Rob Laakso (Kurt Vile & The Violators, Swirlies) Dead At 44

Rob Laakso, a guitarist with Kurt Vile & The Violators and the Swirlies, died on Thursday after battling an aggressive form of cancer called Cholangiocarcinoma. He was 44. The news was confirmed by Laakso’s wife, Mamie-Claire Cornelius, who posted a tribute on Instagram. “You are the light of my life and the only slightest sliver of peace I have is that you are no longer in pain. We’ll be dreaming of you every night until we see you again,” Cornelius wrote. Friends and family had also been providing periodic updates via a GoFundMe that had been set up to help cover Laakso’s treatment.