Kurt Vile Shares Lengthy Heartfelt Tribute To Late Bandmate Rob Laakso

Rob Laakso, a longtime core member of Kurt Vile’s band the Violators as well as shoegaze greats the Swirlies, died of cancer last week at age 44. Today Vile posted a lengthy tribute to Laakso on Instagram, spread across a caption and multiple comments, along with a photo of himself with Laakso after the band closed out Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival: “I look pretty tired and crispy but Rob is glowing, so… had to use it I guess.”