posted a bittersweet message on its Facebook page on Saturday to mark the start of the Labor Day weekend: "Its going to be quiet here at Ocean Beach Park tonight. Our yearly tradition for over a decade has always been to close out our summer season on Saturday of Labor Day weekend with a performance by The Reducers. With the passing of band member Steve Kaika earlier this summer that's not possible so we want to take a minute to thank the band and all their fans for those great memories over all those years."
Kaika, the bass player for the rock band, was 57 when he . His death came shortly before a planned to help raise funds for his battle with cancer, and the shows went on in order to help Kaika's family and remember the musician. Kaika was with The Reducers for 34 years and worked as a carpenter and contractor.
On the same day as Ocean Beach Park's message, Rick Randall uploaded a video of one of The Reducers' recent Labor Day performances. Randall has shared numerous videos of the band's performances, and in this one they perform "Just Fine With Me" on Sept. 4, 2010.
"This weekend is the first Labor Day in a really long time that I won't be going to Ocean Beach in New London for The Reducers traditional Saturday night show. I'll miss that," Randall said on his Facebook page. "It was always such a fun night and a great way to end the summer. Here's an Ocean Beach video that I've never posted before, dedicated to Steve Kaika and Reducers fans everywhere!"
The band also paid tribute to Kaika and the Labor Day concerts, sharing a photo of Kaika at the beach from 2003 on their Facebook page.
The Reducers are currently gearing up for a CD release party at the Eugene O'Neill Theater in Waterford, where the band first performed together. Several local bands came together to produce the 24-track album, "Rave On: A Tribute to the Reducers Vol. 1." Door open for this concert at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 with a suggested donation of $10; all proceeds benefit Kaika's family.
