The death of No Use For A Name lead singer Tony Sly on July 31 left family, friends and fans stunned and grieving. At Sly’s funeral at St. Joseph Cathedral in San Jose, NOFX frontman Fat Mike, head of Sly’s label Fat Wreck Chords, remembered how he’d always been jealous of his friend’s songwriting skills, and Lagwagon’s Joey Cape played Sly’s “Feels Like Home.”
A memorial fund was set up to benefit Sly’s daughters, and the sense of collective anxiety reverberating through the punk world about Sly’s death at the age of 41 and what might have caused it was eased somewhat when it was at least revealed that Sly died “peacefully, in his sleep.”
But for organizers of the Soda reunion show tonight at the Blank Club, the event was doubly sad. The event was already set up as a tribute to another fallen fixture of the South Bay scene, Steve Larkin, and a benefit for his family. Sly had been scheduled to play.
The question of how to address Sly’s death was answered when Steve Caballero, who had started Soda in the ’90s and led the pop-punk band to huge popularity on the local scene, announced they will pay tribute to Sly at the show and perform one of his songs. The show will also feature Jonny Manak & The Depressives, and Cova.
Regarding the Memorial Fund, Sly’s brother Mike wrote:
“Hey Everyone, I have to say Facebook is very helpful in situations like this. We have set up a fund that will 100% benefit my two nieces. Here is the information Wells Fargo Bank Account Name: Tony Sly Memorial Fund Account # 7197059004 Donations can be made at a Wells Fargo Branch using that account name or number. If you are already a Wells Fargo customer you can transfer funds by just using that same account number. God bless all of you for your beautiful thoughts and prayers.“
SODA performs tonight at the Blank Club at 8pm; $10.
.Steve Caballero To Pay Tribute To Tony Sly; Memorial Fund Established
