Roky Erickson at The Empty Bottle 5/20/12

Kevin McKeough pretty much nails this Chicago Tribune review of Roky Erickson Blackout Fest-closing performance at the Empty Bottle Sunday, May 20th. The only thing I would add is that in those moments when Roky slipped or in Kevin's words was most "vulnerable", his bandmates were there to break his fall. Without the least bit of hesitation or frustration they got him right back on track.

It's hard to imagine a song like "You're Gonna Miss Me" not having some kind of effect on the listener. In the context of the now 64 year-old psych pioneer's long observed "vulnerability" it seems almost impossible. I mean, Roky's story is kind of a sad one no matter how you look at it. It's difficult not to think of him as a victime in one way or another.

The show probably wasn't supposed to leave me with a case of the warm-and-fuzzies, but that's what cheering for Roky did. I'll bet I wasn't the only one who felt like they were rooting for the (two-headed) underdog.

Read the Tribune review below, then head over to Tinygrooves.blogspot.com and check out some great live footage of the performance.