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Stuck in my head: The Thermals

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On a chilly June evening in San Francisco, way back in ought 1 (or was is ought 2?), I stood in line at the Bottom of the Hill with a group of friends waiting to see one of my favorite bands, Rainer Maria. As was our custom, we showed up an hour and a half after the doors opened so we wouldn't have to endure the first opening act. Some anonymous band was finishing up their set and we grabbed some cheap beers and chatted. Then something amazing happened on stage. The second band marched up, announced tersely "We're the Thermals" and proceeded to explode in a brilliant, white-hot flash of awesomeness.

And that was my introduction to the pseudo-punk trio from Portland, Oregon, and I've been in rock-love ever since. I'm sure Rainer Maria was great, but I can't say I remember much from the headliners that fateful evening. I've seen The Thermals live three times and their energy is infectious enough to get even the emo-est of emo kids to throw off their patch-covered backpacks and nod their bespectacled heads to the beat (or just slightly off beat, as is their emo way of doing things). Don't believe me? Check out the video below.



If you liked that, you'll love their newest album. Here's a more recent video.

Update: Oh, oh, oh! I totally forgot to mention why I am on a The Thermals kick lately. The other night Erin and I were watching an episode of Weeds--downloaded in a perfectly legal fashion using modern TECHNOLOGY--and the end credits rolled along with a Thermals song. I just love it when two of my favorite things come together like that. I have a secret fantasy involving Les Savy Fav doing a cover of the Battlestar Galactica opening theme song.
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erinjohn said…
i remember not being able to take my eyes off their bassist for their entire performance. she may yet be my biggest girl-crush :) oh how i miss drinking way too much budweiser and staying up way too late on a weeknight, hearing great live music.
October 13, 2007 at 6:38 PM
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