March may have come in like a lamb in Western Washington, but inside Tony V’s Garage in Everett, a Tsunami was under way. More precisely the Bay Area’s Tsunami Bomb headlined.
Sporting a new lead singer (Kate Jacobi), who performed duets and the occasional pas de deux with keyboardist Oobliette Sparks. Flirtatious and charismatic, Kate was all over the stage and at one point she and Oobliette jumped off the stage and formed a circle pit with the crowd. Said crowd was only too happy to oblige.
The guitarist (Andrew Pohl) and bass player (Dominic Davi) often ran back and forth across the stage, trading places with each other. Then keeping the energy swirling into a raging cesspool was drummer Gabe Lindeman.
It’s probably been about a decade since I saw Tsunami Bomb, so this was a concert long over-due and not to be missed. It was worth the trek up to Everett. I am so glad they reunited.
Playing prior to Tsunami Bomb was Seattle psychobilly maniacs Raw Dogs. Lead singer Jerry “HJ Loveshaft” sported a sky-high paintbrush multi-colored mohawk and scars and fake blood on his white painted face. Joey Bones (guitar and vocals) had grown mutton chops and no longer resembled a demonic teddy bear, but more like a possessed Furby as he too wore ghoulish makeup complete with fake blood. Drummer Ian “Bam Stroker” had the classic nerd look with black rimmed glasses and neatly cropped hair. He wasn’t shy when it came to stage antics, often cracking jokes and standing up to rile the audience. New bass player Thomas rounded out the band’s sound perfectly, but visually didn’t fit in. He looked, well, normal. Missing was original bassist Skwerll with his ghoulish makeup and sky high mohawk and the acrobats he did with his bass. Although still tons of fun, the band is definitely missing an element without Skwerll.
Prior to Raw Dogs was a band I saw for the first time. Hopefully it won’t be the last. These guys made sparks fly the second they hit the stage. Potbelly is a four-piece hailing from Oak Harbor, WA. Jason Potbelly (lead vocals/guitar) wore bright red plaid pants as he strutted about the stage, growling and shouting into his mic. The band’s drummer, who goes by the name Boner, looked like a cave man with his scraggly hair and equally scraggly beard. He slammed as if possessed. The rest of Potbelly are Ken Ball on bass and Christen Ogden on guitar
Jason Potbelly-Vocals/guitar. These guys thrashed.
Opening the entire night was Bellingham’s Boxcutter PNW, now led by the charming Kendra Carson. She replaced Robby Cleary who left this world way too soon. I wasn’t sure she could live up to Robby’s dynamic showmanship. Those were big shoes to fill. But she filled them and then some. She was non-stop charm as she bellowed out songs and twisted and strutted about the stage. The rest of this scruffy looking lot are Glennerd Skinnerd, Davy Seizure and Eric Hart. Boxcutter PNW are back in the saddle and I could not be more pleased.
When I headed out into the chill of the night I was really surprised smoke wasn’t pouring out the door after it was all over for the night.
– All photos property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
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