NIK TURNER
8 p.m. Revolution. $8.
Man, how rad is this? One of the founding members of utterly mind-exploding space rock pioneers Hawkwind (and as such, one of the guiding lights of the genre) will be performing right here in Little Rock City. Nik Turner helped guide the good ship Hawkwind during the band’s prime of 1969-1976 (and again from ’82-’84), playing skronky, free-jazz-inspired sax and writing or co-writing some of the band’s most memorable tunes.
Any of you heavy music heads who’ve somehow avoided Hawkwind should remedy that situation right quick. Everything from the self-titled debut up to and including “Warrior on the Edge of Time” is absolutely essential proto-metal outer-reaches head-trip gonzo insanity. And Nik Turner was a key part of it. What an interesting dude. Even after he left the band he kept doing cool things, including 1978’s Egyptian mythology-informed “Xtintoday,” which included key personnel from Gong and Hawkwind, notably Steve Hillage.
Turner’s got a new album out this year, “Space Gypsy,” which carries on the tradition of tripped-out cosmic rock that he helped birth. Also, here’s this interesting note: On guitar is none other than Nicky Garratt of legendary British punk outfit U.K. Subs. Also on the bill at this all-ages show: Pallbearer, The Sound of the Mountain, Sumokem and Tropical Body.