Why The Sonics are iconic

The Sonics perform at the Moore Theatre.

As The Sonics barreled their way through a set at The Moore Theatre spanning fifty years’ worth of hard blues rocking songs laden with strident saxophone, one thing was clear: punks aren’t going to retire in their old age. Screw the golden years, they’re going to go out with a throat-shredding scream, and happy to do it.

The newly released This Is The Sonics provided nine songs for the setlist, several of them performed live for the first time. And to the uninitiated (of which it seemed there were few), the new tracks spliced seamlessly with those originating from the early to mid-sixties, “I’ve Got Your Number” and “Bad Betty” blending in with “Psycho” and “Strychnine” as if they’ve been old friends for years. The music is dated in the very best way: The Sonics have long covered the PNW standard “Louie, Louie”, but their take is snarlier, more sinister (if less drunken sounding than The Kingsmen’s version). Sly allusions to Satan have littered The Sonics’ music for years, and “I’ve Got Your Number” was a great continuation of this theme. Lead vocalists Gary Roslie (keyboards) and Freddie ‘The Screamer’ Dennis (bass) took turns at the mic, each delivering lyrics in their singular styles. Roslie’s screams sounding weathered yet strident and Dennis’ seemingly destroying his septuagenarian vocal cords (yet the screams kept coming).

It was no surprise to see Mark Arm come onstage to sing “Shot Down” in his particularly sneering, irony-laden style (his band already present), but it was an unexpected treat when Chris Ballew (Presidents of the United States of America) joined The Sonics for a playful version of “You’ve Got Your Head On Backwards,” both Ballew and saxophonist/harmonica player Rob Lind donning goofy sunglasses during the song. And that was nothing compared to the general uproar caused by the appearance of Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), who played bass on “Cinderella” and even pogoed: seeing Krist Novoselic pogo in person should be on everyone’s bucket list. The general ecstatic mood carried on through the encore and an impromptu jam version of “Lucille” with Ballew again on vocals. The Moore is a seated venue but The Sonics had the crowd on their feet the entire time. The repsect and mutual admiration on all sides was incredible and endearing to see.

The Intelligence started the night off with just the right amount of thud, scud, and swagger. The band eschewed theatrics for the most part, letting their lo-fi music do the talking instead, although singer Lars Finberg did swing his axe around a tiny bit during a few fuzzed-out guitar solos.

Mudhoney, long time admirers of and highly influenced by The Sonics, didn’t pull any punches on a crowd that skewed toward an older demographic. The good news is that Mudhoney itself has been around for quite a while (frontman Mark Arm commenting, “We’re getting old, too.”). Their archetypal ‘grunge’ sound is another that has remained unchanged through the years, and it doesn’t need tweaking. From “This Gift” to “The Only Son of the Widow From Nain,” (a nice nod to Easter, eh?), Mark, Steve, Matt, and Guy churned the crowd’s guts and eardrums, with every other song providing a chance to go off on a freight train of a jam session. The direct ties to The Sonics’ legacy were blaringly obvious in the style of guitar distortion, hard-hitting drumwork, and aforementioned jams. Mark Arm’s stage presence may evoke a Stooges ambiance, but the music harkens to something older and even more primal. You can thank the Sonics for that.

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