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Roky Erickson played 3 NYC-area shows, releasing new Anti- album w/ Okkervil River (who just opened for Levon Helm)

Roky Erickson @ Maxwell’s on January 2nd (schwartzray)
Roky Erickson

“Roky tore it up again [at Maxwell’s on January 2nd], but I noticed he was really, really nervous for this show. He wasn’t committing to the final notes or chords on each song and would turn and face the drummer to hide his fear and insecurity during the end of each song. in his defense, the crowd was loud and demanding, the space was small, it was late and freezing outside, and they played a huge set. His vocals were dead on for most songs and his guitar playing overall was pretty good. They played some really amazing cover songs really well, and I was overall very pleased with the night. When they closed with “Don’t Slander Me” and left the stage, I swear I saw tears in Roky’s eyes. I really hope they were out of happiness because the man has really left a great mark on my soul, and I know I speak on many other’s behalf.”
[I Must Find Atlantis]

Roky Erickson was in the NYC-area for three New Year’s shows – he played Maxwell’s on NYE, Southpaw on New Year’s Day, and then returned to Maxwell’s for a January 2nd show. The above pic and review are from the latter and its setlist is below.

Okkervil River just teamed up with the Levon Helm Band to play Terminal 5 on January 7th (we almost had pics, but then Levon said no cameras were allowed). A few video clips of Okkervil’s set closer, “Unless It’s Kicks”, are below.

Will Sheff & co. will again pair with a legendary rocker. They produce and play on Roky Erickson‘s new record set to be released by Anti-

Legendary musician Roky Erickson triumphantly returns on April 20th with the Anti Record’s release True Love Cast Out All Evil his first new album in fourteen years. Produced by Will Sheff and featuring his band Okkervil River backing Erickson, the record is comprised largely of unreleased songs that Austin, Texas native Erickson wrote throughout his decades-long career – detailing with heart-breaking candor a harrowing life that has included shock treatment, imprisonment, mental illness, and irreversible loss. With a wisdom that can only be marshaled by someone who has been through all of the this, Erickson also interjects the songs with love, hope, and spiritual grace.

Anti- is also putting out the new Dr. Dog album in April.

More Roky album info and videos are below…

Okkervil River – Unless It’s Kicks Terminal 5, New York, NY January 7, 2010 – last song

Unless It’s Kicks Okkervil River Terminal 5 January 7, 2010

Roky Erickson album info

While True Love Cast Out All Evil echoes the many musical styles in which Erickson has been a participant or a pioneer – including garage-rock, lo-fi psych, heavy metal, and country-tinged Texas folk – it also moves Erickson into new territory, foregrounding his songwriting skill. In these songs, Erickson addresses his troubled history in his own words, eschewing the metaphors of earlier songs like “I Walked with a Zombie” to speak directly about hardship and the lessons learned from it. Will Sheff’s production highlights the songs while interweaving them with found-sound and archival recordings culled from Erickson’s home videos and recordings made in the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

“I feel truly lucky that I got to produce this record,” Sheff says. “When we started out, I was given sixty unreleased songs to choose from. There were songs written during business setbacks including the Elevators’ painful breakup, songs written by Roky while he was incarcerated at Rusk, and a great deal of songs that reminded me of the sense of optimism and romanticism that I think sustained Roky through his worst years and ultimately reunited him, a few years ago, with his son Jegar and his first wife Dana. Because we started with so many songs to choose from, the quality of the material we ended up with was exhilarating. This is not a cynical comeback record, a lukewarm update on an established legacy – these are the best songs Roky has ever written, unreleased due to decades plagued by the kind of personal tragedies that would destroy someone less resilient. This record has been the most challenging and rewarding, thing I’ve ever worked on, and we in Okkervil River were deeply honored to show up decades later and help Roky carry these wonderful songs over the finish line.’

Roky Erickson – Maxwell’s Hoboken, NJ 01.02.10 Set List
(all songs credited to Roky Erickson and The Aliens unless noted otherwise)
1) Cold Night For Alligators
2) Creature with the Atom Brain
3) The Wind and More
4) Bloody Hammer
5) The Beast (Roky Erickson & Evil Hook Wildlife E.T.)
6) Stand For the Fire Demon
7) Night of The Vampire
8) Don’t Shake Me Lucifer
9) I Walked with a Zombie
10) Oh! My Soul (Janis Joplin cover!)
11) I’m a Gonna Love You Too (Buddy Holly cover!)
12) Splash 1 (13th Floor Elevators)
13) You’re Gonna Miss Me (13th Floor Elevators)
14) Red Temple Prayer / Two Headed Dog (Roky Erickson & Bleib Alien)
15) Don’t Slander Me (Roky Erickson)