King Tuff plays it loose at Turf Club in St. Paul

Tuesday night at Turf Club felt more like a glorified basement party than a polished concert, which suited King Tuff perfectly. Led by garage rocker Kyle Thomas, the band played loose to a half-full crowd, shrugging off a handful of sound issues that occasionally muddied the vocals and buried some of the guitar work. Still, none of it seemed to matter much to the fans packed near the front of the stage, who happily leaned into the fuzzy riffs, ragged solos, and easygoing energy that have long defined King Tuff’s live shows. Even with a lighter turnout, the performance never felt low-energy; instead, it carried the spirit of a midweek basement show — loose, loud, and authentically fun.

The setlist balanced newer material with fan favorites, but the standout moment came when the unmistakable opening riff of “Black Moon Spell” kicked in. The single remains one of King Tuff’s best live tracks, sounding just as hypnotic as it did a decade ago. Thomas and company tapped into Tom Petty’s work during the encore for a lively version of “You Wreck Me”. It sounded great and was a fun way to close out the show.