POP Montreal review: Garage legends The Sonics delivered a lesson in classic RN’R

The Sonics
Théâtre Fairmount
September 16, 2015

Expectations were sky high for the first-ever Montreal show by garage legends The Sonics. The early 60’s Tacoma, Washington rock band essentially created the blueprint for the blown-out, stomping garage rock that paved the way for punk rock and grunge, while their disbanding kept them from sharing the spotlight with the legions of bands they influenced.

With the release this year of This is the Sonics, their first LP in a whopping forty years, the band are out to prove that they are more than a mere nostalgia act, a notion that was immediately put to rest as soon as they hit the stage at Théâtre Fairmount on Thursday night.

The floor in front of the stage felt like it would give way any minute during the band’s set, as it groaned under the weight of a capacity crowd dancing along to the band’s raw 60’s tracks, along with covers of a handful of rock standards and a heaping selection from their comeback LP.

Right from the start, saxophonist Rob Lind mentioned / warned that the band were going to be splitting their set evenly between their classic tracks and their new record. While a proclamation like that from a reunion band is usually greeted with jeers, the energy in the room never dipped during the new tracks, which blended in seamlessly along with audience favourites like “Have Love Will Travel,” and “The Witch.”

For a band with core members pushing well beyond middle-age, The Sonics delivered a remarkably energetic performance that never let up during their hour-plus set. With a solid comeback album and a thrilling live show, hopefully The Sonics are here to stay this time.

Below are photos form the show, including openers Les Breastfeeders, courtesy of Jason Hughes. For all upcoming tour dates, visit thesonicsboom.com.

The Sonics

Les Breastfeeders