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#BrightEyedea: Remembering Mikey 'Eyedea' Larsen with your photos

by Leah Garaas

November 09, 2015

#BrightEyedea
Share your Eyedea-inspired shirts with the hashtag #BrightEyedea
MPR

This coming Monday, Nov. 9 marks the five year celebration of Mikey "Eyedea" Larsen's at First Avenue — where he's been gifted a star — on what would have been his 34th birthday. Friends of Eyedea including Slug of Atmosphere, Carnage the Executioner, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Murs, Blueprint and longtime collaborator DJ Abilities will all make appearances at the sold out event. And if it's anything like the celebration held on Mikey's birthday shortly after his death in 2010, fans can anticipate an evening "unfurled with a sense of gravity and purpose."

When we gave new life to Eyedea and Abilities' 2009 in-studio for The Current's Local Show last month, we were reminded of Mikey's signature stage look: a white tee with a handwritten message – a personal billboard with purpose. Concertgoers at Rhymesayers' annual Soundset Festival in 2011 gravitated toward the idea and saw the event as an opportunity to honor to the late, great rapper with handmade t-shirts.

That's why we're asking fans of Eyedea as fans ourselves to use the hashtag #BrightEyedea and share selfies on Twitter or Instagram wearing plain t-shirts with handwritten messages. Whether it's your favorite lyric, quote, personal experience — you name it — share whatever celebrates Eyedea's life. We'll collect fans' photos in a gallery below, showing how one artist's work can bring an entire community together.