When Nick Leet left Minot more than a decade ago, he'd basically bid good riddance to his hometown.
But time makes the heart grow fonder.
And when flood waters destroyed a large portion of Minot this summer, Leet couldn't stand idle.
Article Photos
Submitted Photo - - High on Stress, above, a band with ties to Minot, team up with other bands to present a flood benefit concert in St. Paul, Minn.
Leet and many of his musical friends will be holding a Minot Flood Relief Benefit Show on Aug. 26 at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minn.
Leet's band, High on Stress, also featuring Minot native Chad Wheeling, will play, along an number of acts including Standard Thompson.
"I left (Minot) in 1999," Leet said. "My former band, Standard Thompson, moved to Minneapolis to pursue music and other opportunities.
"I feel like I didn't respect Minot enough when I lived there," he said. "I think it's pretty typical of someone in their late teens.
"These days my thoughts have changed," he added. "I have the utmost respect for my hometown. It was amazing to watch all the great people helping each other out. In a lot of cases, it was perfect strangers helping each other. It was a beautiful thing to watch in the middle of the horrible flood. I felt like there had to be something that I could do."
High on Stress will be joined at the benefit by a number of other acts with local ties.
Standard Thompson frontman Mike Hjelden is from Surrey and drummer Jordan Keating is from Minot.
Minot native and solo artist Mark Stockert will also perform, as will Western Fifth, Minneapolis rockers John Swardson and Get Gone and Martin Devaney with Jake Hyer.
The show will have special guest emcees Jason Nagel of Cities 97 and former Minot DJ Levi Jessen of K102 and will be sponsored by Vita.MN.
"It was easy to get people involved," Leet said. "Everyone saw the news and wanted to help in some way. Jason Nagel is a great DJ on Cities 97 in Minneapolis who has a local music show. He seemed like the perfect guy to ask. His parents were from Mandan so he jumped at the chance. He also asked Levi Jessen to help out as well."
The benefit will also feature a silent auction, with dozens of items ranging from baseballs signed by Joe Mauer and Tony Oliva to a framed photo of Paul Westerberg from the Replacements last ever show at First Avenue.
Doors open at 8 p.m., with music set to start at 8:30 p.m. There will be an $8 cover charge for the show, with all proceeds going to The Minot Area Community Foundation Center for Community Giving.