Last Friday, after boarding the L train, I arrived at The Silent Barn most of the way through Fiasco’s set. Bad timing on my part: what I saw of their set I really enjoyed, and the strain of thrashy hardcore that they played seemed especially suited for the DIY space in which the show was held. (When I descended into the basement, I might as well have been back in Jersey a decade earlier, though minus the beard.)

Vivian Girls closed out the night with a brief, high-energy set. I’d enjoyed seeing them at SXSW, and I dug them this particular evening as well. It’s moody music that’s played with enthusiasm, and its position between harmony-driven pop and raging noise is precarious but spot-on.

I’d come out that night to see Abe Vigoda — who had earlier played on the rooftop, apparently — and overall liked what I heard. Their sound was a little cleaner than what I’d expected from their debut Kid City — though given that a new album is on the way later this summer, that may just be a natural progression. The guitar sound reminded me a little of caUSE co-MOTION! — both hollow and spacious, fraying and pinpoint — though the use of rhythms and alternating vocals suggested something else entirely. Overall, an energetic set with some entertaining banter between songs. When I saw Abe Vigoda’s contemporaries No Age at SXSW earlier this year, I found myself wondering just how large a venue they could play before their sound would stop translating properly to it. Though the two bands have a similar aesthetic, I don’t see the same thing being a potential problem for Abe Vigoda — though it should be said that (a)I’m getting into the realm of the extremely theoretical here*, and (b)it’s entirely possible/likely that I’ll leave No Age’s Bowery Ballroom show tomorrow with my mind blown, fully embracing their ability to play Webster Hall/Summerstage/Keyspan Park in the future.

*-one stop removed from fan fiction. Oh lord. I can see it now.
“‘Thank you, Dean Spunt,’ Batman said. “The next time you’re in Gotham…’”