by Petyr Campos
Kyle Thomas, the Vermont-born force of nature who records and performs as King Tuff rolled into San Francisco’s Mission District on Friday night and delivered exactly what the doctor ordered: a packed Chapel, a crackling stage presence, and music stripped down to its glorious essentials. Riff. Verse. Chorus. Repeat. Bliss. King Tuff is promoting his sixth studio album titled “Moo”.
The Chapel was packed with a multi-generational audience. From gray-haired lifers who’ve been catching shows in this city since the ’80s, to young Gen Zer and their parents. Thomas and his band wasted no time. The set was lean and purposeful, built on chunky guitar chords, sturdy backbeats, and melodies that felt instantly familiar even if you’d never heard them before. No theatrics, no lengthy between-song monologues, no gimmicks. Just the pure, simple pleasure of a band that knows how to play a room. The crowd rewarded them for it. By mid-way in the show the energy had crept up to something electric, and before long, the middle of the venue had transformed into a full-on mosh pit.
King Tuff also got the entire Chapel shouting “Moo.” Not once, not as a one-off bit, but repeatedly throughout the evening, the crowd bellowing it back with increasing enthusiasm each time. It was exactly the kind of spontaneous, communal weirdness that makes a live show feel like an event rather than a performance.
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Gabriel Bernini is an emerging indie artist. His latest album, Ride Romeo, was recorded at The Loft — Wilco’s renowned Chicago studio, and was co-produced by his father, local music icon Danny Bernini. Gabriel crafts sharp, melodic rock ‘n’ roll music sits that sits comfortably in a lineage of American guitar-driven songwriting.
As a multi-instrumentalist comfortable on guitar, piano, and more, Bernini brings a versatility to the stage that keeps the arrangements alive without overcomplicating them, qualities that tend to translate well to an intimate live setting.
