skysaxon1

Sky Saxon, RIP

RIP Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Sky Saxon

Sky Saxon

No one is pushing too hard on Sky Saxon anymore. The leader of ’60s garage band the Seeds died overnight in Austin, where he recently relocated. He had been in critical condition in the ICU at St. David’s South Austin Hospital, Saxon’s publicist Jennifer Marchand said.

Saxon, born Richard Marsh, is credited with being a founder of the Flower Power movement in rock. “Pushin’ Too Hard” was his only song to ever make the Top 40, but Saxon leaves behind a large body of work and an important legacy to American pop music. He’s been described as one of the progenitors of garage rock and psychedelia, and like Roky Erickson and the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, is frequently cited as an important proto-punk influence.

Despite largely disappearing from the pop radar screen by the end of the ’60s, Saxon stayed involved in music and art the rest of his life. Perhaps the most ironic thing about his passing is that he had booked a long tour for this fall with fellow Nuggets A-listers Electric Prunes and Love. [Houston Press]

That tour included an August 5th show at Maxwell’s and one on August 9th at BB King’s. RIP. All of those dates are below, with some videos…

Sky Saxon’s scheduled 2009 tour dates
Aug 4 – Johnny Brenda’s in PHILLY with California ’66 Revue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug 5 – Maxwell’s in HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY with California ’66 Revue Hoboken, New Jersey
Aug 6 – Quick Center (WPNK Benefit) in FAIRFIELD, CT with California ’66 Revue Fairfield, Connecticut
Aug 7 – The Middle East in CAMBRIDGE, MASS with California ’66 Revue Cambridge, Massachusetts
Aug 8 – Theatre Plaza in MONTREAL with California ’66 Revue Montreal, Quebec
Aug 9 – B.B. King Blues Club in NYC with California ’66 Revue New York City, New York
Aug 10 – Patriot Place in Foxborough, MA with California ’66 Revue Foxborough, Massachusetts
Aug 12 – Double Door in CHICAGO with California ’66 Revue Chicago, Illinois
Aug 14 – Lee’s Palace in TORONTO with California ’66 Revue Toronto, Ontario
Aug 15 – Magic Bag in FERNDALE, MI with California ’66 Revue Ferndale, Michigan
Aug 16 – Beachland Ballroom in CLEVELAND with California ’66 REVUE Pittsburgh
Aug 17 – Hard Rock Cafe in PITTSBURGH, PA with California ’66 Revue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aug 18 – The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA with California ’66 Revue Alexandria, Virginia