It’s impossible to measure how important Norton Records has been to the landscape of underground music for the last 25 years: from their Hasil Adkins reissues to the label’s house band The A-Bones, they've released a tidal wave of forgotten and mostly unheard garage rock, rockabilly, and early R&B into the world. Aside from Crypt Records, no American label can lay claim to being the reason why so many bands today are influenced by the raw and savage sounds of the early-to mid 1960s.
Norton recently celebrated their 25th birthday over four nights in Brooklyn, with a star-studded lineup that included luminaries Question Mark and the Mysterians, The Sonics and Real Kids as well as 21st Century masters like the Black Lips and Reigning Sound, plus a group of guys who probably use their AARP discounts to buy Viagra and whiskey: Kim Fowley, Andre Williams, and Gino Washington.
Jackie Roman was there for the entire weekend, and took plenty of photos that are up at her website and her Flickr.
