Gaytheist’s Show at Kenton Club Was Portland’s Most Hardcore Pride Party

The concert was a reminder why Portland is proud to call Gaytheist our own.

Pride doesn't get much attention in the realm of heavy music. Portland's Gaytheist is the exception.

Last Saturday—the pinnacle of Portland Pride nightlife—Gaytheist played a hometown show at Kenton Club, the city's northernmost hub for heavy music. With fire-engine red fringe lining the perimeter of the stage, Gaytheist walked out to cheers and screams that seemed to last for the first 30 minutes of their set.

They opened with "Let's Get Astrophysical" the firecracker off their latest record Let's Jam Again Soon. The trio mostly kept within the past six years of their deep discography, and toured through their punchy punk classics like "Stampede of Savings" and "I'm Procrastinate and I Vote."

Related: Gaytheist's New Album is a Necessary Exercise in Hardcore Levity

Jason Rivera (guitarist, vocalist and gay atheist band member who named the trio) wore his usual bow tie and suit, and seemed particularly at home. His stage banter included a deeply personal conversation with someone in the audience about orgies. "We'll have an orgy of masturbation. We'll have a good time," Rivera concluded before the band launched into "Spread 'Em."

At any show, moments like that are a reminder of why Portland is proud to call Gaytheist our own. During Pride weekend, it felt particularly special.

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