Last Saturday night Chris and I ventured out to one my favorite music venues in town: the Paramount. There we saw Austin legends Roky Erickson and Okkervil River put on a high energy show combining Texas style with psychedelic sounds.
The Paramount is one my favorite theatres because of its rich history, state of the art sound system, and exquisite décor. As Austin’s oldest surviving theatre, Austinites have appreciated this Congress Avenue theatre for nearly one hundred years. The Paramount is home to all kinds of arts, continuously presenting comedy shows, dramas, musical performances, dance recitals, spoken words, film screenings, and children programs. In fact, it is actually classified as a nonprofit organization due to all of its advocacy and support of the arts. Every time I visit this enchanting theatre and admire the beautiful architecture and design, I feel as if I am stepping into a place where time is nonexistent.
We originally nabbed the tickets online when we saw Austin’s own Okkervil River was performing at the Paramount. I had seen them twice before this show (once at Hogg Auditorium with a live orchestra and then again at ACL), and knew every live performance of theirs proves to be intoxicating. This was a show not to be missed. Everything about them is emotional and dramatic, yet heart-wrenchingly real.
We didn’t know much about Roky Erickson when we purchased the tickets, so we decided to do a little research. Roky, known in the Austin music community as a talented singer, songwriter and guitarist, experienced his greatest success as of yet during the 1960’s with his heavy, intense, garage rock sounds. Popular artists such as REM, ZZ Top, Patti Smith, Jeff Tweedy, and The White Stripes have all named Roky as a great influence to their own music.
Unfortunately, for the past couple of decades, Roky fell into a dark, tragic part of his life, full of imprisonment, homelessness, drug abuse, and mental illness. Yet, he has found the light, thanks in part to Okkervil River and his resilient talent. 
During his time of harrowing hardship, Roky wrote some of his most profound work, which is just now being heard. Together, Roky and Okkervil River have collaborated to create the acclaimed album True Love Cast Out All Evil. Produced by Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff, this album is Roky’s first in fourteen years and some say his best.
In fact, Sheff stated: “I feel truly lucky that I got to produce this record. 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.”
With their intense, full, and creative sounds, it is impossible for me to not love a live show put on by Okkervil River. This particular performance with Roky was at times a bit heavy for my taste, but by the end Chris and I were in the far-out groove. When Roky was most in tune with his psychedelic sound as opposed to just heavy rock style, his talent truly shined. What a wonderful gift that Chris and I got to witness a great Austin legend’s inspiring comeback.
What an awesome experience!!