A Facebook Go Fund Me account has been set up for a popular local pop-rock musician assaulted and beaten Thursday after a show in Put-In-Bay, Ohio, on Lake Erie.
Singer-songwriter Russ Baum of the Meager Kings band was attacked Thursday while leaving a show and left in an alley bleeding from the head and with a concussion and fractured neck, according to relatives. He was found by a passerby and airlifted to a Toledo hospital, they said.
He currently is at home here in town and resting. Medical follow-ups with a neurosurgeon and others are being arranged.
The Go Fund Me account can be reached by going to:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-russs-recovery
Baum posted a message of gratitude on his Facebook music page.
Besides the account, relatives also are arranging for people to bring meals over the coming days.
That arrangement and help can be accessed via:
https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/zr969r?fbclid=IwY2xjawE5pfRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHa0JyPpK3EXlFFbYEaa94CdkEcILRz2cBQ0NftphsDIaePOlMWcg9_57kQ_aem_tV2Lmw—BbnuD1ZoB7YD8Q
“I am blown away by the support and love sent over the last couple of days since the incident,” Baum wrote. “You should all know that I am home safe and with family resting and sorting out the mess. I’m grateful for the out pouring support.
“I don’t find it wise to share the story here due to the criminal investigation that’s going on to find the guy that did this so I will save that until we meet in court. However, I can tell you that I was assaulted from behind, immediately knocked unconscious and woke up as paramedics were loading me into a helicopter. Officers said they found me laying alone bleeding on the ground. Thank God for the anonymous caller who reported it.”
During the initial closures of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, Baum was among the first area musicians to play online daily in March and April as an emotional support for people struggling with stress and anxiety.
After a story about his playing landed on the front page of The Republic, his humor hit a high note with this social media comment: “I woke up this morning to find my ugly mug on the front page!”
Plus, he regularly has spoken and posted about the importance of music’s shared experience for the shake of people’s sheer enjoyment, joy and togetherness.
Wife Megan Baum, also a well-known local performer and the founder of Baumshell Clothing Co., posted on social media about the outpouring of support. She has also been caring for her ailing mother.
“Your kindness and generosity have touched our hearts in such an impactful way,” she wrote. “It restored not only our personal faith, but our faith in humanity.”
The Put-In-Bay police department is taking tips and information on the case, but has made no arrests yet.
