triple rock social club: the thermals

Fast. It’s how The Thermals play, and it’s what makes them a hell of a live act. The Portland, OR band’s speed punk was on full display last night at an energy-filled show at the Triple Rock.

In high school I went to more than a few punk shows, and last night reminded me how much fun they can be.

Lead singer Hutch Harris sings as expressively as anyone I’ve seen, eyes wide as he belts out the political lyrics from their 2006 album "The Body, The Blood, The Machine." When he wasn’t playing the guitar, Harris’ arms would get into the act too, waving about. The rest of the band hopped about the stage a bit, mostly focused on playing as fast as they could.

The Triple Rock was nearly full, and the band’s energy infected the crowd, with quite a bit of bouncing around and a mosh pit formed a few times. I somehow resisted the urge to thrash myself against my fellow concert-goers, but still enjoyed the show immensely. The Thermals have set the bar high for concerts this year, and matching their energy will prove difficult.