Thunderpussy upstages My Goodness at The Cannery

Thunderpussy Live at The Cannery, Everett WA (Photo by Arlene Brown)

Everett continued to up its musical game with an incredible lineup at The Cannery the night before Bumbershoot took off. My Goodness was the ostensible headliner, touring their latest LP Shiver + Shake. Those familiar with their high-energy, hard-edged sets might be surprised to know that it was the middle act of the night, Thunderpussy, that wowed the crowd.

Working the room with dark humor and sexual energy that pervaded the stage, Thunderpussy’s lead singer Molly Sides sang with strident ease mixed with animal screams. She prowled around confidently, commanding the audience’s attention (which they seemed only too happy to give). Lead guitarist Whitney Petty (formerly of The Grizzled Mighty) chastised her guitar with a full-on whip, thrashing it (and Ms. Sides) with gusto. Thunderpussy is somewhat of a Seattle supergroup as it also boasts La Luz’s Lena Simon on drums. Sonically, their sound is dirty blues with a hard edge and mixes their own compositions with confident standards like  Elvis Presley’s “Trouble.” Check out what they’ve done so far on Soundcloud, then go to a gig and pick up a kickass homemade Thunderpussy t-shirt (and soon to come: Thunderwear).

My Goodness did put on a rock-solid performance despite being without bassist Cody Votolato. Singer/guitarist Joel Schneider and drummer Andy Lum spent several years as a two-piece band, so it was just like old days for them. Songs such as “Cold Feet Killer” showcase Schneider’s clear-wavering voice with hard-hitting toms and a rock sound that at times rivals Zeppelin.

Portland-based opener Tango Alpha Tango could have easily headlined The Cannery themselves, which is a testament to the strength of the night’s lineup (and Tango Alpha Tango.) TAT’s guitar-centric swamp-blues rock is augmented with groovy keyboards, and singer/guitarist Nathan Trueb performs like he’s trying to set his guitar on fire, grimacing in lockstep battle with his axe while his bandmates calmly play along. His voice sounds young, scratchy, and pleasant.

Everett continues to impress. Cool people should take notes from the two slide shows below, as SMI was fortunate enough to have two photographers on the scene: