The Sonics

The Sonics
The Sonics performing at the Double Door in Chicago on February 27, 2014.
Background information
Origin	Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Garage rock rock and roll garage punk proto-punk
Years active	1960 (1960)–present
Labels	Etiquette Jerden Bomp Revox
Associated acts	The Fabulous Wailers
Website	thesonicsboom.com
Members	Gerry Roslie Rob Lind Larry Parypa Dusty Watson Freddie Dennis
Past members	Andy Parypa Bob Bennett Ricky Lynn Johnson Don Wilhelm Mitch Jaber Stuart Turner Jerry Parypa Tony Mabin Rich Koch Marilyn Lodge Bill Dean Ray Michelsen George Fencil-Wallace Michael Gone George Crowe James Butsch Suzie Kattayama GoodTime Charlie Lewis

The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on punk, garage, and hard rock music worldwide, and they have been named as inspirations to Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, the Fall, and other major artists.

They played a mixture of garage rock standards ("Louie, Louie", "Have Love, Will Travel"), early rock and roll ("Jenny, Jenny", "Skinny Minnie") and original compositions such as "Strychnine", "Psycho", and "The Witch", all based upon simple chord sequences, played hard and fast.

The lyrics of The Sonics' original material dealt with early 1960s teenage culture: cars, guitars, surfing, and girls (in songs like "The Hustler", "Boss Hoss" and "Maintaining My Cool") alongside darker subject matter such as drinking strychnine for kicks, witches, psychopaths, and Satan (in the songs "Strychnine", "The Witch", "Psycho", and "He's Waitin'", respectively).

The Sonics were formed in 1960 in Tacoma, Washington, by teen-aged guitarist Larry Parypa, with the encouragement of his music-loving parents. The earliest lineup included Parypa, drummer Mitch Jaber, and guitarist Stuart Turner; Parypa's brother Jerry briefly played saxophone, and their mother occasionally filled in on bass at rehearsals. In 1961, Parypa's older brother Andy became the bass player, and Tony Mabin took over as their new saxophone player.

When Turner left for the army, Rich Koch (who had previously played with the Wailers) joined as lead guitarist, and Marilyn Lodge became their first singer, the band having been an instrumental combo up to that point. A new drummer, Bill Dean, replaced Jaber.

Koch and Lodge left the band in 1963. Local star Ray Michelsen became the band's singer after having sung with several other popular bands on the local scene. Larry began looking for a drummer to replace Dean, who he felt was uncommitted to the band, and found Bob Bennett playing in a band called the Searchers, with keyboardist Gerry Roslie and sax player Rob Lind. Ray Michelsen was looking to leave the band, so the Parypas hired Bennett, Roslie, and Lind, and let their previous saxophonist Mabin go. The well-known lineup was in place, but the Sonics' career did not begin in earnest until 1964, when Gerry Roslie started singing lead vocals. With Roslie as lead singer the band started playing gigs at local venues such as the Red Carpet, Olympia's Skateland, the Evergreen Ballroom, Perl's (Bremerton), the Spanish Castle Ballroom, and St. Mary's Parish Hall.