Above: the remade/remodeled band sez, “Don’t fuck wit us or you get a switchblade between the eyes, pal.”
By Fred Mills
A couple of years ago we hailed the mighty Northwest garage monsters The Sonics, in an interview on the occasion of their first new album since 1967, This Is The Sonics. Now we’ve received word of a new tour and a new lineup for the legendary group:
The Sonics recently entered an exciting new chapter in their storied history, unveiling a retooled band lineup that teams original member Rob Lind (saxophone and harmonica) and longtime Sonics Freddie Dennis (bass and vocals) and Dusty Watson (drums) with a pair of new additions, guitarist Evan Foster (of Tacoma’s own Boss Martians) and keyboardist Jake Cavaliere (a member of L.A. garage-psych upstarts the Lords of Altamont). Founding members Gerry Roslie and Larry Parypa have chosen to step back from the rigors of touring, but remain a part of the Sonics family, and plan on continuing to contribute to the Sonics’ future recordings.
Yours truly caught the band a few years ago at SXSW at Emo’s in Austin when, standing shoulder to shoulder with a who’s-who of rock royalty all eager to see ’em, I was flattened by the volume and the viscosity. So this latest iteration will be hitting the road soon (dates below). According to Lind,
“As anyone in a touring band will tell you, touring is an arduous undertaking. When you get to be our age it’s a constant battle to get enough rest and learning how to perform when completely exhausted and then getting up the next day and doing it all over again. About eighteen months ago, Gerry decided he just couldn’t do it anymore, and he reluctantly stepped away. It was basically the same story with Larry; he just didn’t want to leave home and travel any longer. But they’re working on material for our next album and will join us in the studio.
“Dusty and Freddie have now been in the Sonics longer than the originals, and I’ve come to think of them as originals,” Lind continues, adding, “We were so incredibly lucky to find Jake Cavaliere and Evan Foster. They both were brought up on Sonics music and have been playing it since they were young boys, so they didn’t have to be taught anything. They already knew the sound that was required to be in this band. Jake and Evan were Sonics long before they ever played with us, and their transition has been easy and totally seamless.”
Tour dates:
Thu., March 23 CHICAGO, IL Reggies
Fri., March 24 CLEVELAND OH Beachland
Sat., March 25 TORONTO, ONT Danforth Music Hall
Sun., March 26 DETROIT, MI El Club
Thu., April 6 HOUSTON, TX The Continental
Fri., April 7 DALLAS, TX Gas Monkey
Sat., April 8 AUSTIN, TX Rod and Custom Round Up
Sun., April 9 AUSTIN, TX The Continental
Thur., May 18 ATLANTA, GA Masquerade
Fri., May 19 CHARLOTTE, NC Neighborhood Theater
Sat., May 20 NASHVILLE, TN Muddy Roots Fest