{"id":93857,"date":"2023-03-30T13:30:26","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T17:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/?p=93857"},"modified":"2023-10-02T15:04:55","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T19:04:55","slug":"the-weird-wizardly-world-of-king-tuff","status":"publish","type":"gig_review","link":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/en\/gig_review\/the-weird-wizardly-world-of-king-tuff\/","title":{"rendered":"The Weird Wizardly World of King Tuff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the moment he took the stage at Bar Le Ritz PDB, it was abundantly clear that Kyle Thomas, better known as King Tuff, is a weird dude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King Tuff\u2019s March 28th show was supported by Tchotchke, an excellent indie rock group from Brooklyn, NY. The all-female trio played with fantastic energy, with a particularly strong performance from drummer\/vocalist Anastasia Sanchez that carried each track\u2019s momentum through to the end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a short break, the King himself (along with his merry troupe) arrived onstage, opening up in short order with the whimsical opener of his latest album, \u201cLove Letters to Plants.\u201d Featuring restrained keys, subdued yet complicated drums, and imperfect, impactful vocals, this weirdo track did an excellent job of setting the tone for the rest of the set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a little banter about Montreal and its bagels (including the controversial move of pledging allegiance to Fairmount Bagel), Thomas carried on through his setlist, mainly playing cuts off his latest album, Smalltown Stardust<\/em>. As with the record itself, King Tuff\u2019s Montreal performance was one that could be summed up in a single word: confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There was an overwhelming sense of ease in everything played by Thomas and his band\u2014a distinct sense of humility backed up by decades of practice and experience. While Thomas no doubt has the skills to melt our faces at a moment\u2019s notice, he clearly doesn\u2019t feel the need to prove it with these new songs, opting instead to include the bare necessities of what each song requires. These tracks feel like they were made for Kyle Thomas above all else, and the fact that anyone else cares to listen is simply a bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite Thomas\u2019 apparent maturity and growth, he still had his moments, including cursing a floppy mic stand and asking irreverent questions to the audience about our options for local swimming holes. To our delight, it got to a point where even Thomas\u2019 own guitar player told him he was a freak\u2014a statement which was not denied by the King or his bandmates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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