Seattle’s endlessly entertaining psych-rock trio Naked Giants stopped by Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge on Saturday, March 23. They were joined by The Black Tones, an excellent up-and-coming blues-punk trio from Seattle, and Anemone, a dream-pop outfit from Montreal.
Read our profile of Naked Giants about the creation of Sluff
Naked Giants released their debut album, Sluff, last spring and have spent much of the past year as both openers and as backing members for a seven-piece Car Seat Headrest. With the extended headlining time slot they previewed a handful of new songs that are set to appear on their upcoming album, which they plan to record in the coming months. They began the set with “Regular Guy,” before diving into Sluff staples “TV,” “Everybody Thinks They Know (But No One Really Knows)” and “Sluff.” New songs “Turns Blue” and set closer “The Shadow” hint at the promise of the impending release.
Their characteristically energetic performance was met by an uncharacteristically tame audience, especially during the show-stopping “Green Fuzz,” but the near-capacity crowd sang along throughout. Guitarist Grant Mullen led the charge with a riff-heavy attack, bassist Gianni Aiello worked his pedalboard to create space-age bass runs while drummer Henry LaVallee acted as the rhythmic spark plug.
Read our 2018 Q&A with Naked Giants
Naked Giants are a must-see live act that has only improved in the year since Sluff.
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