On August 10, Janet Weiss – the current drummer of Quasi and Slang, and the former drummer of Sleater-Kinney – met with a major car accident. Yesterday (August 27), her sister Julie Weiss launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with her medical costs.

The fundraiser’s description provides more context about the accident and Weiss’ injuries. A speeding car had hit Weiss near her house in Portland, sending her car spinning. She suffered a broken left collarbone and fractures to both her legs. Weiss’ partner and Quasi bandmate Drew Grow, who was in the passenger seat and further from the impact zone, broke his rib.

Weiss underwent surgery that same day, and though it went well, “the doctor told us that her right leg has to be completely non-weight-bearing for 12 weeks,” Julie Weiss wrote. Weiss cannot use crutches, and will have to use a wheelchair for the duration of her recovery.


Due to the accident, Weiss was forced to cancel a joint tour with Quasi and Slang, and according to the GoFundMe, has to pass up work for at least three months in her career as a location manager for film and television while she undergoes “the highest quality and the most intense physical therapy possible to get her back into drumming shape,” Julie Weiss wrote. “That is the ultimate goal no matter how long it takes.”

Funds from the GoFundMe – which was set at a £20,370 ($25,000) goal – will go towards costs that insurance doesn’t cover, namely out-of-pocket medical bills, nursing care, physical therapy, the installation of a wheelchair ramp at Weiss’ house, and paying for Weiss’ expenses for the months she cannot work.

In the short time the fundraiser has been active, it has already surpassed its initial goal; it has hit £35,166 ($42,332) as of time of writing. Weiss’ musician friends – including Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Sleater-Kinney member Corin Tucker’s other band Filthy Friends, and Pearl Jam/Soundgarden/Temple of the Dog drummer Matt Cameron – have chipped in. You can donate here.

“I am moved beyond belief at the outpouring of love and goodwill, and the generous financial assistance that has been given today,” Janet wrote in an update on the fundraiser. “Our community is strong and bold and is an unbelievable life force and my constant source of inspiration. The accident was terrifying and humbling and I am truly happy to be alive.


“But the pain and the uncertainty of how to get myself back to where I was physically and mentally have been at times daunting. Asking for help can be really scary too so thank you for blowing my mind with your generosity and proving that everything is gonna be alright.”

Weiss has been providing updates on her recovery on social media. “I have been crushing my PT [physical therapy] and my right leg has a lot more strength and flexibility than it did a week ago,” she wrote in her last update on August 25.

Last month, Weiss left Sleater-Kinney after 24 years. She drummed on their most recent album, ‘The Center Won’t Hold’, which was released earlier this month.