Josh with Shirk Circus at Maxwell’s in Hoboken
I was shocked to see a post on Facebook by Dromedary Records announcing the sad news of the passing of Josh Silverman of Shirk Circus and The Dark Brothers. I’m not sure of the details behind the tragic passing of this extremely talented musician. All I know is this is a loss that will reverberate for a very long time.
Josh with Dark Brothers at Maxwell’s in Hoboken
I had the pleasure of seeing Josh twice last year at Maxwell’s in Hoboken. Once with Dark Brothers in February and then again in October when Shirk Circus played their first show in over a decade. With that reunion came plans for new music from the band.
Now, the void that comes from the loss of future music can only be lessened by the great music still out there. Josh was an amazing songwriter and performer. He could make you rock out or cry or both at the same time. If you’re not familiar with it, do yourself a favor and check out Josh’s amazing musical legacy.
- Shirk Circus: March (Bar/None 1995)
- Shirk Circus: Words to Say (Bar/None 1994)
- Dark Brothers: Make The Load Lighter: Indie Rock For Haiti (Dromedary 2010)
My friend Al Crisafulli of Dromedary Records — who had recently signed the newly reformed Shirk Circus to the label — posted this incredible, achingly beautiful, unreleased track from the band called ‘You Make Me See’:
Shirk Circus – “You Make Me See” by dromedary
And here is a video for their song ‘Summer Sun’ from the album ‘Words to Say’:
My deepest condolences to Josh’s family and friends. He will be missed.
See Also:
Shirk Circus
The Dark Brothers
Dromedary Records
Bar/None Records
Beautiful tribute, Steve.
thank you for this beautiful tribute….
Sorry to hear about Josh’s passing. He will be missed in the NJ scene.
For those of you who don’t know it, Josh was also great with kids. He inspired my 9 year old son to love music and guitar playing. Josh had a positive influence on my son and I thank him for it from the bottom of my heart. I am very sorry to see Josh go and send my blessings to his entire family. RIP, Josh.