User Reviews

A wonderful story about keeping your dreams alive, taking risks and helping each other out, all wrapped up in a punk rock tale. So well done; inspiring and humbling. Makes you want to live a little more fearlessly.

A story that needed to be told! Jordan's love for music helped tell a beautiful story of a band that was punk rock before it was mainstream. The music that the Sonics created is timeless and deserves recognition. If you are a music lover, you will love this movie!

This is a tremendous true tale of an unknown band that changed the world. The story of the Sonics is an amazing story unto itself, and the film also tells a wonderful story of how the filmmaker was inspired by his dad to discover this band with a cult following and then made it his mission that their story be told. There wasnt a dry eye on the house when the film came to an end. What a great film from a gifted filmmaker! Go Sonics!

Excellent. A remarkable representation of 'living your dream'. What a story that unfolds! This documentary inspires hope.

I've known about the Sonics, but never really "knew" about the Sonics till viewing Boom. Jordan Albertsen strings three distinct, but highly inter-related story lines together and brings us all through a history that is, to say the least, amazing and utterly fascinating. If you like music, love music, are a fanatic about music, or just listen.... you'll fully enjoy Boom!

Such a great story of a little known band with huge influences across the board of rock and roll - not to mention The Sonic's ROCK!!!!

This film was well made and fun to watch. I caught it at the Tacoma Film Festival. The story of the Sonics is a cool and under appreciated story of a rock band from the 60s. The music is great and the band members personalities really get to show. Also the message at the end without giving spoilers teally hits home.

This was so very well done and very inspiring! Get out there and see this film!

Big fan of The Sonics. Their influence on punk rock and beyond, which for decades had been mostly overlooked, is finally being given its due in this stunning, in-depth, and deeply personal documentary by a fantastic storyteller. Its got all the history, not only of the band and their origin but of their unlikely resurgence over the past decade, while effortlessly threading the filmmaker's only personal journey around which the story of The Sonics elegantly orbits. There is so much history to uncover about this band that I didn't know. I can't speak in more generous terms about how incredible this film is. It is outstanding. It wields the investigative power of a Herzog or Burns doc while imbuing the film with the lifeblood of a memoir. It's so subtle, so artlessly done, that I found myself in tears at the end from the almost imperceptible personal narrative woven into the storyline, which, in the end, is as deeply moving as the story of The Sonics itself. This is an impeccably made film for the music fan, doc fan, or fan of great storytelling.

Watch this Doc! And crank up the volume! I knew nothing about the Sonics, but it didn't matter. Albertsen found the secret sauce that will inform you, entertain you, and make you cry. "With a Rock Doc?!", you might ask. Yeah, with this epic Rock Doc. So don't be all snotty. Watch it! This band was punk before the Sex Pistols, or Ramones, and they didn't even know it! Oh yeah, and Albertsen has interviews from some of Music's Legends who hail the Sonics as trailblazers...found out what they're talking about. Watch it!

Watching this film made me wish I had been born a few years earlier and had lived in the Pacific Northwest when The Sonics rocked Seattle's music scene. Sadly, I was not aware of the band or their phenomenal music until I started hearing about this documentary. Jordan did an amazing job of telling their story, highlighting their music. and conveying the broad influence The Sonics had over musicians for generations to come. If you love music, you must see this film!

While I thought I was a denizen in the sound waves that vibrate deep within the Seattle scene, I learned more than I was ready for with this film. Jordan grabbed the punk girl inside of me and made her peark up and cry. The emotions felt through the journey we watch the band go through was both unexpected & brilliant. The movie took me back to the soggy days of when I lived in Seattle and reminded me why the music that comes out of the Pacific North West is so juicy and gut wrenching. I was holding my breath as happy tears escaped my eyes. Hold onto your hearts, because Jordan is bound to steal it.

Incredible! In his film, Jordan Albertsen took us on a beautiful and emotional journey that even I as a novice to the NW music scene in the 60s and to The Sonics was able to connect to. The story is beautifully told, personal, emotional and riveting. Jordan's passion, music knowledge and personal connection to the band really made it special. Not to mention the bands incredible and unbelievable story! This is so much more than your run of the mill music doc!

The movie is excellent. I believe that Jordan did a thorough job in picking and editing together a linear narrative that was concise, endearing, humorous, and even sad at times. The film served the band's history well, respectfully tracing and explaining The Sonics timeline. I was very happy that it was not only a rockin' homage to my favorite NW band, but also a warm tribute to the legacy of Buck Ormsby of The Wailers.

This movie took hold of my heart with the opening scene and held on tightly until the end. I cried, I laughed and rocked out. Love!

This movie weaves a near forgotten band that silently had a huge influence on their genre and the musical world in the last 50+ years, along with a very touching and relatable storyline. any doc lover would enjoy

I am so moved by the way this story was told. If it wasn't for this film, the world would not know about how the Sonics made the impossible possible. Through this courageous and raw telling of the story I found myself more intrigued to deeply listen to the music of The Sonics. I am a big fan of this film and would absolutely suggest all people of all ages to see it. I did not live through the 60's and 70's listening to the Sonics so I am not coming from an already fan of the band. The way this film was created and magically told made me fall in love with the band. Thank you for making this film. It is refreshing to see a story told from such a personal place and integrity of telling the truth. I know Boom! A Film About The Sonics will be a great success.

Whether you've heard of The Sonics or not (I hadn't prior to seeing this film), this documentary will hook you almost immediately. Director Jordan Albertsen artfully tells this bands story in a unique and fun way with the use of interviews, concert footage and super cool archival materials. It is certainly a must watch for all music lovers or for anyone who is curious to see the impact The Sonics had on bands like Pearl Jam, the Sex Pistols, Heart and many more. I guarantee after watching this doc, you will be adding some Sonics songs to your playlist.

You don't have to be a garage band fan or familiar with Pacific Northwest grunge to be swept away by this story.

It's been created with incredible tenderness; almost in juxtaposition to the ferocity of the sound the Sonics created in the sixties. I saw it at the Vashon Island Film Festival and got to hear writer/director Jordan Albertsen tell his amazing tale of tenacity that finally brought it to the screen. During the after-film Q&A, a raise of hands indicated that over half the audience had cried, including me. Although I grew up in Seattle, I was a bit too young to have known what a phenomenon the Sonics were. I learned a lot, but even more importantly, I felt a lot. It's a story of relationships, fate, acceptance, and the joy of making music.

See it at a film festival, if you're reading this in 2023, so you can hear Jordan's story. Unforgettable.

Simply put - a piece of rock history that teaches you about one of the most important bands you probably never knew existed. No wonder it went to a zillion festivals

"Boom" captures the imagination with a personal narrative that intertwines music of the era with visuals form the past and present. "Boom" is a must see for lovers of Rock and Roll.

Man these guys were hitting those drums so hard. Just think about what other bands were putting out in 1964-67, not much hitting like this, no wonder their music was so influential to so many. I really enjoyed the way the film was put together, I am multiple generations away from when The Sonic Boom were putting out music, though through the film I was able to relate and feel that connection.