Talented Musician Thankful for Hometown Love, Support

Fairfax music darling, Tony Lopacinski, came home Saturday night to perform for his "posse," those who came out in droves to support him when he was diagnosed with cancer early last year.

Tony went to Lake Braddock in middle school and jumped over to Robinson to take advantage of the high school's advanced music program. He later served as the hired guy who played guitar, bass, harmonica and sang backup in Train.

By chance, he met Mickey Kelley, a Nashville man who grew up amid cornfields and cows in Pekin, Ill. Kelley was selling t-shirts at a Lone Star concert in Texas when the guy who would soon be his bandmate asked to hear him sing.

They teamed up to start Tailgate South, a 3-year-old, two-man band that plays modern country with great harmony.

"It's country, but it's not my truck died, my dog died stuff," said Kelley. "But there's definitely some redneck in there."

For Tony, Tailgate South is a landmark in a long music career.

Doug Campbell was 30 years old when he lived next door to the Lopacinskis. He knew Tony as a kid, about 9 or 10 years old, with big feet and a lengthy, slim build.

"If you picture Olive Oyl as a 10-year-old boy with giant feet, you'd have Tony," he said. At that time Tony was just starting what would be a long love for guitar.

Campbell kept in touch with Tony's family through his mom."It was like I could stick my nose aganst the glass and look at all the cool stuff inside. Like, 'oooh, Tony's with Train!'"

"He was a nice guy," he said. "He was a generation beyond me but I could speak to him like a good friend."

Campbell said his friend was dedicated to all types of music. When Tony had to learn the harmonica for a hired gig with Train, he would "drive his kids to school with a harmonica in his mouth."

Tony was diagnosed with stage 4 small bowel carcinoma in March. And as word got out, people he had lost touch with after middle and high school were standing by to help.

"I wish I could share my posse with 20 other patients," he said.

Alumni, friends and family raised $10,000 at a Brion's Grille benefit concert for Tony in May. He couldn't make it to the event, as he was undergoing treatment and had other obligations as well.

"The Robinson class of 1984 was a tight knit class," said Beckie Reilly, who helped organize both events. "He's a great guy. Very nice. A Battle of the Bands kind of kid."

Suzy McCarthy, Tony's middle school music teacher at Lake Braddock, and Glen McCarthy ("Mr. Mac"), his high school guitar teacher at Robinson, visited Tony at his Nashville home the summer before last. They were in for a treat.

"We were sitting downstairs in his studio, he was playing for us, and then he pulls out this black notebook binder," she said. "Inside it was every handout we'd ever gave him, in order, with his notes, in meticulous condition."

He told them that he uses his old school notes "all the time" when he teaches his kids.

Tony scheduled last Saturday's performance as a way to thank those who supported him through aggressive cancer treatment. The Fairfax show was only one of four sold out gigs in Virginia for Tailgate South. Next stops? Roanoke, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville.

Though Campbell never got a chance to see his friend play with Train, he jumped on Saturday's tickets and drove all the way down from his current home in New Jersey to see Tony.

"He deserves all the good stuff he's got," Campbell said. "You gotta support that when you see it."

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