All The Daily Howl, Demon Waffle and Take Your Chances want for Christmas is cans. The bands are infusing blues-rock, ska and pop-punk with a benefit food drive concert at the Acoustic Coffeehouse Next Door, 415 W. Walnut St., Sunday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s really a tag-team effort,” said Andrew Conner, Demon Waffle’s trumpet player. “All of us equally want this to be a success, so we’re each doing what we are best at.”

Demon Waffle feels like this event is more than a philanthropic endeavor. “The main goal is to collect cans for the food drive and to help out some less fortunate people,” said Demon Waffle guitarist Donnie Barnett. “But we want to prove that the music community doesn’t only think about themselves. It’s easy to get caught up. More shows like this would be a good thing for the music scene in the Tri-Cities.

“We really want people to respond to this positively so we can continue to do more shows like this in the future,” Barnett said.

Matthew Cates guitarist and vocalist for Knoxville-based The Daily Howl said that this is their first benefit concert. “We’ve never played a benefit show before,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to do something good. It’s a great way to benefit the community and have an awesome time doing it.”

Fans are taking notice of the event not only for the popular music but realizing the impact it could make. “I was interested by the food drive initially [because] it’s a very good cause,” said Justin Forrester a sophomore studying anthropology and Demon Waffle fan.

“I also like to get out and support Demon Waffle every chance I get. Their unique style of music, that being ska, does not get a lot of recognition but it has recently been becoming increasingly popular here in Johnson City.

“I think the way the bands have set up the benefit was really good as well, you get in for pretty much half off if you bring a few cans which, in my opinion, was a great idea. If I could I would encourage as many people to come as possible. It will be a great show,” Forrester said.

Admission is $5, or $3 with a donation of three or more cans. Prizes are also available with a donation.

The bands are giving out discounted or free merchandise, waffles and beer for each can with a limit of five (21-plus). Although they don’t have a specific number of cans in mind for a goal, Cates would like to see at least 300 cans collected. “We’re trying to get as much food as possible,” Cates said.

Conner said that everyone in the community has a job to do. “The Acoustic Coffeehouse serves beer, The Daily Howl rocks, Second Harvest Food Bank feeds America and I’m just the annoying infantry, tooting a bugle,” he said. “However, the most important job is for [everyone] to bring cans of food to The Next Door, and experience Johnson City’s best live bands.”

All donated canned goods will be given to Second Harvest Food Bank for their Feeding America campaign.

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