Cafe Acoustic was where everybody knew Jeremy Kitchen’s name. He practically had a reserved seat any given night located at the right side of the bar, where he could swig drinks and chat with staff and friends while having a telescopic view of the performers on stage through the venue’s long hallway.

And given the Cafe’s liberal open mic policy, he would occasionally jump on stage, futilely strumming a guitar with little skill and belting out his favorite grunge and hard rock songs with no crowd objection.

“He would come to the Cafe and get a guitar and sing in his own little way,” says bar manager Christina Meadows. “He wasn’t a performer, he was just a lover of music.”

Unfortunately, Kitchen’s close ties to the Cafe made bad news even worse after a fatal car crash took his life on Dec. 15 at age 32. And in his spirit, the St. Joseph Music Foundation will partner with Cafe Acoustic for a packed benefit concert from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Feb. 6.

Although Cafe Acoustic is known mostly for showcasing singer/songwriters, the owners decided to change the music up for this benefit concert in honor of Kitchen’s musical taste. The concert will feature multiple alternative, hard rock and metal acts from around the St. Joseph and Kansas City areas, including Calera, King Kenna, Alice and headliners Forlorn Hope

“He liked all of the harder stuff and that’s why most of the stuff was aimed towards that,” Meadows says.

Along with rock acts, the lineup includes Bruce and Seth Hall from the L.A. country group Rowdy and acoustic solo act Ben Hausman.

Hausman got to know Kitchen a few weeks before his passing and became quick friends with him through their shared interest in heavy metal. He recalls getting on stage with Kitchen at the Cafe to play guitar while he sang Pearl Jam’s rendition of “Last Kiss” and says he will include some of Kitchen’s favorite songs, like Nirvana’s “About a Girl” in his set of original tunes.

“That seems to be a song he liked a lot and I just want to keep it alive,” Hausman says.

The event will require a $5 donation and include an auction of donated items. No minors are allowed entry after 7 p.m., and all bar gratuity, money from auctioned items and cover charge will be used to establish a college fund for Kitchen’s three children.

“I think it’s going to be an overall great mix of musicians all coming together for one cause,” Meadows says. “This one’s for Jeremy.”

For more information, call 671-1141 or visit www.stjosephmusicfoundation.org.