Thunderpussy stormed Nashville’s High Watt Wednesday evening
Written By | Walter Lytz
Hailing from Seattle, they are touring on their self titled album released in May.
Nashville natives and purveyors of southern sludge Thelma and The Sleaze opened and damn near stole the show. The obvious choice for opener, they fit the bill espousing a feminist punk attitude and southern rock sound. Comparisons between front woman Lauren Gilbert (LG) and Janis Joplin are too easy to make, but LG has way, way better rock star moves. That’s not an overstatement and must be seen to be believed and assimilated into the core of your being. Delightfully raunchy, LG has comedic flair when introducing songs and making small-talk. If you walked in at just the right moment you might think you were at an Amy Schumer set.
See More Photos of Thelma and The Sleaze
Unwilling to be outshined, Thunderpussy put on quite the display. Not just a catchy name, Thunderpussy is four women wielding Led Zeppelin appeal writing and performing 1970s-ish no-frills rock-and-roll.
Singer Molly Sides has a killer voice, and her stage presence shows us what Steven Tyler might be like with several years of ballet training. Most impressive is drummer Ruby Dunphy who can shred drums un-stymied by a frequently toppling crash cymbal. Joe Perry-esque guitarist Whitney Petty delivers driving riffs and face-scorching solos and Leah Julius on bass holds up the bottom-end like the titan Atlas.
See Clips of Thunderpussy in Nashville Here.
See More Photos of Thunderpussy
The onstage chemistry between the quartet is undeniable. Like a science experiment gone gloriously awry, you could practically see the molecules sharing valence electrons and unleashing a highly exothermic reaction onto an expecting audience. Thunderpussy exploded with fan favorites Thunderpussy, Torpedo Love, Speed Queen and even covered Jefferson Airplane’s Somebody To Love for good measure.
No better venue than the High Watt to experience the controlled chaos. With windows
overlooking the Nashville skyline, the up-close-and-personal setting is ideal for interacting with performers who are often mingling in the audience before and after sets. Three generations of Thunderpussies were in attendance this night, as some of the bands members parents and grandparents were there, front row center, giving the rest of us fans a little healthy competition.