KING TUFF at the Horseshoe, Tuesday, October 14. Rating: NNN
King Tuff, born Kyle Thomas and signed to Sub Pop, embraces a loose and gritty beer-soaked aesthetic, from his band’s hesher fashion sensibilities – trucker caps, handlebar moustaches, patch-covered jean vests – to the back-to-basics good-time fuzz rock they energetically deliver.
Perfection isn’t the point, but a little more tightness during their Horseshoe set would’ve made the songs land harder. Headbanger, the strongest tune on terrific new album Black Moon Spell, fell flat during the choruses because Thomas couldn’t come close to reaching the high notes. In other songs, flubbed chords and a too-thick guitar sound distracted.
He found his footing during the second half, and developed a jovial rapport with the college-aged crowd. A wah pedal solo in soft rocker Eyes Of The Muse grabbed attention, bassist Magic Jake whistled wickedly during Eddie’s Song and the superbly clear tone of Anthem’s masterful lead riff (from 2012’s King Tuff) left us absolutely amped.
Proof Thomas got the crowd onside? When he declared at the start of encore song I Love You Ugly that he’d never seen more ugly people in a city before, it earned him loving cheers.
