TESTIMONIALS RECEIVED REGARDING HANDSOME JOEL

28 Jan 2003
05:36:48
my deepest condolences to everyone who knew one of the truest brothers i've ever had the priveledge of breathing the same air as. he's the only one i've known to pass thru this world having no enemies. damn, i miss him and i know so many others who do as well. he made our world a better place. handsome joel will always be with us. there's no way a memory of a man that true could ever escape us. much love, joel. may your memory live forever.

pinkus

28 Jan 2003
16:09:06
My heart go's out to Joel's family. He will be deeply missed. He was such a wonderful friend and neighbor, I could not ask for anyone better!!! I love you Joel....say hello to my mother. Katy

28 Jan 2003
19:50:09
The first time I met Handsome Joel I was giving him a mouthful about which hotrods were cool! A very one sided argument since Joel loved the ladies! Instead of calling me a drunk loud bitch, he smiled, hugged me and bummed a ride home. You just had to love him. you'll be missed... Sam Evans

29 Jan 2003
14:35:27
Thank you for the memorial for Joel

Jami & Max Martino, Cousins

29 Jan 2003
22:04:34
Joel you will be missed. God bless your friends and family. The Houston music scene feels the loss.

Sincerely Steve The Poor Dumb Bastards

30 Jan 2003
10:22:04
For all of us, this has been a difficult time. For me, a most difficult time. Different people can affect your life in different ways–and when someone you know passes on, you reflect on that person and how he or she might have affected your life. What I’m realizing is the magnitude of the positive effect Joel had on my life–as I work my way out of this fog. We spent a lot of time together on the road–we were the two in the Honky van most interested in looking for cool records or CDs or videos or whatever. Joel was also tour photographer, taking all kinds of interesting (very interesting, sometimes) shots of us in action or otherwise. I have all these pictures and am going to build a tribute collage for the website. And we all have great stories of Joel on the road, at home, at shows, wherever. I will tell the one that I’ve been asked a few times recently...

This is called "How Joel Got The Name Handsome Joel."

Honky was preparing to go on the road for five weeks in late 1998, and Joel was going with us. I had known him since 1994 and thought he would be perfect for us (he had been working for El Flaco until their end). Jeff and Carson agreed that Joel was the man, and he started to work for us locally. We had a show in Dallas right before the tour, and Joel had called me regarding where we were meeting to leave, etc. I had just been reading a book of Simpsons (the TV show) trivia, and the character of Handsome Pete was in there. Handsome Pete appeared on one show for about seven seconds, dancing around with a concertina. Anyway, I called Joel back and got his voicemail. And with absolutely no thought about it, I started out "Hey Handsome Joel, this is Lance..." As we were driving to Dallas later, Jeff and I were still calling him Handsome Joel, and it just stuck. It’s completely fitting, given his attitude toward the ladies and how they felt about him.

He’s known around the country now. The last tour I went on with Honky, Joel wasn’t with us. As we would pull into towns, people would say "yeah, hello Honky, whatever, but WHERE’S HANDSOME JOEL?" It seemed to upset people he wasn’t there. I can understand why. Certainly now.

Well, thank you for reading this long post, but I finally felt ready to say something. Joel will be in our hearts and souls forever, and maybe even other places. I saw a newborn baby yesterday, and I could’ve sworn he winked at me.

Lance Farley

30 Jan 2003
19:30:30
Joel was one of the kindest souls in Austin. He will be truly missed. He always made me smile, no matter how shitty things were. Joel, I still have your lighter, and I will return it you when we meet again.

31 Jan 2003
05:48:04
i'd like to mention after talking with dixie witch both bands, with no need for convincing, have agreed to make our saturday the 1st show at red eyed fly an official unofficial benefit for handsome joel. it wont be your only chance to contribute to help his family, but lets get the ball rolling. he did for us all when he had little, it will be a priveledge and a pleasure to help repay his selflessness. we will try to keep our chins up and give you something in return for your kind donation. i hope to see y'all there. take care of you and yours, pinkus

01 Feb 2003
10:10:36
I would first and foremost like to thank everyone who came to offer their condolences, visit with Joel, or offer a passing smile in our time of grief. Joel was a generous soul, and his generosity is validated by the thousands of people that showed their support!! We will always miss Joel, but we have to keep his spirit alive. I have seen those bracelets that said, WWJD? which stood for, I thought at the time, What Would Jesus Do? But now, I think they stand for What Would Joel Do?

