Walking into the Bootleg Theater on one of the first cold nights of autumn, one could easily feel that they were walking into a quiet wine bar in some nondescript converted warehouse filled with a bunch of properly dressed, clean cut thirty somethings who just got off work and came in to have a glass of wine or two before retiring to sleep.

Lamps started off the night with mellow sleepy sounds that definitely suited the audience’s tastes. The crowd stood quiet and attentive as the seven-piece played songs with mature folk-pop sensibility.

Their songs speak of sorrow, nostalgia, as well as lost loves. The band conveys all this with melancholic vocals, dreamy guitars, and quiet drums which blend well with the other instruments. At times the keyboard would come in carefully with piano sounds that would push forth but not too heavily to drown out the other tones. They are well produced and you can tell seasoned; however, they cater to an older taste that prefers to be in bed by eleven.

Following Lamps were Mimicking Birds. This one-piece turned three man ensemble was wrapping up a west coast tour that included a lot of “beautiful desert sunsets and a glimpse of what Woodstock may have been like” said drummer Aaron Hanson of their Austin City Limits gig in the rain when the mud overtook the ground. Nate Lacy, the frontman of the group, took the stage quietly and timidly not saying much before the set, but once he began to sing his whining sorrowful yelp, he cradled the room with remarkable range. Graceful, folky finger-picking from Nate set the pace while Tim Skellenger played some eerie harmonics on lead guitar. The alternate turnings on the guitars, C perhaps, flowed well with the sound they were going for. Their songs are interesting, perhaps a touch like Modest Mouse at times, but then again, they aren’t the only northwestern folk band out there.

Mimicking Birds were recently signed to Isaac Brock’s (of Modest Mouse fame) label Glacial Pace. There, they laid down their first full band recording in Oregon at Isaac’s house. The record is set to come out January first, 2010 according to Aaron. The band spoke fondly of the experience and was very humble about their jump-start up the indie ladder. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Closing the set, in huge contrast to the other acts, was Tremellow, an unsigned group from the San Fernando Valley. Their sound is kind of like if Billy Corgan decided to front a shoegaze band and Thurston Moore was backing him on guitar. Strong steady drums gave way for a burst of controlled chaos with droned out sounds and progressive tones. Distorted yet audible vocals blared through the room in a beautiful train wreck as they sang of heartbreak and haphazard events. Reminiscent of the shoegaze bands from the eighties at times, but fresh enough to bring some flair to the table, Tremellow played a strong set with a lot of energy regardless of the small crowd. This was lost however on the neighborhood, and their set was concluded when the Bootleg Theater was closed by two uniformed police officers due to sound—which was a first, according to the bartender Ben, who later asked for a CD.

—Zachary Jensen