Ural Thomas & The Pain

If life was at all fair, Ural Thomas would be a household name. The 78-year-old singer, who straddles the line between hot soul shouter and velvety-smooth crooner, performed with James Brown, Otis Redding, and Stevie Wonder, but didn’t experience the wide recognition of his peers. Thomas released a few singles in the late 60’s and early 70’s (most notably “Can You Dig It”) and played over forty shows at the legendary Apollo Theater, before turning his back on an unkind business and heading home to Portland, OR.

In 2017 Thomas signed with Tender Loving Empire and began work on what, in many respects, will be his debut full-length record. The Right Time features a host of beloved Portland musicians, including Magee on drums, percussion, and backing vocals, and Bruce Withycombe (The Decemberists) on baritone sax. The record was engineered and mixed by Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Blitzen Trapper) and mastered by JJ Golden (Sharon Jones, Ty Segall).

Thomas isn’t at all bitter about his long road to success. “We have to be positive if we want the world to get better” Thomas advises. “We’ve come a long way, but if you carry a grudge with the whole world you’ll stop your growth. You can’t get anywhere without an open heart.”

Ages 16+
Doors 8:30pm / Show 9pm