You're Gonna Miss Me

Considered by many to be "the hero of psychedelic rock,” Roky Erickson will more than likely go down in the history books as a lost soul whose musical prowess succumbed to drug experiments and a debilitating mental illness. But there’s more to the story of the 13th Floor Elevators’ electric front-man than most know. You’re Gonna Miss Me exposes his vulnerable state, living in shambles, somehow falling asleep to a sonic blast of televisions, keyboards and radios, while being subjected to courtroom custody battles between his mother, who rejects science and medicine, and his four brothers, who feel his schizophrenia needs to be medicated. There is plenty of riveting footage, such as his official legal document stating that he is in fact, an alien, as well as candid interviews that reveal titbits like a band he formed with a murderer and a rapist, and his mother’s bizarre memorabilia, like cardboard cut-out collages of her sons. But unlike The Devil & Daniel Johnston, Miss Me doesn’t hold focus on Roky’s story and the reasoning behind how events unfold gets lost in all of the familial drama. Nonetheless, it’s still a riveting watch that sheds light on this often forgotten but important figure in rock’n’roll.