Isidro Garcia has had the idea for a big annual benefit concert since he was young.
This year, it's finally coming together.
Garcia's band, Frostbite, is putting on its first Frostbit Food Drive on Friday at the Atomic Cantina.
Garcia called Roadrunner Food Bank to see if they were interested, and when they gave him the green light, he began arranging bands, advertising and making all the other preparations necessary for the show. Roadrunner will be picking up canned foods and other non-perishables. Admission is free.
Garcia said he was inspired to put on a benefit concert, because there is not much of a local music scene in Albuquerque, and he wants to help the scene grow while improving the community. He said the Thanksgiving season is as good a time as any to "work together and help each other out" while having fun in the process.
Frostbite is headlining the show. Garcia described the band as a rock-based group with hip-hop, ska and other influences woven in.
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Garcia has been playing music with his brother Armando on drums and Bob "Bass" Jones for six years. Guitarist Tom Caballero joined the band recently. Garcia had only a couple of words to describe Caballero's playing.
"He's insane," he said. "He's freakin' insane."
Caballero, he said, brings solos back to a genre of music that has all but abandoned that sort of creativity. His style of playing is reminiscent of Sublime guitarist Bradley Nowell, he said.
But solos aren't the only dead aspect of rock 'n' roll Frostbite resurrects. The Garcia brothers, who made all-state choir in high school, harmonize and inject original melodies into a kind of music that underwent a vocal-styling metamorphosis from singing to screaming.
The Garcias have a musical family history. Their father played at the State Fair every year since Isidro can remember. His little brother, who is also very musical, plays in a local Christian band.
Garcia said he first remembers singing when he was 3 years old, and he's been going strong ever since.
"It's in the family," Garcia said.
The benefit concert includes five local bands of various genres. The Pipe Hustlers, 20/20 Blind, Evenkeal and the Dirty Baby Dolls will also perform. The variety of music covers everything from hardcore, '70s-style rock and Rage Against the Machine-esque rap-rock to covers of songs everyone will sing along with.
COMING ATTRACTION
Frostbit Food Drive
Friday. 7 p.m.
Atomic Cantina
315 Gold Ave.
Free
