Sicko are back, releasing new comp, playing first NYC show in decades
Seattle cult pop punks Sicko were around for most of the '90s before breaking up in 2001, and they crossed paths with a lot of the now-iconic punk and alternative scenes of the time but never got as popular as they deserved to. Portland Mercury named 1994's You Can Feel the Love in This Room one of the 50 Great NW Indie Rock Albums That Weren't On Pitchfork's List of the 50 Best NW Indie Rock Albums, they appeared on a couple Lookout! Records compilations, worked closely with Seattle vet Kurt Bloch of The Fastbacks (who produced most of their music), had a split with The Mr. T Experience, gigged with a pre-fame Harvey Danger, and more. They've gone on to influence bands like The Ergs (who covered them), and now -- following a one-off reunion gig in 2018 -- they're kicking things into full gear for the first time in nearly two decades.
Sicko are releasing a compilation album, In The Alternate Timeline, due September 13 via Red Scare Industries (pre-orders will be live soon). They're also playing a few West Coast shows, and coming to Brooklyn for their first NYC show in about 20 years. Mikey Erg of The Ergs is opening that one, which goes down 10/12 at Gold Sounds (tickets). The band tells us more about their return:
After 20 years of being dormant, Sicko have decided to release a collection album and play a few shows around the USA. Why? Well, basically for the same reason as ever: it's (nothing more than) something fun to do. Now that our kids are the ones running through the sprinklers, and there isn't a single dateless loser left among us, we thought we'd get back into rock while we still can. The album title refers to an alternate universe in which things turned out differently, and we actually got successful. Yeah, RIGHT. We're talking alternate timelines, not science fiction! Might as well include a flying battleship with a Wave Motion Gun as well... Truthfully, we just wanted to get together and have some fun with old friends. We’re doing a special version of the vinyl for the West Coast shows too, so now you can even more vinyl in your life. See you all soon!
And Red Scare adds:
The first "new" release from these Seattle legends in like 20 years! If there was any justice, Sicko woulda been just as popular as all those huge punk bands that emerged in the 1990's. While much of the West Coast stuff that dominated the scene was macho and bedecked with wallet chains, Sicko was contemporaries with classy bands like MTX, Jawbreaker, and J-Church. They were nerds, and they were OUR nerds. Our champions. After four LPs, the band dissolved in 1998 and, true to form, the members went on to pursue tech careers and attend Oxford. But now we've put together a collection/anthology to remind young pop-punks how it's done. 19 remastered songs, hand-picked by the band, and accompanied by some cool art and fun liner notes. A great collection of hits for the old fans -OR- the perfect introduction for new listeners!
All dates are listed, with video of their one-off 2018 reunion, video of a 2018 KEXP session they recorded, streams of some classic songs, and the artwork for the new compilation, below.
Sicko -- 2019 Tour Dates
9/20 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern (with Broadway Calls)
9/21 – Portland, OR @ Twilight Café & Bar (with Broadway Calls)
10/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Gold Sounds (with Mikey Erg)
10/19 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill