Musician, sound engineer and tour manager Trevor Engelbrektson died in the accident along with members of the British rock duo Her’s, with whom he had been traveling for all of March from the East Coast to the West Coast around the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas.

They were driving westbound on U.S. Interstate 10 after a show in Phoenix headed to their tour’s penultimate stop in Santa Ana, Calif., when their tour van was struck by a pickup truck going the wrong way around 1 a.m. That vehicle’s driver also died, according to Phoenix area media reports via Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Engelbrektson, who celebrated his 37th birthday on the road Monday, worked at music venues all over town, including the Hook & Ladder, Icehouse, Nomad Pub and Amsterdam Bar & Hall. He was also a part of many local artists’ stage crews, booked shows, ran a small record label and was a bassist himself for several local bands, including the doo-woppy soul-rock group Southside Desire, led by his wife, Marvel Devitt.

RIP DEAR FRIEND
If you’ve seen me perform anywhere with or without my band in the past 5 or so years you’ve likely seen Trevor Engelbrektson handing me guitars , selling merchandise , hauling equipment, driving our vehicles and generally taking care of Phil , Dave, Adam Krier , Pete , Tommy and I while we’ve attempted to rock you. Trevor was a total pro but more importantly he became like a family member. He worked with my sons on the Libertyville shows at both Diamond City and at Mickey Finn's Brewery and he had the patience to teach them and they loved him. He was a doting and fantastic father of two little boys and he was married to the love of his life Marvel Devitt who he cherished. He really did.

My wife Kara Dean Reilly , our whole family and The IRA are devastated for Marvel and the boys , for Trevor’s parents and siblings who he was so proud of and for the whole Twin Cities music community. I will miss sitting with him at the end of a long day of performing and traveling and having that one last drink together...laughing at our failures and celebrating our minor victories. Trevor was calming , funny , passionate , talented and above all the kindest person I’ve ever met. I will do my best to keep his memory alive for his boys.

I was fortunate to have known him and I’m pissed he was taken this way.

See ya when I see ya pal-