Frank Soda Benefit Concert - Sunday November 28th

Frank with Dr. Mike Mandel and Max Webster's Mike Tilka

I think it's interesting that for a country with a fairly small population, Canada has produced a number of excellent female vocalists, including Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne, Joni Mitchell, Shania Twain, Loreena McKennitt, etc., etc., etc.

What is not generally known though, is that our typically self-effacing country has also been a proving ground for some of the world's top guitarists. One doesn't have to think very hard to come up with names like Kim Mitchell, Alex Lifeson, Frank Marino, and the late-great Jeff Healey, to name just a few. And to those of us who survived the '60s and '70s, other Guitar Heroes come to mind, like Domenic Troiano, Paul Naumann, Gino Scarpelli and of course, the legendary Frank Soda. 

I first saw the diminutive electric guitar wizard at the Gasworks on Yonge Street, back in the mid 1970's, and was blown away by his playing. I'm a blues hacker myself, and although I own some great equipment, including a hand-made Gibson SG, signed and played by AC/DC's Angus Young,  I make no pretense to being a musician. I remember watching Frank's incendiary blues playing and thinking that I'd give my left hand to be able to play like that. His band, The Imps, went on to record In the Tube; a concert (not surprisingly) at the Piccadilly Tube, a very cool night spot that resided where the Eaton Centre is now. Frank was into some really interesting rock theatre, including a wearing a television on his head that exploded at the end of TV People, a perennial favourite, as long as you weren't too close...

Here's a YouTube audio link to Break the Ice, a song from that concert, so you can get a feel for this amazing band, with Frank's blistering guitar and vocals. Crank up your volume and come back to read the rest of this, after you...

Click Here

Well now for the sad news...Frank is quite sick and has come to Toronto for treatment that he can't get in his native Vancouver. A bunch of his friends and fans have organized a benefit concert to help him out and it's taking place at the Rockpile on Sunday the 28th of November, which is only a week away. Please tell your friends and all the old rockers you know. Some very talented musicians have stepped up to the plate to help out, and it's going to be a blast. Here are the details:

THE ROCKPILE
5555A DUNDAS STREET WEST, ETOBICOKE
(416)504-6699

Doors open at 6PM, show begins at 7:00. Tickets are only $10.00 each.

Featuring performances by:

CONEY HATCH

WILD "T"

SCARPELLI

THE ANTLERS W/MIKE TILKA & TERRY WATKINSON

ROCKIZOID W/DENNIS DEMARCHI

RUSSELL "DWARF" GRAHAM

MICHAEL WHITE

THE HINGES

& MORE....

The host band is the CARPET FROGS and they alone are worth 3 times the admission price. My homey, Dr. Mike Mandel will be emceeing the event. Come out and support Frank Soda, one of the few genuinely nice people left in the world.

Deacon Dr. Fresh

Supporting Canada's Guitar Heroes