Concert Review/Photos: The Sonics @ TLA 4/12
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
"Strychnine is good / For what's ailin' you."
“Strychnine is good / For what’s ailin’ you.”
This absurd declaration is wrapped up in irresistible garage rock fuzz courtesy of the 1960s based band The Sonics. And last Sunday you could hear it firsthand as they shook, rattled and rolled the TLA. Armed with their own work old and new as well as some classic covers like “Louie Louie,” they were a blast.
For a group that just put out its first record of new material in 40-plus years (This is the Sonics), their sound has not wavered, with new songs like “I Got Your Number” sounding fresh out of the mid 1960s. The Sonics, in their suits and ties, and the audience symbiotically fed off of each other from the start through to the final notes of 1965’s “The Witch.” Philly punks Residuels and soul stylists Barrence Whitfield & The Savages warmed us up.
For more photos by Chris Sikich, see sikichphotography.com.
