From one small town to another: Musician King Tuff wants to bring magic to Pappy and Harriet's

Singer-songwriter Kyle Thomas grew up in Brattleboro, Vermont, which is a place he still feels intertwined with despite not living there for over a decade. He described the location as being inhabited by a cast of peculiar characters and compared it to the TV show "Twin Peaks."

Thomas calls the town his "creative center," adding that he felt inspired by the "weird people" he grew up with. Now he wants to share the small-town magic that fuels his creativity with concertgoers across the U.S.

Under the moniker King Tuff, Thomas released "Smalltown Stardust" in January, an album dedicated to his hometown of approximately 12,000 people. He is spreading the delightful psych-pop sounds of the album across 25 tour locations, which includes a show on Friday, April 7 at Pappy and Harriet's.

"I have this place inside me that I kind of take with me everywhere I go," Thomas said. "It's this creative energy that I bring with me that is connected to the town."

The last time Thomas toured as King Tuff was in 2019, and he is thankful to see the crowds at his current tour. At the shows he performs "Smalltown Stardust" in full, which he admitted might be too much new music for fans who want to hear the "oldies."

In comparison to his older work that has a garage-rock feel, the new record is more polished and tamed. His label, Sub Pop Records, described the album on its website as "spiritual, tender and ultimately joyous.""Everyone's been really attentive, responsive and seems excited about the new songs, which is all I can really ask for," Thomas said. "So it's been really cool because it's quite a different set than what I've done in the past."

The final stop of the "Smalltown Stardust Tour" is the show at Pappy and Harriet's, a venue Thomas has never performed at. He is looking forward to it not only because he can rest after the tour ends, but because he is also intrigued by the setting.

"That's a great example of a similar kind of place (small-town) where it's just a weird little place out in the middle of nowhere that, for some reason, all these people are drawn to and there's a lot of freaks out there," he said.

Thomas said Pappy and Harriet's is a place he "needs" to play his music at and expressed a desire to do a future tour that is solely focused on small-town venues.

He's also not afraid to embrace the small-town "freak" within him. For some of his shows, Thomas wears a slick robe and hat — reminiscent of a wizard — that he calls his "power outfit." It depends on the crowd whether he puts it on or not, but he hinted at the possibility of the outfit making an appearance at his final show at Pappy and Harriet's.

"It's hard to tell when the wizard is gonna come out, but if the feeling is right, he will appear in a cloud of smoke," he said.

If you go

What: (((folkYEAH!))) Presents: King Tuff

When: 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 7

Where: Pappy and Harriet's, 53-688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown

How much: $25

More info: pappyandharriets.com/king-tuff/

Kevin Caparoso is a features intern who covers arts and life around the Coachella Valley. His internship is funded by the Coachella Vally Journalism Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @kevydean or email him at KCaparoso@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: King Tuff to sprinkle 'Smalltown Stardust' at Pappy and Harriet's