a music teacher, and a financial planner, and add some hematology and oncology physicians? The answer is the Adverse Events, an eight-member cover band that will be playing classic rock and pop favorites from the 1970s through the 2000s at this year’s ASH-a-Palooza trainee event on Friday afternoon, December 8, in San Diego as part of the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition.

The Adverse Events are based in San Diego, and most of their members have some past or present connection to the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Moores Cancer Center. The group’s founder and guitarist, Greg Daniels, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist there, specializing in skin cancers and immunotherapy research in melanoma. Four other band members also work at UCSD, including three specialists in genitourinary (GU) cancers and a hematologist/skin cancer specialist. Leona Flores, PhD, a multi-instrumentalist, currently serves as executive director of the Salk Cancer Center and previously worked at UCSD Moores Cancer Center.

Members of the Adverse Events:
(left to right) Tyler Stewart, Greg
Daniels, Leona Flores, Steve Gregg,
Soo Park, Fred Millard, and Mike
Randall; (front) Rob Wren.

The band has been playing together for about a year. Last summer, Dr. Daniels, who had been playing music as a hobby for years and sometimes performed with his children, started talking to some colleagues about getting a garage band together. Dr. Flores, who is trained as a classical pianist, recalls being “roped in” early on, along with Fred Millard, MD, a GU cancer specialist at UCSD and lead guitarist. Tyler Stewart, MD, also a GU cancer specialist at UCSD and the lead singer, said he was at a Steve Earle concert with Drs. Daniels and Millard when they asked if he could “hum a tune.”

When it looked like they could seed a band, Dr. Daniels sent an email blast to the cancer center staff with an open call for band members – no experience necessary. Soon they had all the pieces they needed: Steve Gregg, a financial advisor and Dr. Flores’ spouse, on drums and vocals; Soo Park, MD, a hematologist and skin cancer specialist at UCSD, on keyboard, drums, and vocals; Mike Randall, MD, a GU cancer specialist at UCSD, on bass and vocals; and Rob Wren, Dr. Daniels’ music teacher and a multi-instrumentalist, who mans the mixer during gigs and practices, plays needed instruments, and is the band’s No. 1 fan.

Within a few weeks they had their first gig – the UCSD Division of Hematology-Oncology retreat – and have been playing together ever since.

“The vibe of the group is really about fun and having a good time. It’s not about being professionals,” Dr. Stewart said. “We’re in this to have a good time on the weekend. I think it fosters a lot of camaraderie among those of us who work together, but we’re not changing our lifestyles or looking for a second profession.”

Practice and Scones

The band plays covers of classic rock and pop music, including the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Beck, The Cure, the Go-Go’s, and the Black Crowes. Although they don’t perform original music, Dr. Park, who is also the band’s manager, said a hematology-themed song is in the works, with original lyrics set to an existing song. “We’ll see if we can pull it off,” she said.

The Adverse Events play gigs on the beach and at fundraisers and
5K walks. Members include (left to right) Fred Millard, Soo Park,
Mike Randall, Tyler Stewart, Steve Gregg, Leona Flores, and Greg
Daniels. 

Many of their events tend to be cancer-related, from fundraising walks and 5Ks to professional retreats, but they also play at block parties and beach shows. This summer was busy with four shows in August, and they have more on the schedule through the end of the year, Dr. Park said.

All those gigs mean the band needs to practice. They usually get together for two to three hours on Sunday afternoons. “When we first started playing, it was once or twice a month, and then we realized that we needed to step up our game. It’s all about practicing and finding that time,” said Dr. Flores.

Practices are not a burden, though, Dr. Stewart said. For starters, there are usually awesome snacks, including homemade scones. “It’s a release and a good time to get together with friends,” he said.

Practices can also turn into mini shows. Dr. Flores said they have done some dress rehearsals in her driveway where they put out the sound system, get some pizza and beer, and invite the neighbors over. “Everyone just really loves it,” she said.

Finding Balance, New Experiences

Dr. Flores’ neighbors aren’t the only ones showing support for the Adverse Events. Dr. Stewart said everyone at UCSD has been enthusiastic when they hear about the band, and many attend their shows.

“Every once in a while, you even find a couple of patients who find out about what you do and come out to see the show, which is just tremendous,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re good or not. [When patients come to see us perform,] it’s about supporting people who are doing something fun, and if they make some good music while they’re at it, all the better.”

Dr. Stewart said having the band as a creative outlet has also made him a better clinician.

“For us, music happens to be a passion, and that fills our bucket. For other people, it might be exercise or being outdoors,” he said. “I think there’s a work-life balance that’s important for people to be good participants in society and be good at their job. Since being in this band, I feel much better, much more whole as a person. I think that allows me the space to be a better clinician for my patients and, honestly, to be a better husband and dad.”

Dr. Park said being in the band has helped her learn more about herself. “Working with different people, working toward something, has made me a better colleague and a better clinician,” she said. “I’m really grateful for that, and I’ve gotten great advice from every band member in different aspects of my life, so it’s been really rewarding.”

Choosing a Name

So how did the band become the Adverse Events? They went through a few possibilities, including the Carbuncles or the Furuncles, before landing on a name that suited the group. They also briefly considered the Four Skins, given the group’s focus on skin and GU cancers. “That did not go well,” Dr. Park said. “That went in the discard pile.”

“Ultimately, we were in clinic, and I think it was Fred who threw out the Adverse Events, which essentially feels right,” Dr. Stewart said. “We’re mostly mess-ups trying to do right.”