The night opened up with Flowers Forever from Omaha, NE, whose alterna-punk styling I unfortunately only caught a song of. But it was interesting enough for me to look up their Myspace the next day. Their sound feels very ’94, kinda Violent Femmes,  kinda Jane’s Addiction, but updated and original. They’re playing the Troubadour in June and it’s already on my calender.

Next up was Elf Power. This Athens Georgia band draws upon many influences, ending up something like the Lemonheads meets Deerhunter with some Troggs thrown in for sex appeal. Most impressive was the second guitarist’s double duty on synth and the bass player’s perfect bass lines: not show-offy look-how-fast-my-fingers-move lines, just well written and integral to the power of the songs. Elf Power’s command over the audience was evident, as no one walked away and everyone seemed transfixed. Still, they couldn’t seem to break the invisible barrier that kept the crowd five feet away. But they were good, really good.

By the time Bodies of Water went on, the crowd was thick and pressed up against the stage, everyone eager to hear the sound the band describes as ABBA meets the Muppets. In other words, intricately crafted pop, minus the cocaine and heavy on the WTF?! The first and last time I saw Bodies of Water was outside Mohawk Patio last month at SXSW, where I watched them from the sidewalk through holes in a fence. That night they opened the set with “We Are Coexisters,” a wonderful song that opens with a powerful chant and transitions seamlessly into a soft, sweet, folk ballad reminiscent of mellow Jefferson Airplane, which picks up again upon the lead of the drums and rhythmic vocals that all collide back into the chant: “We are coexistors, living here below together.” Unfortunately this song didn’t make it into the Spaceland show, but that was easily forgiven since every tune played by Bodies of Water is a fantastic spectacle. Their songs’ structure and vocal arrangements are complex and creative, even bizarre at times. Qualities that make their shows amazing, even when no one in the audience is moving.

— Vanessa Gonzalez