I love you my brother!! I will get there when I can Giddy Goon!

Dustin

01 Feb 2003
18:09:43
HJ, we'll miss you like a motherfucker.

Your brothers,
Benji, Chris, Leif, Brueggen Supagroup

02 Feb 2003
11:09:28
Honky, Last night show at Red Eye Fly was the perfect way for me to celebrate Handsome Joel's life. Keep on Rockin' Stephanie

03 Feb 2003
15:14:32
THANKS FOR MAKING SATURDAY A SUCCESS. WITH EXCEPTION TO THE BUTCHERING OF FREEBIRD. we didn't get a chance to practice it together,if you couldn't tell. the only other time we played it the same thing happened. with the help of handsome joel on 2nd drums. we wanted to be the first band of the new millenium to play the most requested song of the old millenium. i hope the following benefits have the same success. we should all be proud of our austin and out of town family in coming together in a time of sorrow and need. THANKS JOEL, look what you did here.

pinkus

04 Feb 2003
21:03:43
Thanks for remembering Joel on your website. To all those who were there, thanks for celebrating Joel's life at his memorial. The turn out of people...love, laughs and tears...was amazing and beautiful. Thanks for showing so much love and support to Joel's family. I know that your love for Joel has helped them in their grief. To know that he has touched so many lives and brought people together, both in his life and in his death, is comforting.

Jennifer (Sealy friend)

05 Feb 2003
14:04:18
It was winter 1998, I was barely 21 and the youngest person at a party, and was a little apprehensive. I had just moved to Austin and I had started working at a sandwich shop, and my boss had invited me to go with him. As we stepped into the party I was so nervous about being too green, too naïve, and all together out of the loop. A few beers helped melt that apprehension away. I stepped in the backyard only for the feeling to return at the sight of a large guy with a goatee and a shirt that said Honky. I had recalled seeing this guy at a Southern Culture on the Skids show, and thinking "this guy knows everyone." I was intimidated to say the least, but when I was introduced to "Handsome" Joel Svatek I soon realized those feelings were silly. He was warm and jovial and I didn’t realize it then, but I was amidst some of the friendliest people in Austin and some of the greatest folks I’ll ever know.

A few months down the line a guy I had met at the party was opening up a bar on Red River, called The Red Eyed Fly. I was looking for a change from sandwich making, so I went in to ask about working there. I was stopped at the door by a guy who didn’t like the looks of my expired driver’s license, but as I was trying to explain I heard a great big "NATE DOG!" in that not yet familiar Handsome Joel voice. Joel was the type a guy that remembered everyone he ever met, and he met a lot of folks. Joel gave the all clear and I was in the bar that will hold so many memories of mine in a so little time.

That month Handsome Joel became my boss. He told me when to take the trash out, he made me change the sign in the cold, he made me clean the things he didn’t want to clean, and I loved it. Because I was part of what was happening, I was in the middle of it all: the music, the night, and his Austin. I listened to music I didn’t know I loved and met people I can say the same about. Working the door was an experience of a lifetime; I met all Joel’s friends at the front of 715 Red River. I met the rockers, the lookers, the losers, and I met the ladies. Lord did I meet the ladies, and the ladies truly did love Handsome Joel. He must have given out a hundred hugs a night, and in the odd case that the hug wasn’t immediate, Joel would summon one with his big arms spread and a "oh girl, you better give me one of these."

You don’t grow up with out a few pitfalls, and I had my share. I ended up having to move back to Houston, and with my parents, and had lost all that I thought I had gained. I hated it. And finally I came back to Austin to visit.

I wanted immediately to go find my friends. No one I know worked at the Red Eyed Fly anymore, so I went to see our friend Frap at the Atomic Café or whatever they’re calling it these days. I asked about Joel and others and no sooner did I ask did I hear "NATE DOG!!" in that now very familiar booming Handsome Joel voice. We greeted each other with some handshakes and half hugs and some heavy metal shreeks. And he said something to me that I hadn’t heard in nearly a year and that was "It’s really good to see you, lets have some Lonestars." It really was good to see each other, and be back in town. I moved back to Austin that week. Joel went on to work at Emo’s, and I was glad to see him every time I went... and to get in for free...and to get posters he had set aside for me.

