For Braddigan, life after the break-up

While he hasn't quite dropped the "of Dispatch" label from his namesake, singer/songwriter Braddigan, one the three former members of independent roots-rockers Dispatch, is proof there's life after a breakup.

When Dispatch disbanded with a free farewell concert - with an estimated 100,000 fans in attendance - at Boston's Hatch Shell in 2004, it was supposed to be the end for the trio. But now, three years later, the band will reunite from July 13 through the 15 for three sold-out benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Before he dusts off his Dispatch drum kit, however, Braddigan will finish an East Coast tour this month. For Braddigan, the Jammin' Java where he and his band play tonight - has become a second home, he said.

"It's amazing," Braddigan said of the 182-capacity coffee-shop/music venue in Vienna, Va. "We have probably a three-year history playing that room. Now I feel like we have family there. We have such an incredible community. We have families that are close to the venue. It's been on of those places that inspired families; it's not just a little stop along the way."

The last time Braddigan played the venue on Sept. 17, 2006, he and his band went in to film a concert DVD to introduce bass player Tiago to the world. Instead, Braddigan said he made a connection that will last a lifetime. The story, which is captured on Side of the Road, the DVD from that night, plays out like fate, Braddigan added.

"It was supposed to be just a concert DVD," he said. "We met some guys there from International Justice Mission. They were working with the same girl, Elaina, from Nicaragua, I was working with. I didn't know them prior to Sept. 17. Now, we have this bond."

Apart from just making music, Braddigan is trying to make a difference in the world. He works in La Chureca, Nicaragua at a trash dump where 1,500 people live and work, he said. He's made several visits to the dump to try to "help the kids get out of drug addiction and prostitution," and to "help those who want to work and learn."

"They don't have any other opportunity to work, so they work eight to 12 hours a day digging through the trash trying to find currency," Braddigan said. "They're working, not sitting around being sorry for themselves. They've taught me generosity. I'm sitting here with people who have less than anything and they'll give me anything they have. They don't need community - they have community."

Braddigan keeps a journal of his travels to La Chureca and other impoverished areas on his website, www.braddigan.com. And apart from his work in Nicaragua, Braddigan also organized The Relief Project, a benefit CD and concert, which has already raised "$40,000 or $45,000" for the victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.

Braddigan's charitable work will also extend to his Dispatch roots this summer when he, Chad Urmston and Pete Heimbold reunite for the concert series Dispatch: Zimbabwe in New York. The proceeds from the 100 percent benefit concerts will go toward fighting disease, famine and social injustice in Zimbabwe, according to Dispatch's website.

Braddigan said the band is putting on the concerts because of how dire the situation in Zimbabwe has become. After breaking up, the band helped inspire the Elias Fund, a non-profit organization for helping Zimbabwean youth.

"We've got friends that live [in Zimbabwe] and we've been keeping tabs on them with the Elias Fund," Braddigan said. "The fund told us about the standard of living and how the country is on the brink of disaster. We should be doing our part and everyone should be doing [their] part so it's not another Rwanda, and I think it's very close."

In addition to attending the concerts, those who wish to help can text message donations. Braddigan also said the band is releasing television rights for the Madison Square Garden shows, creating a deal with satellite radio stations and planning to release a "best of" concert DVD filmed by photographer Danny Clinch.

While Braddigan said Dispatch has "a long way to go" before determining what it will play during the MSG shows, he added that there may be some secrets in store.

He also said despite the fact that the former members of Dispatch needed "zero convincing" to play the Zimbabwe shows, "there's zero chance [Dispatch] will be a band again."

"If we can get together for a couple of hours and save people's lives, that's the least we can do as a band," Braddigan said. "Our friendships are finally back where they should be. We appreciate our differences instead of lamenting them."

Braddigan plays at the Jammin' Java tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15. He will also play at the Recher Theatre in Towson tomorrow at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Contact reporter Rudi Greenberg at rudi.greenberg@gmail.com.