Frankie Whyte & the Dead Idols – Reverb
Written by Jason Daniel Baker
Tuesday, 21 July 2009 10:59

Toronto’s Reverb club hosted Frankie Whyte & the Dead Idols for their Canada Day concert in 2009. Even for those of us in attendance that night who are quite patriotic the evening held more significance than a normal celebration of national pride.frankie_whyte_dead_idols

Ms.Whyte and her associates are set to open for the legendary hard rock act KISS, a band whom they have derived immense influence from in terms of musicianship and showmanship, within the next few weeks for several shows.

While some would be crippled by an inability to relax knowing what such a great opportunity means, Ms.Whyte feels fine. That girl is no amateur and knows how to deal with pressure. From what I have seen in previous shows where she has opened for bands like Econoline Crush and L.A. Guns it elevates her game to the next level.

They opened for L.A. Guns again at the Canada Day show this year having done so at the same club almost a full year ago. One notes with some wonder how far they have come since then.

The members of FWDI are grateful more than words can express for all the help and opportunities that have come their way. The new members, Zach O’Rourke (Bass) and Jay Manara (Drums) are fully as pumped having replaced former FWDI members who have gone on to other projects.

Danny Cavalcante, often swallowed by the dark part of the stage like some phantom, is the rhythm guitarist in FWDI and the McCartney to Ms.Whyte’s Lennon when it comes to the band’s songs. He and Frankie formed the band together and remain tight as this new phase in it’s evolution unfolds.

I don’t wanna try to imagine what it is going to be like for FWDI living the dream. But I remain fascinated at seeing this act move up and shoot for the top.

The fact that it was a Canada Day show gave me pause to wonder if Canadian audiences need for the band to hit big internationally before they will take notice of an act they can see locally.

The rock fan obsession with KISS is obviously not exclusively American. In fact the band’s tour dates in Canada are indicative of tremendous interest here, the result of online polls. A wide range of demographics from teens to seniors are effusive about the Canadian leg of the KISS tour.

Members of FWDI aren’t likely to let the fact that they are the opening act get in the way of their enjoyment of seeing KISS play at the shows they open.