The Dallas music community is coming together to support a key figure in the scene: Mark Ridlen — musician, DJ, and pop culture savant — will be feted at a benefit to raise funds for his medical bills.

Called Mr. Rid's Birthday VIRGO-GO Cancer Benefit Party, the event will take place on Saturday, August 31, with a powerhouse lineup that shows the profound impact Ridlen has had in Dallas' music scene for nearly five decades.

From his appearance in the battle of the bands scene in Ron Howard’s 1978 directorial debut, Cotton Candy, to his groups Quad Pi, Lithium X-mas, and a plethora of side projects with scores of DFW musicians, to his full-time job as a professional DJ, he's been a steady staple of the local creative scene.

Ridlen has surfed pretty much every musical wave, from Dallas' epochal dance music scene in the early 80s, to punk rock to his role as one of Dallas' top DJs — the guy you call when you want your event to be cool and fun.

What many outside his circle do not know is that Ridlen has been quietly battling kidney and lung cancer for the past three years. Over the summer, he had his second kidney removed, which means he's on dialysis treatment a couple times a week.

If that sounds bad, it also comes with a ray of hope.

"The doctors think that the remaining kidney was the main cancer-giving element,” Ridlen says. “So that's gone. So for the moment, you know, I’m more-or-less cancer-free, although it's too early to tell how long it's going to play out. So hopefully, if I can remain cancer-free for two years, I can get a donor for a kidney or two. That'd be great, because the dialysis thing is kind of a pain — but it is keeping me alive.”

Cancer hasn’t slowed Ridlen down. In May, he DJed a party at the Kessler celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Starck Club, the legendary dance music club designed by Philippe Starck, which had a huge influence on Dallas, and which Ridlen was part of.

Post Starck Club, Ridlen migrated to Expo Park, the underground neighborhood across from Fair Park where art and music ruled. His stints at XPO Lounge, Double Wide, and other neighborhood venues made him a staple in the community.

At the same time, he was also a member of Lithium Xmas, a psychedelic art-rock band which he formed with acclaimed musicians Chris Merlick and Greg Synodis.

“I've always loved Expo Park,” Ridlen says. “I was never a big Deep Ellum person. I just thought Expo Park was a lot more attractive — easier to park and get around, with galleries and [artists] who lived right there. All throughout the 90s and 2000s, in all of those places right across from Fair Park, I had a hand in performing as a DJ or a musician of some form."

The circle of musicians and friends who've rallied to participate in Mr. Rid's Birthday VIRGO-GO Cancer Benefit Party is a sweet indication of the high regard in which Ridlen is held.

Organized by Colleen Gilson, Double Wide owner Kim Finch, and Kathi Kibbel, the night will feature rare performances by acts such as Nervebreakers Tribute, The Moondials, John Falvo, Long Black Car, Buck Wylde, and Sonic Assembly Power Hour, as well as DJs Gabe Mendoza, Sista Whitenoise, Mark A. Smith, Tiger Bee, Wild In The Streets, and Wanz Dover.

There'll be live and silent auctions plus cocktails from a specialty menu. Proceeds will go to benefit Ridlen. Zero-proof cocktails from Beyond The Bar will also be available for purchase.

“I do want people to know that I am not being slowed down by cancer,” Ridlen says. “I'm ready to continue working. I have more-or-less a clean bill of health for the moment, and hopefully that doesn't change.”

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Mr. Rid's Birthday VIRGO-GO Cancer Benefit Party takes place on Saturday, August 31 at the Double Wide at 3510 Commerce St. Doors are at 8 pm, and showtime is at 9 pm. Tickets are $10 and are available on prekindle. To donate to Ridlen's medical expenses, click here.