Kevin Gilbert - Thud Live at Rittenhouse Square (2025)

There is a distinction to be made between Thud the album, and Thud on tour. Various incarnations of Kevin Gilbert’s Thud band featured differing lineups, from a five-piece to a two-man band.

Now, feast your ears upon one tight Thud trio: Kevin Gilbert, Nick D’Virgilio, and Russ Parrish. This Thud band played these songs together only a scant few times, but oh what magic when they did! Volume Eleven of The Archive Series documents the gig they played at Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, on August 23, 1995.

Several tracks present live versions of songs from the album. You’ll feel the emotional pull and dry wit of songs like “Joytown,” and “Shrug,” but let’s not forget “Waiting,” whose rendition here, in spirit with the version from the “Kashmir” EP, is played rough and raw like the best of bashing rockers.

Some will note the astute and historically accurate placement of songs in a row, as if the mix-tape gods had smiled upon the set list.

Later tracks give modern listeners the chance to experience what it was like to live in anticipation of then-ongoing projects such as Kaviar and The Shaming of the True. It truly was, and remains, a great time to be a Kevin Gilbert fan.

Fans of live music will be familiar with the charge that accompanies the mood, the feel, the raw energy of such a well-honed trio on the stage. Between-song banter can be important in a great live recording, and this release provides that in spades. In fact it could be said that the banter builds and tells a story of its own.

Without such banter, we might forever wonder, why would Russ be mad at KG? Exactly where did Duncan work? Who was Anais Nin? And to what question does the use of the term “Goodness Gracious” naturally lead, perhaps now more than ever? There is so much here to discover.

You’ve listened to Thud the album. Now listen to Thud the three-part band, recorded here live, tearing up the stage in Philadelphia.

About the KMG Archive Series — This multi-CD series consists of audio recordings of all eras from deep within the Kevin Gilbert audio vault. Demos, unreleased tracks, alternate mixes, live soundboard recordings, studio rehearsal sessions, and more. The highest quality audio source was used for each title. Some recordings are presented in raw form and exist for the true completist.

Kevin Gilbert — vocals, bass, guitar
Nick D’Virgilio — drums, vocals
Russ Parrish — guitars, vocals
Chris Golden — bass, track 6