(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- A fundraiser for Dez Cadena, of the legendary punk bands Black Flag, Misfits, and FLAG, will take place at the Brighton Bar on Saturday April 30th. The fundraiser will feature multiple acts including Dez Cadena and The Buzz Aldrin Trio performing a set of Black Flag tunes, Jon Caspi & The First Gun (featuring Cadena on guitar), Lost in Society, Pep Rally, and special appearances by Jimmy Gestapo and Raven (both of Murphy’s Law). Announcements of other special guests are expected.
Cadena had to end his almost 15 year run as a member of The Misfits due to throat cancer. He is recovering well and about to go back on tour this summer with FLAG but still dealing with a mountain of medical bills.
Since leaving The Misfits he has been performing with NJ natives Jon Caspi & The First Gun, who are organizing the benefit on his behalf. They have digitally released one song together called “SUN” on Brighton Bar Records, and its video is being released in conjunction with the upcoming fundraiser. This is Cadena’s first release since the onset of his throat cancer.
Cadena and Caspi connected over the recent and unexpected death of a mutual friend, “Mr Lou” DeMartino. Caspi says, "This song is a tribute to Lou and is about how truly sad and tragic endings can sometimes lead to good things. We'd rather have Lou back with us, but since we can't, we are glad that this came about because of him. It was Lou's gift to us." The track can be found via many online outlets including iTunes, Spotify, and Bandcamp.
A Go Fund Me site set up on Cadena’s behalf where fans can support him and his recovery.
The Brighton Bar is located at 121 Brighton Avenue in Long Branch, NJ.
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
