It’s not that the sun hates Portland, OR. It’s just… a little negligent. Even after the summer solstice, when the rest of the country bakes in warmer climes, it’s not uncommon to find us still cursing overcast skies (see: this). So if we ever needed some irreverent stoner rock to boost our spirits and fuel our boozy BBQs, it’s now-ish. Enter King Tuff—one part guitarist Kyle Thomas, bassist Magic Jake, drummer Tommy Tom Toms and guitarist Mr. California.

For most bands, Monday is one of the worst nights of the week to play a show—unless you’re King Tuff, apparently.  From the back bar to the front of the stage at the Doug Fir, people were elbow to elbow as the group opened with “Anthem” and “Keep On Moving”, two ’70s era burners from their latest Sub Pop offering: the aptly titled King Tuff. The band put the pedal to the metal and their energy was the perfect fuel that the tightly packed crowd needed to get it going, especially on a Monday.

This isn’t Thomas’ first go round with mangy garage pop. Having been a contributing shredder in bands like Witch and Happy Birthday, Thomas is well versed in the fuzzier licks piecing together the beat up muscle car that is now the group known as King Tuff. And it suits him. Dressed in a snap-back Philadelphia Flyers cap and black jersey (#69, of course), Thomas and his gaggle of miscreants seemed to be having as much fun as the kids head banging in the front row.

“Can you turn the disco ball on?” Thomas asked midway through the set, pointing to the disco ball hanging above the crowd. “Yeah, just turn it on and leave that shit on. Now we’re partying.” He was right. As soon as the ball was illuminated and the band ripped into another track, a mosh pit opened at the front of the stage and people began hurling themselves into a crowd surfing circuit.

Maybe it was the awesomely indulgent guitar solos, Thomas’ taunting vocal contortions, “Bad Thing,” or just the smell of weed smoke slowly, yet spiritedly drifting over the crowd, but I swear, by the end of the night, there were swimming pools, PBR and sunshine as far as the eye could see. And that isn’t a bad thing to say the least.

 

Check out King Tuff on tour:

July 28  Soda Bar, San Diego CA w/Jaill

August 3   Fernwood Roadhouse, Big Sur CA

August 19   Meat Market, Tempe AZ W/ Audacity & Otro Mundo

August 20  Launch Pad, Albuquerque NM W/ Audacity

August 22  Opolis, Norman OK w/ Audacity

August 23  J.R.’s Lightbulb Co., Fayetteville AR w/ Audacity

August 24  Highlife Martini Lounge, Springfield MO w/ Audacity

August 25  LouFest, St. Louis MO

August 26  Replay Lounge, Lawrence KS w/ Nu Sensae

August 28  Moe’s (CO), Denver CO w/ Audacity & School Knights

August 29  Kilby Court, Salt Lake City UT w/ Audacity

August 30  Beauty Bar, Las Vegas NV w/ Audacity

September 11  Shacklewell Arms, London United Kingdom

September 12  Effenaar, Eindhoven Netherlands

September 13  Vera, Groningen Netherlands

September 14  De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam Netherlands

September 15  Leffingeleuren Festival, Leffinge Belgium

September 17  Trix, Antwerp Belgium co-headline with The Men

September 18  Point Ephemere, Paris France

September 20  Stock Club, Basel Switzerland

September 21  Swamp Club, Freiburg Germany

September 22  Reeperbahn Festival , Hamburg Germany

September 23  Monarch, Berlin Germany

September 24  Tsunami, Cologne Germany

September 26  Lexington, London United Kingdom

 

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Photos by Mateo Mengis