When vocalist Herb Kendrick, better known simply by his nickname "Q," takes the stage next week in Tokyo, he will be appearing onstage for the first time in nearly a year. The gig at What the Dickens in Ebisu is being billed as the singer's comeback. Not only is it a comeback, it's nothing short of a miracle.
Patrons of What the Dickens may be familiar with Kendrick from his six years as the lead vocalist for The Conductors, a band regular at the bar. In 2010, he formed Q Theory, an "old-school funk and R&B band," and that group had been growing increasingly popular when, late one summer night last year, things took a turn downward.
More accurately, Kendrick took the turn — in an accidental fall from the balcony of his third-floor apartment to the street below. His fall is believed to have been broken by power lines, and he miraculously suffered no debilitating injuries. Still, Kendrick broke three bones in his neck and suffered a hairline fracture in his lower back, two broken ribs and a broken shoulder. "I woke up in the MRI machine," the San Diego native says. "I guess somebody found me and called emergency services. I don't remember anything of the accident and no one saw it." Kendrick was in the hospital for three months and, once out, was forced to remain in bed another three months while his neck healed.