“Thomas was an extraordinary human,” Caroline MacGregor wrote to her Facebook followers on International Overdose Awareness Day. Less than a year ago, on November 11, 2020, Caroline lost her brother, Thomas Edinger, to an accidental overdose. Now, she seeks to pay tribute to her sibling and the thousands of others just like him with Thomas Edinger Memorial Concert.
Edinger was an activist, knocking on just under half-a-million doors in his lifetime, “doing the work” whether it was about the environment, social activism, or political campaigns. He was a gifted musician known throughout the local Denver scene as a guy who could pick up any instrument and make something beautiful.
“Thomas was out as bisexual and frequently cross-dressed with no shame! He lived unapologetically as himself and embraced the weird!” his sister says. “He was my best friend, roommate, singing partner, and sibling.” Thomas was open about his mental health struggles with his family and friends, but while trying to secretly self-medicate with street pills believed to be oxy, he died from fentanyl poisoning.
It’s a reality hitting home with Coloradans and families across the country. In nearly every state, accidental overdoses from misrepresented pills are claiming lives at accelerating rates, with almost 73 percent of drug overdose deaths linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Just last year, from increased isolation during the pandemic, overdose rates shot up a startling 30 percent.
MacGregor has felt the effect of this nationwide tragedy firsthand, and she wants to honor her brother the best way she knows how—through music. On Sunday, September 12, MacGregor will hold the Thomas Edinger Memorial Concert in Cheesman Park at 4 p.m. The concert will host three of the organizations Thomas worked closely with, also joined by the Harm Reduction Action Center, a group that provides awareness about overdose and fentanyl/NARCAN supplies.
“We cannot lose another one,” MacGregor says.
Caroline MacGregor has assembled a stunning set list of Denver musicians to pay tribute to her late brother. If you’re looking for more information on the concert, click here to access the Facebook event page.
