THOUSAND OAKS : Concert Will Benefit Missing Man’s Kin

The family of vanished ex-rocker Philip Taylor Kramer received permission to stage a benefit concert at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza next month.

The family hopes to persuade Iron Butterfly, the rock group Kramer once played bass with, to perform during the concert tentatively set for May 20.

The Civic Arts Plaza Board of Directors agreed Wednesday night to allow the family to use the Probst auditorium at the reduced rate reserved for nonprofit groups.

Kramer, who lived in Thousand Oaks, disappeared 76 days ago while on a trip to Los Angeles International Airport. His family and friends have spent more than $40,000 searching for him, sister Kathy Kramer-Petersson said. The concert will defray some of that expense, she said.

Kramer-Petersson said most of the money has been spent on a private investigator and mass mailings. She said she recently mailed 100 letters to police agencies across the country asking them to keep an eye out for her brother.

Kramer-Petersson also pointed out that Kramer’s wife continues to make lease and insurance payments on a family van that disappeared along with him. “It’s hard,” she said. “You don’t know whether to mourn or keep up hope.”

Kramer’s family was scheduled to appear on the “Donahue” television show Wednesday, but the airing was postponed until next week. Several other missing-persons-oriented shows have also expressed interest in the Kramers’ plight, she said.