Memorial for Benny Pete

The very first feature in Volume I of The Iron Lattice was an interview with Bennie Pete of the Hot 8 Brass Band. He spoke of his connection to his people, and the city, and how music was a thread that sustained him as it tied together everything he loved. By the time the editorial team finished putting it into layout, there was hardly a dry eye. Nothing, we thought, could better encapsulate the spirit we hoped to serve in each issue.

On September 5th, 2021, Benny Pete died due to complications of sarcoidosis and Covid-19, leaving the city he loved in a state of grief. In his interview he said that he played his sousaphone with his eyes closed, so people couldn't see him cry for those who were lost along the way. Now, as musicians turn out on the streets to mourn his loss and celebrate his life, it is their turn to play through the tears.

Introduction by Holly Devon

Photoessay by L. A. Reno