And I’m grateful now, if I didn’t show it then. I am grateful I got to clear the brush out of Waller Creek and fight over an old Lonestar bottle from the 80s we found. I am grateful he let me leave work to go see George Jones when I know he would have rather gone. Joel really did seem to know everybody as I first noticed in winter, 1998. And I am so very proud to say that I am one of those people. I am blessed for this. I feel like I have grown up a lot since that party, and Joel has a lot to do with that. He was a beautiful person and an inspiration to me I’m better off having known him. I won’t be able to do most of the things I love about Austin without thinking of "Handsome" Joel Svatek, and that hurts so much right now, but in time, I know, that is a good thing.

19 Feb 2003
14:04:02
A LITTLE PIECE OF HOME JUST LEFT US. CLUBS CHANGE, BANDS CHANGE NAMES, YOU CHANGE MEMBERS, GUITARS, VANS, CHICKS, TRANSMISSIONS, AND YOUR DRAWERS EVERY SATURDAY. I WILL TELL YOU ONE CONSTANT WAS THERE EVERY TIME THROUGH THE YEARS AND THAT WAS HANDSOME JOEL. HE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO HELP A FRIEND OR MUSICIAN OUT(MANY TIMES THE SAME PERSON) IF HE COULD. WHEN THE LINES ON THE FREEWAY BECAME SQUIGGLY FROM FATIGUE AND YOU LIMPED INTO AUSTIN YOU COULD COUNT ON SEEING HIS SMILING FACE THERE TO GREET YOU WITH A BEER OR AN EAR. THANKS FOR BEING THERE AT THE END OF MANY A TOUGH TRIP FOR THE DEALER. HOT ROD REO SPEEDEALER

19 Feb 2003
19:25:00
Man I like the site about Handsome Joe. I knew dude back in the day in early to mid 90's and if not mistaken I took a course with him at ACC. One of the coolest dudes in town. He will be missed.

Cree

20 Feb 2003
01:11:30
Thank you so much for all the wonderful pictures of Joel. It's so important to keep the memory of such a gracious person alive. I met Joel back when he worked at Flamingo Cantina; I'm not one to go downtown every night, but Handsome Joel never forgot my name after that night. Over the years, and across the many clubs Joel worked at Joel and I became good friends. And he always had a smile and a hug for me; Joel's hugs were the best, they made me feel special, even if he did hand them out to all the ladies like candy at Halloween. If I was having a shitty night one of Joel's famous hugs was a sure fire cure. Handsome Joel was truly one of the nicest, most good natured people I have ever met. He touched so many people, which was evident by the multitudes that came to his memorial to pay their respects. I Love Handsome Joel, and I miss his presence. I hope people keep him in their thoughts always. And please don't drink and drive; it would be such a pity to be the cause of taking one so dear such as Joel.

21 Feb 2003
06:12:11
I miss you, Joel. I will never be able to see the city of Austin with the same eyes again. To me, you ARE Austin, and one of the few truly great things about that city. I hope you know how many people love you, and think about you. I hope you know how much you affected our lives... how you made all of us feel as if we were important, as if we actually meant something. To have that gift... is special. My friend, you are a river, you will never cease... no matter. We all miss you dearly. I miss you dearly.

Jeff Hirshberg

24 Feb 2003
18:35:55
I just had this horrible realization that I no longer have that one person in my life that can tell me what I had done the night before and explain the chain of events that led up to it. Joel was always that person for me, and the best part was he never made me feel shitty about myself while he was telling me. Just thinking about the fact that I can no longer have a guide through my black out drunks(every time I drink pretty much) is very sad to me. It's really funny that no matter how drunk Joel got, he never seemed to forget what I had been doing.. I really miss him.

24 Feb 2003
18:40:37
Oh yea, I forgot to mention that Joel was the best at making every single girl in town feel exceptionally pretty all the time. Like one time, I looked like dog meat, and I was wearing this shirt that said Fuck Off on the front, and I was PMSing and I walked up to him at the Fly, and he goes "Hey!I like your shirt, but you know what I like more? What's inside, girl!" I know that it didn't automatically make me look any better or less dog meaty, but I felt better. He was the master of that.

Love, Ms.Corri Mava