The Sonics are
one of the greatest garage bands ever--one of the greatest bands
period. The Sonics reign was brutal, yet brief. From 1960 to 1966 they
blasted their way out of the Pacific Northwest with a distorted punk
rock fury the rock & roll world never saw coming and hasn't seen
since. The noisiest and most rockinest band ever, mere words hold no
meaning trying to comprehend this over-the-top 4/4 ruckus. Just slap on
the Sonics right now--tell your stupid coworkers to buzz off cause
you're gonna need to be hearing these rockers kinda loud RIGHT AWAY! Strychnine, Busy Body, Psycho, Skinny Minnie, Boss Hoss, He's Waiting, The Witch, Have Love Will Travel, Louie Louie, Maintaining My Cool. (Streaming Real Audio links)
The Sonics are playing their first show in decades at Cavestomp. For me, this is the highlight of what already has been a swingin' year of musical events.
And I know there's a chance this reunion gig might suck. I know the
oldies circuit only too well. As with Life itself, you always gotta go
into these things with lowered expectations. Statistics show that this
event should be horrible. However, I subscribe to the Question Mark and the Mysterians
Caveman In a Spaceship Exception Theory. In 1997, Q and his Merry Men
time-warped like a Vox-fueled meteor from Planet 1966 and sounded
better than ever. The Alarm Clocks
(also playing Cavestomp) are another freeze-dried rock & roll
anomaly that make you wonder what the Stones would've sounded like if
they quit the biz in 1966 only to make a comeback 40 years later. And The Trashmen?
Jeez--only one of the best shows I've ever seen (Las Vegas 1999).
There's a unifying reason why all these bands kicked ass and continue
to. Cause they're fucking great--that's why. Case closed.
Lead Sonics vocalist Gerry Rosalie can peel the paint off a 747 on a windy day. I'd catch his act if he were backed up by some terrible schlub oldies band up at BB King's. Only this ain't no oldies band. For the first time in 40 years: Here Are The Sonics!
...and here's an interview with Sonics guitarist Larry Parypa from my show back in 1998. Larry spills on his old man's Les Paul connections, the aborted Do the Witch Dance Craze, getting that Epiphone Riviera distortion sound just right and more. Larry comes off as articulate and forthcoming--I'm in complete Joe Franklin mode. Enjoy!
Speaking of oldies acts who defy lowered expectations, I saw Silver Apples on Sunday in Detroit and it was amazing. Simeon is solo now, and mostly sings and operates noisemakers over pre-sequenced beats, but it makes for an awesome show.
Posted by: Ed Corcoran | September 13, 2007 at 01:25 AM
I heard someone recently play Busy Body. I'm kicking myself for not splicing it out of the MP3 archive because I can't find it anywhere. Thundering drums!
Posted by: JT | September 13, 2007 at 11:56 AM
aaaahh whats up with using RealPlayer?!?!!!
Posted by: Theo | September 13, 2007 at 12:31 PM
They sure scored with that Monks reunion years ago; that show was one of the most amazing concerts I've seen in my life.
Posted by: Brian Turner | September 13, 2007 at 01:40 PM
Oh MAN, I wish I were in New York now. Dammit, I'm in Seattle, why not play there, huh? Or, y'know, Tacoma, where they're from! I'd go down there for the Sonics!
Man... I'd always heard that Gerry Rosalie had absolutely NO interest an ANYTHING Sonics. That's good that he's changed his mind!
Posted by: Rev. Syung Myung Me | September 13, 2007 at 06:15 PM
"There's a unifying reason why all these bands kicked ass and continue to. Cause they're fucking great--that's why. Case closed."
You can't argue with logic like that. Woo!
Posted by: Jenjen | September 15, 2007 at 02:22 PM
Nov 2-4 is record fair weeekend isn't it?
some sort of Sonics appearance or a discount ticket offer to CAVESTOMP for record fair patrons would be nice.
Posted by: fred g sanford | September 16, 2007 at 03:02 AM
Wasn't there a horrible Sonics comeback album in the 80's? I'm pretty sure I own such a thing, but perhaps it's not the proper lineup....
Posted by: tim | September 21, 2007 at 08:28 PM
Here's an mp3 link of an interview with one of the Sonics shortly before the CaveStomp festival.
http://blogmedia.thenewstribune.com/media/users/ernestjasmin/larryinfluence.mp3
Posted by: Dennis Flannigan | January 30, 2008 at 01:18 AM
But how to get in contact with the Sonics? We'de like to invite them to play in Paradiso, Amsterdam, but I can't find any information on the net...
Posted by: martin draax | February 21, 2008 at 07:32 PM