What's the measure of a good show? If it's a count of crowd-pleasing songs, sing-a-longs or thunderous shouts of approval, The Thermals are way ahead of the game. Their three-minute songs are bouncy and quick with memorable lines to spare. So, in order to differentiate between this Thermals show and say, other Thermals shows, the best measure of how good the show was is how badly I got bruised up and pushed around by the young and exuberant crowd. more ›

Portland punk band The Thermals makes progression look easy. Beginning with its 2003 lo-fi debut More Parts Per Million, the band has gradually expanded its sonic palate with each subsequent album, be it 2006's epic The Body, the Blood, the Machine or 2009's death-centric Now We Can See while retaining its core identity: explosive energy, loud guitars, sing-a-long choruses, all delivered in three minutes or less. more ›

Sometimes bands build up their audience’s energy over the course of a set, but The Thermals had no interest in easing anyone in on Wednesday night at the Black Cat. After a jovial hello from singer/guitarist Hutch Harris, the Portland trio began their hour long set with 2006 standout “Return to the Fold” inspiring a loud, audience-wide sing-a-long. The rest of the show followed suit as Harris, bassist Kathy Foster and drummer Westin Glass gave a filler-free jaunt through their catalog, while the audience did their best to mirror the band's energy and enthusiasm. more ›

We're a little short-staffed today, so if you've got any picks to add for this weekend, please leave them in the comments. FRIDAY >> This weekend the Uptown Theater is playing the final cut of everybody's favorite movie about replicants running amock, and young Darryl Hannah being super sci-fi hot, Blade Runner. >> If an apocalyptic future isn't exactly what you're in the mood for, try on Seattle's dream folk rockers, Band of Horses, for... more ›

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