The Thermals played really old and really new songs at 285 Kent with Hilly Eye and Habibi (pics, videos, setlist)

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Andrew Sacher

The Thermals at 285 Kent - 3/7/13

While it was some kind of wintry mix outside, things got pretty hot and sweaty in the packed 285 Kent last night (3/7), where The Thermals were playing a BrooklynVegan-presented show with Hilly Eye and Habibi. And if you don't believe me, just ask Hutch from The Thermals, who stripped down to his underwear to deal with the heat. The band also remained in great spirits after breaking a kick drum one song into the set, rocked the whole time, and high-fived the moshing crowd at the end of their set. It was all pretty inspiring to see in a DIY club from a band ten years into their career.

Because of the ten year anniversary of their first album, More Parts Per Million, they played almost the entirety of the album, ripping through its many highlights like "It's Trivia," "Back to Gray," "A Passing Feeling," "Brace and Break," and of course, "No Culture Icons." And on top of that, they also took the time to preview almost the entirety of their upcoming album, Desperate Ground, which will be out on April 16 via their new home, Saddle Creek. The band have already revealed the album's single, "Born to Kill," (which they played last night), and if you liked that song (or any other Thermals song for that matter), you'll like this new stuff too. It's the classic Thermals formula and just as urgent as the rest of their catalog. They also worked in a few cuts off The Body, The Blood, The Machine, which had the crowd going pretty wild, especially during "Returning To The Fold" and "Here's Your Future."

The Thermals continue on tour, hitting the NYC area again on Saturday (3/9) at Maxwell's with TEEN and Monday (3/11) at Ace Hotel for their '5 at 5' series (bands play 5 songs at 5 PM, and it's free). They'll also be in Austin for SXSW, where they'll play the free BrooklynVegan Friday day party with The Polyphonic Spree, Akron/Family, Diamond Rings, KEN Mode, Pallbearer and more.

More pictures, the setlist, and videos (via (((unartig)))) from 285 Kent below...