Tim Feerick died unexpectedly on Wednesday April 14. The bassist was 34 years old. His band Dance Gavin Dance announced his passing in an emotional Instagram post. “We are absolutely devastated to share the news that our friend and bass player, Tim Feerick, passed away last night. We ask that you respect our privacy and that of Tim’s family while we deal with this heartbreaking and untimely loss,” the band said. The group also said they would let fans know about any touring updates as soon as possible.
1. Tim played bass for Dance Gavin Dance since 2009
Tim joined the band in 2009 and played for about a year, before taking a two year break from DGD. He re-joined the band in 2012, and he’d been a constant presence for the past ten years. Other than being a staple of the live band, Tim’s basslines on the albums were also celebrated by fans.
2. He played on five of the band’s albums
Even though his first run in the band came in 2009, Tim didn’t play on any of Dance Gavin Dance’s studio albums until he performed on their 2013 record Acceptance Speech. He performed on each subsequent DGD record since then: Instant Gratification (2015), Mothership (2016), Artificial Selection (2018), and Afterburner (2020). He also played on both of the Tree City Sessions live albums.
3. Tim shared playthroughs of his bass parts on YouTube
While Tim’s bass could be appreciated on the albums or in concert, he also gave fans who might want to get a closer look at his parts a glimpse into what he did on his YouTube channel. He would occasionally post playthroughs that gave a better idea of what his parts were. He also occasionally shared demo tracks from the band’s records. He would also show off his collection of instruments and tell fans which ones he was playing in each video.
4. Members of the alternative scene paid tribute to him
With Tim’s passing, a number of fans offered their condolences to the band and his family. Some of the biggest names in the alt music scene also honored the bassist with posts on social media, including the band Thursday, Anthony Green of Circa Survive, Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills and more. “Devastated for you and everyone involved in anyway. All our love to you,” Anthony tweeted in response to the announcement. Spencer commented on DGD’s Instagram: “Incredibly sorry guys, Tim was always super nice anytime we interacted with him.”
5. He was a big ‘Star Wars’ fan
Other than music, Tim didn’t shy away from showing his love for the Star Wars saga on his Instagram. He shared plenty of his awesome collectibles over the years, ranging from DVDs of the movies to lightsabers to props to toys and t-shirts.