Took in a handful of bands at yesterday’s Mess With Texas bash in Waterloo Park. I arrived to catch Shearwater, a band of whom I’ve been fond for a while, but haven’t seen much live in recent years. Their set encompassed a fair amount of songs from Palo Alto and their forthcoming Rook, haunting vocals and pinpoint arrangements joining for an exhausting, at times exhilarating listen, even considering the crackling that occasionally ran through the speakers. (Ah, technical problems.)

John Reis kept making self-deprecating, you’re-too-kind-esque remarks in response to an enthusiastic crowd response to The Night Marchers’ set. After a while, though, that grin on his face seemed to imply that his attitude was more tongue-in-cheek than anything else. Reis can write gritty, taut rock songs in the same way [athletic prodigy] can play [sport], and his demeanor indicated that he’s pretty well aware of that. And the set itself was excellent.