Bending Over Backwards: Two Lawsuits Filed Today Rock The Local Music Scene

Well, one thing became quite certain this afternoon (as if recent speculation didn't already have people assuming as much): You're not going to see Salim Nourallah playing Bend Studio anytime soon, like he is in the video above.

(If, that is, Bend Studio ever gets over its current Fire Marshal hurdles.)

Here's why: Two lawsuits were filed in two different courts this afternoon, and both involve Nourallah and Bend Studio. Details after the jump.

First, Ally David, who books a shows to Bend, filed a defamation suit in conjunction with Bend Studio in district court against Nourallah for the sum of $1.5 million. David claims that a recent (and since taken down) blog post on Nourallah's blog did irreparable damage to David's reputation, since the post was assumed to be circulated throughout the local media. (It was--to an extent--although I only saw it reposted on Cindy Chaffin's new blog. A comment posted in response to Chaffin's blog post is quoted in David's lawsuit.)

About an hour after David's suit was filed, the board of directors for the Anju Gill Foundation (an organization set up to showcase local music talent in honor of a music fan who died a few years back) filed a suit against David and Bend. The board--which includes Nourallah, his wife Jayme, musician Rahim Quazi and two others, Diana Bacon and Sara Brooke Blanton--alleges that David misused the $10,000 the foundation was founded with, as well as the $2,000 it subsequently earned in fundraisers, for personal gain.

At this point, although each suits have been filed by its plaintiff, neither has been officially served to its defendants. Still, we reached out to both David and Nourallah for comment.

Says Nourallah: "I considered Ally to be a friend, and I never wanted this to happen. This is the last thing I ever wanted. I've been a big supporter of Bend's over the years, and it's been well documented on my blog and elsewhere."

David preferred not to comment, and we've yet to hear back from her attorney.

We'll do our best to stay on top of these lawsuits and keep you posted on their progress--although please be aware that, with civil lawsuits like these, things could be drawn out over a very long period of time. --Pete Freedman