Roky Erickson’s LA show w/Black Angels- Halloween
TEXT BY: DANIEL HARJU
ALL LIVE/SHOW PHOTOS BY: JEN ZILIOTTO
Jen truly is a photographic wyzzyrd
On Halloween night, while most neophyte bloodsuckers, scandalously sexy nurses and fat Scream dagger men in black burqas all streamed towards the annual costume stampede on Santa Monica Boulevard, this cold-stricken Halcyon staffer and countless other fans of Roky Erickson joined together in a warm celebration of a living legend.
For the unconverted, Roky Erickson is the reincarnated messiah of psychedelic rock and subsequent proto-guru of horror rock who reemerged into this world after two decades of self-imposed exile. (For the full backstory, read Paul Drummond’s wonderful biography “Eye Mind: The Saga of Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, The Pioneers of the Psychedelic Sound,” a wonderfully written chronicle on the Texas heartthrob and his band of outlaw musicians, or see Keven McAlester’s sadness-mixed-with-gladness documentary “You’re Gonna Miss Me“). On this night, Roky packed the El Rey Theater and played a short hit cavalcade including songs from both his solo career and the Elevators’ first album.
Austin's Black Angels
Roky, who last time around was backed by his old 1970s power-pop group the Explosives, had this time chosen as his band fellow Texans Black Angels, who also performed as the opening act. Unlike the Explosives and other Roky backing bands of late, Black Angels seemed a suitable choice of musicians for two reasons: their brave and ambitious effort to recreate the Elevator’s psychedelic sound and their Texas heritage. To have two generations of Texas psychedelic rock playing together on the same stage was undeniably a memorable treat for an L.A. audience.
Halloween Night Psychedelic Flyer
The biggest surprise of the night was the bringing-back of several Elevators songs including the gorgeous ballad “Splash 1,” a preaching-the-gospel number called “Reverberation,” the instant classic “You’re Gonna Miss Me” and bad-trip cautionary tale “Don’t Fall Down.” Playing these older and more complex songs seemed to be upon insistence of the Black Angels, who probably got started covering the Elevator’s material. Although Roky read from lyric sheets and stumbled with his delivery during some of the more challenging songs, Roky’s voice still carried the performance and filled the entire venue with an air of lovingness.
Halcyon Magazine staff and friends
“Splash 1″ and “Reverberation” both proved to be successful attempts to recreate the Elevator’s magic. These songs gave the audience a sense of what originally made Roky such an electrifying performer. Thankfully, Black Angels vocalist Alex Maas played the jug and added that insane roller coaster dimension to the Elevator’s sound. Although I am still convinced that nobody can play that electric jug like Tommy Hall, that well-intentioned 13th Floor Elevator svengali who supplied Roky with endless mind-opening keys.
Roky performing live- by Jen Ziliotto
The finest and most opportune moments were probably the performances of “Night of the Vampire,” “I Walked With a Zombie” and “Creature With the Atom Brain,” three brilliant horror-inspired garage tunes that distinguish Roky solo work of the 1970s. Much have been said and written about Roky’s internal mental turmoil, the dark years he spent locked up with murders and rapists in a mental institution for criminally insane, and his untended schizophrenia, as inspirations for his demonized poetry. Less has been made of Roky’s affinity for horror movies.
Despite the scary veneer, nothing would seem friendlier and lovelier on this ghastly Night of the Vampire than this legendary horror rock icon.
Roky’s mental fragility appeared noticeable a couple of times as young and star struck girls climbed onstage and embraced him with kisses, whereupon the star lost his place in the song and signaled for it to end by raising up his hand, or was carefully guided back in the grove by the band.
Roky fans- LA band "Trigger Renegade"
As expected, the audience was mixed and reflected the dual nature of Roky’s music catalogue – the psychedelic crowd and the heavy metal crowd. As Roky launched into the perfect soundtrack for the night, the audience’s exalted mood exploded like fireworks. “If it’s raining and you’re running don’t slip in mud ’cause if you do, you’ll slip in blood tonight, is the night of the vampire.” Then, but one thought could spread throughout the theater: this must be the perfect place to be on Halloween.