Friday evening, The Thermals stepped up to the small stage in the corner of downtown’s Jackpot Records. Lining the wall behind the band were various promotional posters- the most prominent a giant, faded Sleater-Kinney poster. This seemed fitting for a few reasons. In the band’s heyday, Sleater-Kinney also played an in-store show at Jackpot. In 2006, the Thermals opened for Sleater-Kinney's last show just down the road at the Crystal Ballroom. And now, the Thermals stand as the clear inheritor of the band's post-pop- punk sound.
The showroom of Jackpot was packed. And hot. Really, really hot. I broke a sweat before the end of the sound check. By the close of "Returning to the Fold," the evening’s second song, lead singer and guitarist Hutch Harris was drenched. The song, a feverish, "I’ll sleep when I’m dead," sort of tune encapsulates the Thermal’s energy. We’re having fun now, but death may be sooner than we think. Bassist Kathy Foster bounced around stage in the face of this declaration, her giant smile an affront to the song’s dark message.
Most of the evening’s songs were off of this year’s "Now We Can See." On the studio album, Harris' vocals sometimes seem a tad put-on and even cartoony. This was especially true in Friday evening’s version of the album’s second song, "We Were Sick." Despite this foible, the song showcased Harris’ best guitar work combined with Westin Glass" perfect drumming.
Towards the end of the set, the band broke into an exact replica of Green Day’s "Basket Case." The cover was a perfect choice for the Thermals- a punchy pop song just catchy enough for the audience to forget that the lyrics are about mental illness and sing along. The band ended with "Now We Can See," the title song off of this year’s release. Foster's loud bass and Harris' driving guitar shone in this strong closing piece. The band played a total of 16 songs in less than forty five minutes for a quick (and hot) Friday evening show.
