Oh, how I love the Thermals (More Coconut!)

In case you didn’t notice, WinterStorm Seattle 2007 hit like a pound of bricks this past weekend (12/1), bringing a welcome flurry of soggy snow to the greater Seattle area. Turns out the Thermals took exception to this environmental upstaging and hit the Neumos crowd like a TON of bricks, complete with jagged mortar. Take that, Mother Nature. While the melodious antics of these Portland-based power-punks are nothing new to anyone not living under a rock, the positive effect their music has on any crowd is undeniable, profound, and certainly guaranteed. Hutch Harris has solidified himself as one of the best punk lyricists of today, tackling church and state issues near and dear to his once-Christian heart, coupling them with wickedly catchy guitar licks. Of course, the triumph would not be complete without the fervent bass-playing of the springy-haired Kathy Foster and the drum-pounding proficiency of Lorin Coleman. How these three slight humans make such an enormously beautiful racket is beyond me; but that’s neither here nor there (well, it might be there, but that’s neither…never mind), I’m just glad they keep coming north.

The turnout for this all-ages show ended up being fairly healthy, and Neumos utilized a split floor setup I hadn’t seen before. It was nice to be able to actually drink while not upstairs for a change. These DIY-ers wasted no time in getting their gear set up following the first two acts (pizza-partyers the Coconut Coolouts and indie-folk outfit Arthur & Yu), and catapulted straight into “Returning to the Fold”, followed closely by “I Might Need You to Kill” and “An Ear For Baby”. Despite being a year and a half old, the songs still sounded fresh and recent. By the middle of the set, it sounded as if some actual new songs were being unleashed (they sounded terrific), as their website indicates a soon-to-be-recorded 4th LP, tentatively titled One Special Enjoy. Of course, old favorites were played (“No Culture Icons”, “How We Know”, among others) before a cover of Built to Spill’s “Big Dipper” was played during a two-song encore. I never realized how similar Harris and Doug Martch sounded. Simply a-MAY-zing.

There was, of course, the obligatory teenage mosh-pit up front, and, as one observer put it, “Stage diving is back in!” I must admit, the kids were doing a pretty good job of hurling themselves into the constantly shifting crowd, graceful as a seasoned sky diver some of them were. As the leaps became more frequent, the bouncers got more agitated, trying to stymie much of the fun. If they were a bit better at their job, it wouldn’t have become such a scene, as a few of the kids proved to be more than one man could handle. You could see the tension building in Harris’ face, and quit playing right in the middle of “St. Rosa & the Swallows”—my favorite cut off The Body, The Blood, The Machine. “I feel like Fugazi or something,” he confessed, and then simply asked if anyone was hurt. No one was, so they kept rockin’.

Not only did the Thermals bring the noise, but the opening two bands provided a well-rounded, entertaining performance. Backyard band the Coconut Coolouts partied their way to a beguiling garage-rock performance, complete with two standing drummers. Check these guys out at the Comet on 1/3 or at the Funhouse 1/31. Local duo Arthur & Yu play with a full band and sounded absolutely exquisite. Not too pretentious and not too delicate, A&Y sounded like an old-fashioned folk band—with an edge. They’ve just left on a tour for the mountain states and through Texas, but make sure to catch them upon their triumphant return.

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