The Hard Quartet played a sweaty free Summer Thunder show @ Union Pool (pics, setlist)

Union Pool’s free Summer Thunder series, now in its 13th year, has one of it’s most stellar lineups of shows ever this year and their back patio has been packed every Sunday. There was a line down Meeker Ave to get in this week: no surprise as the headliners were The Hard Quartet, aka Stephen Malkmus (Pavement), Matt Sweeney (Chavez), Jim White (The Dirty Three), and Emmett Kelly (Ty Segall, Bonnie “Prince” Billy). It was sardine city and with temperatures nearly 90 and high humidity — it would thunderstorm right after the show ended — things were already very sweaty long before the music started.

It was all good vibes though, as The Hard Quartet took the stage at 4:45 PM and played for about 80 minutes, giving us all but one song from their fantastic 2024 self-titled debut but this year’s “Lies (Something You Can Do)” single. Malkmus kept his cool, decked out in 1981 tennis-wear, and he and the band were clearly having a good time despite the liquifying heat, jamming out, switching instruments, mass singing. It was also a treat watching White, an amazing multifaceted drummer skilled at jazz, avant-garde and improvisation, apply his skills to more traditional rock. Great show. 

Opening was Rat Henry, aka visual artist Ray Zarnowitz, whose DIY lo-fi music had him playing over cassette loop backing and, with his deep baritone, sounded somewhere in the same universe as Beat Happening and My Dad is Dead. Just before his last song he broke a string, which took a hilariously long time to change, to the point where I wondered if that was a bit as we all sweated with him. 

Photos from the whole day by Ellen Qbertplaya and a little video from the show are below.

Summer Thunder 2025 wraps up this Sunday with Sun Ra Arkestra who will play two separate sets. You can expect a line around the block for this one too. 2 PM doors. 

SETLIST: The Hard Quartet @ Union Pool 8/17/2025 (Summer Thunder)
Thug Dynasty
Heel Highway
Rio’s Song
Our Hometown Boy
Earth Hater
Killed by Death
Hey
It Suits You
Gripping the Riptide
Lies (Something You Can Do)
Six Deaf Rats
Action for Military Boys
Jacked Existence
North of the Border
Chrome Mess