By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Town of Ingersoll is buzzing with anticipation as the Good for the Soll Music Festival approaches.
The free event, booked for Aug. 24 at Memorial Park, is the brainchild of Ingersoll native Jay Panaseiko who owns Studio73 Digital Media. His interest in the music industry came naturally.
“My dad promoted Kiss, Rush, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles and Foreigner, so I grew up in that world. I don’t think he ever wanted me in it and kinda pushed me away. I ended up taking a job at Cami right out of high school for eight years, took a buyout and went to Europe for a year. I wound up teaching English in Taiwan for 20 years.”
Panaseiko said it felt like something was missing in his life so he came home and opened his company when he had the idea of starting a music festival.
“It would be my Woodstock. Not Woodstock ’99 but the original one,” he joked. “I was working on it but I didn’t know where to go. I started working for different bands and it just morphed. I took on some work for a merchandise company and designed for The Trews, April Wine, Lee Aaron, these types of people, and Helix and I are partners in a lot of stuff.”
Helix is the headliner for the festival that also features Canadian rocker Sarah Smith and Ingersoll’s own Oneway Streets.
“Lead singer Brian Vollmer and I are good friends and we filmed a documentary during COVID called The Golden Age of the Canadian Bar Circuit. When I told the band I wanted to do this they said they would help me out and I came up with Good for the Soll.”
The next step in the festival’s evolution was asking for sponsorship from local businesses but Panaseiko knew he couldn’t knock on doors for himself. He needed help.
“I had to get a service club and the Ingersoll Lions Club stepped up. All the money raised needs to go to the festival and they are going to make money selling refreshments. We are also having a 50-50 draw and will be accepting donations. All of the money goes to the club which in turn will go back into the community. We are going to take a portion of it and use it for seed money for next year.”
Two platinum sponsorships have been secured and a number of other local businesses have also come on board. A list of sponsors and other details are available on the festival’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Goodforthesoll. Community Futures Oxford has also provided a $2400 grant. Panaseiko is hopeful next year he will be able to tap into provincial and/or federal grants and added excitement surrounding the event is becoming contagious.
“As far as I can tell people are talking about it. Ingersoll needs this. We are trying to make some money for the town. People will need to eat, they’ll want to buy stuff.”
Helix is a Canadian hard rock and heavy metal band. They formed in 1974 in Listowel and are best known for their 1984 single "Rock You". They have toured with bands such as Kiss, Aerosmith, Rush, Mötley Crüe, Alice Cooper, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Heart, Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P. and Motörhead. They also played at the Ingersol Hotel, now town hall, in 1974.
Panaseiko explained he met Sarah Smith virtually during the pandemic when every musician was sitting in front of a computer playing their guitars.
“It sounded awful. I had the tools and knew how to get studio-quality audio to go out over the internet. We met over the Internet and I taught her how to do it and we became really good friends. The record label I work with sometimes is just about to release her greatest hits. Helix and Sarah have been friends for years.”
He added Vollmer calls Smith his sister and Panaseiko calls her his cosmic sister.
“This whole thing is a big family and community event. That’s the vibe I was going for.”
Oneway Streets appeared on Panaseiko’s radar a few years ago when they competed in a high school battle of the bands at the Forest City London Music Awards, a contest he was doing some work with.
“Last year they came in second. They are starting to get some traction and I’m going to do what I can to promote them. I had about five other bands ask me for this spot but it’s their hometown.”
The Town of Ingersoll is a platinum sponsor along with the Business Improvement Association, both pitching in $10,000. Council has also made the festival an event of municipal significance and agreed it be hosted in Memorial Park.
“People need ways to come together as a community. COVID really stopped a lot of those important activities, so the town needs to support those willing to make them happen,” explained mayor Brian Petrie.”
He added people, including businesses, seem to be rallying behind it.
“Is this something Ingersoll has been lacking in terms of a big event? Ingersoll has a history of having summer entertainment in the park and it's certainly been missed. I think the support for this, from all corners of our community, really speaks to that. Not having to leave our community to have a great night of entertainment is just great,”
Petrie added he can't say thank you enough to all the amazing local businesses that have stepped up to make this a free event for the community.
“A special thanks to the Ingersoll Lions Club for hosting the festival. We are extremely lucky to have so many dedicated service clubs in Ingersoll that are always ready to step up for the community. They are all great partners to the town.”
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