Missing from nearly every 2019 best-of-the-year list was the debut album from Portland, Oregon band TK & the Holy Know-Nothings. This is something of a travesty because anyone who had the pleasure to listen to Arguably OK was bowled over with the sharpness of Taylor Kingsman’s songwriting backed by a gritty, West Coast alt-country soundtrack. Despite that fact, the album clearly got heard and appreciated by a number of people, as was evident by the band’s sold out show at Mississippi Studios on Saturday, January 4th.
Having mostly avoided Portland with shows supporting Arguably OK, Saturday’s Holy Know-Nothings show felt like a homecoming of sorts. Though the members of the band (including TK himself) can regularly be found jamming at beloved local venue the Laurelthirst Pub, this show would focus almost entirely on the band’s original material. With Jay Cobb Anderson’s trippy harmonica leading off, the set launched with “Tunnel of a Dream”, a loping and choogling song that allowed the band to stretch out and get comfortable. From there the set would have plenty of highlights as the band balanced laid back grooving with serious songwriting and musicianship. “Emmanuel” would shine with Anderson’s twangy guitar soloing and whole band harmonies, “Alone” slowed things down with its tale of downtrodden characters looking for something better, and fiery guitar solos intertwined with boogie woogie keyboard on “Laid Down and Cried”.
Despite the heavy honesty of Kingsman’s songwriting at times, the band also kept the vibe loose and fun as they incorporated wonky carnival guitar and trumpet into a song called “Hairy Little Pickle”, or busted out an endearing and funny folk rocker called “I Got Really High and Lost My Beer”. “Desert Rose” was a proper country rambler – upbeat, catchy and loose – that also showcased some of the finest group jamming of the night. These tunes offered up a light-hearted change of pace from darker material like the quiet ballad “Dejavudu”. They also didn’t hold back on jamming, often letting improv happen naturally in a hats off to their love of West Coast psychedelia. Throughout the set, the band channeled contemporary influences like Deer Tick and Dr. Dog alongside the Grateful Dead and rough and tumble outlaw country.
With yet another album due out this year and a growing fan base, the time is right for TK & the Holy Know-Nothings to take their music to audiences beyond the Pacific Northwest. Their sound fits right in line with the wave of outlaw country-influenced music that is popular now, and their ability to nail covers and improvise makes each show unique. In Portland, the sold out crowd reacted with overwhelming enthusiasm to a performance that rocked hard with plenty of country swagger and potent, hard-hitting songwriting on display.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
