Roky Erickson & The Explosives
Saturday, April 28 2007
Coachella, Indio, CA
By Cameron Dye
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)
Photos by Jayne Loader
Like many outside of the Texas circle, I’ve known Roky Erickson mostly by legend. With The 13th Floor Elevators, he has been credited with chemically creating American psychedelia in the theoretic garages of Austin in the mid-sixties and, reportedly, delivering that mixture to San Francisco in a way that was hard not to imitate when that scene was first finding its signature sound.
Busted for possession of a single joint in 1969, he copped an insanity plea and endured electroshock and thorazine treatments for the next three years at the state hospital for the criminally insane impairing him mentally and financially to different extremes for the next three decades.
During this time, he has continued to write and record when inspired (with his band, The Aliens, or with the help of fellow Austin originals such as Doug Sahm and Charlie Sexton) and occasionally perform.
A tribute album (Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye) released in 1990 boasts contributions from REM, ZZ Top, and The Butthole Surfers among others. Otherwise, he has been covered by a wide spectrum of artists who celebrate the angst that connects them to their audience and have a sharp tooth for the roots of punk. And big favorite of Little Steven on his “Underground Garage” syndicated radio show.
A new documentary (You’re Gonna Miss Me) and a much anticipated bio-pic said to be in pre-production further enhance the legend and signal the long awaited return of a true originator, Roky Erickson.
Backed by the reunited Explosives (one of Austin’s favorite rave up bands from the late 70s through the early 80s and Roky’s most consistent stage collaborators since that time), Erickson is making his first southern California appearance in over 25 years at Coachella, So Cal’s biggest and best music fest.
Don’t believe in Global Warming? Come to Palm Springs. Now drive south for 20 minutes. This place is hot, hot, hot! To quote David Johansen. Blessed with The Gobi Tent, the crowd is crammed with fans (most of whom would have been born well after the bulk of his catalogue was recorded) or just the genuinely curious. It’s cool inside.
The late afternoon desert sun beyond the tent creates an interestingly eerie backdrop of silhouettes on stage as lead guitarist, Cam King, vests a comfortably tentative Roky Erickson with his silver custom made Gibson at the mike down center.
Drummer Freddie Krc hits hard like thunder from the back riser and a barrage of sound fills the air, delighting everyone here. Erickson sings his messages in a high, plaintive wail that chimes in and out of King’s swampy southwestern licks.
Hard rockin’ tales of gators, white faces, beasts, God, Lucifer, and two headed dogs are delivered convincingly on this day by a pure soul who has personally known the light or dark nature of each of them (much like his predecessors who outran the hellhounds).
Most songs are familiar to the young disciples in the audience and Roky seems pleased. He offers little more than a heartfelt “thank you very much” between songs only furthering his air of mystery that much more.
“Starry Eyes” beautifully breaks up the set and reveals a new layer of vulnerability in the survivor we’ve watched stay rooted to the center of the stage. His proto-punk classic that put him on the map, “You’re Gonna Miss Me”, closes and leaves us all thinking, “Yeah, and we didn’t even know how much until now.”
With a tour extending to Europe this summer and vintage live recordings with The Explosives ready for release (to be titled Halloween), it feels like Roky Erickson has always been here before. Yeah, you’re gonna miss me.