Yellowknife (Jan 07/05) - Yellowknife's musicians are pitching in to raise money for relief efforts for the areas of Southeast Asia devastated by a tsunami late last month.

"I saw what was happening and this is what I know how to do," said concert coordinator Robin Wasicuna, who runs a music promotions company called Heroes on the Ropes.

Robin Wasicuna and Cory Straker put up a poster advertising the CoolAID concert next Friday, Jan. 14, at the Polar Bowl, which will be a fundraiser for tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia. - Jennifer Geens/NNSL photo

"I called all the musicians I know in Yellowknife and everybody jumped on board."

The concert, dubbed "CoolAID," has a list of 10 performers that so far includes Mandeville Drive, Captain McTinkle's Magical Parade, Hussdog and friends, Rough Touch, Steve Smith, Leslie Bader and Anodyne.

The list is expected to keep growing right up to showtime.

The concert will happen next Friday night at the Black Knight, beginning at 6 p.m. and continuing into the wee hours of the morning.

Tickets go on sale today at both Javaroma locations.

Even Randy Sibbeston, a musician from Fort Simpson, heard about the concert while it was still in its early planning stages and volunteered to drive up and perform.

The line-up is so diverse, there's a band to suit every musical taste.

"So there's no excuse for anybody not to show up," laughed Wasicuna.

If you can't make it to the show, the evening's entertainment will be recorded and released on a CD, to raise even more money for tsunami relief efforts. Wasicuna said the disaster's timing made it even more imperative that people help the survivors in any way they can."It's terrible when something like this happens at Christmas," said Wasicuna.

"We're sitting down and eating a turkey dinner while this is happening on the other side of the world."

For Cory Straker, who's also part of the coordinating committee, the decision to pitch in was a no-brainer.

"They're poor as it is and then they're hit by the worst disaster ever recorded," he said. In addition to concerns raised by the reports of staggering death tolls and millions of homeless, Yellowknife's music community had a worry that hit quite close to home.

Singer/songwriter Leela Gilday was travelling in South Asia at the time of the disaster. However, Gilday is alive and well, having been nowhere near where the tsunami hit.

The co-ordinating committee is also seeking corporate donations and donations-in-kind of goods and services to help make the concert a success.