King Tuff w/ the Tschotchke
Neumos, Seattle, WA
03.08.23
The last few years tested many of us, whether we turned to house plants and jigsaw puzzles or high-tech remote work. For King Tuff, neé Kyle Thomas, 2020 found the artist searching for magic. The kind of magic you find in nature, in new love, in great collaborations. And the result of that was the 2024 release of his sixth studio album, Smalltown Stardust, released in January on Sub Pop. More tender than Tuff’s typical garage rock stylings, the new album provides plenty of time for connection, especially when performed live. For an adoring crowd in Seattle, Thomas delivered a set that showed off this new sound, albeit with a few older tracks mixed in for good measure. It was just the taste of slightly grimy sunshine this town needed as we near the end of a long winter.
More nostalgic than specifically-surfy, scene newcomers Tschotchke opened the show with a strong set of vintage-tinged pop. Only slightly phased by a mid-set broken snare drum, the trio’s charging beats and infectious lyrics make them a must-listen for indie rock fans.
Review and photos by Stephanie Dore
King Tuff
Tschotchke
