The Sonics go boom on the Strip

If you dig rock ’n’ roll, you’re a fan of The Sonics whether you know it or not.

Even if you’ve never heard the pioneering garage rockers’ seminal ’60s albums “Here Are the Sonics,” “Boom” and “Introducing the Sonics,” plenty of your favorite artists did, from Bruce Springsteen to Nirvana.

The punk forebears from Tacoma, Wash., were one of the most unhinged bands of their era.

Just listen to singer Gerry Roslie howl as if he was trying to expel his lungs from his body on “Psycho,” one of The Sonics’ definitive blasts of hair-on-fire rock ’n’ roll fury.

Chuck Berry, Link Wray and the R&B of their day were all influences on The Sonics, who kicked out the jams before The MC5 with a hard-swinging sound equally suited for the shaking of hips and fists.

Along with Roslie, original members Larry Parypa (lead guitar) and Rob Lind (saxophone) still tour with the band, whose lineup is rounded out by Freddie Dennis (bass) and Dusty Watson (drums).

See them now, hear them forever.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow on Twitter @JasonBracelin.