Jesse "Jess the Mess" Rich of Orange County punk band Broken Bottles passed away last week from a drug overdose. Julia Smut, drummer for the Redondo Beach punk act Smut Peddlers had this to say:

Jess always kept you guessing. Onstage you might get silly string, some fireworks and sometimes some really stinky stink bombs! I know Jess battled some demons. I wish he had been able to beat them. I hope he is somewhere where they do not exist. He will live on forever in the music he created. It will be a while before I can listen to one of their records, but when I do, I will remember him fondly!

Some stories have been posted in The OC Register and OC Weekly about the sad news.

Our deepest condolences to Jesse's friends and family.