Woods

Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Canada

I descended the stairs into the pungent sweltering basement midway through the Wild Oats set and was immediately put at ease by their beguiling tunes.

Portland, USA

Then the election happened, and in a quick outpouring of emotion, the band found they had written and recorded a six-song, 32-minute record reacting to the outcome.

Teatro Barcelo, Spain

The audience swayed as the band performed songs from their 2016 release City Sun Eater in the River of Light along with favorites from all seven of their studio albums.

Bordering on a Dwyer-esque abandon at points van der Spek’s yelping vocals and slashing guitars channeled elements of the garage/punk hybrid sound that’s come to prominence in the band’s home base of Los Angeles in recent years.