The surprisingly large crowd of people gathered in the Courtyard two hours before headliner David Bazan was scheduled to appear were eased into the night with an acoustic performance by Nic and Heather Dillon, a husband and wife duo who call themselves Casados.

I’d seen the Urbana act a couple years back at the Local Music Awards, an event where their gentle ballads were no match for the fully stocked bar and rowdy atmosphere.

In a quieter setting, though, the pair’s ambient compositions were allowed to shine. With warm notes and frequent harmonizing, the pair generated a folksy backwoods sound that provided an apt soundtrack to combat the bitter winter weather outside.

On each song, as in the between-song banter (which should have been kept to a minimum, as Nic’s thoughts were much better expressed in lyrical form), Heather was content to let her husband take the lead – using her mandolin to nicely accentuate her husband’s strumming and laughing at at all the right times during his spoken interludes.

Like Casados, veteran Tooth and Nail Records act Starflyer 59 brought only two members to the stage – guitarist/vocalist Jason Martin and drummer Trey Many (bassist Steven Dail was absent) – but boasted a sound that was literally more electric.

Although cramming 15 years worth of material into a nine song set almost seems like it could be part of a magic act, the bigger trick was how it felt like the performance ended as soon as it started.

Being as it was my first time seeing and hearing the band, I didn’t really feel as if any song really stood out considerably from the rest (nor did any seem particularly subpar). Instead, all of the music just blended together into one fairly homogenous mass – like one 45-minute long track – that went by in a flash.

Somewhat curiously, the group played only one song (the vocally and musically restrained “Minor Keys”) from its just released full-length Dial M. Rather, Starflyer 59 chose to draw equally from all across its discography, including “The Frontman,” a harder-edged indie rock tune from 2006’s My Island, and the Jimmy Eat World-lite cut “No More New” off 1999’s Everybody Makes Mistakes.

Unlike his chatty stage predecessors, Martin finished each song with a simple “Thanks” uttered in his even baritone. In fact, he talked more to his drummer than to the audience – continually asking Many if he was ready, as if the group was in a hurry to get on with it and get off the stage.

And soon enough they were. A solid and agreeable set, to be sure. But not quite one that would indicate the group has enjoyed such a lengthy and distinguished career.

Set List

A Good Living
I Win
E.P. Nights
Minor Keys
Not Funny
I Drive A Lot
Easy Street
The Frontman
No More New

It’s not like David Bazan is likely to read this post, but I’ll admit it’s still kind of intimidating to write about a man who flippantly dismissed music critics with lines like “Just pretend / That you don’t make your living / From selling advertising” on his exceptional debut solo EP Fewer Moving Parts.

But, over the course of the hour-long acoustic set, Bazan only performed one song from this 2006 record (“Fewer Broken Pieces”), a track that witnesses the musician ruminating on his decision to go solo.

And it’s no wonder the topic is on his mind, as it seemed to be on everyone else’s. After playing three songs (and about every three after that), Bazan paused to ask the crowd if they had any questions – a solicitation that elicited queries about his previous work with Pedro the Lion and Headphones, as well as a brazen inquiry about whether he is an alcoholic. (He doesn’t think so.)

Although Bazan did appease the audience with “Priests and Paramedics” and “Transcontinental,” the soft-spoken frontman was more interested in debuting material from his forthcoming full-length. To this end, he mentioned that he was performing nine of that disc’s 10 tracks (though to my count there were only eight).

Even more so than on his previous musical output, these new offerings featured lyrics that placed Bazan’s religious skepticism and drinking habits (two subjects that often seem to go hand-in-hand) squarely at the forefront – with a healthy dose of clever wordplay to temper the subject matter’s seriousness.

Packed in front of the stage, the crowd listened attentively to every word the man spoke and sang, from his unique take on the Christmas standard “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” to his thoughts on having a daughter who can now talk back to him.

Although I’m more partial to Bazan when he’s backed by a full array of instruments, there’s still something undeniably rewarding about hearing him in an intimate acoustic setting that leaves his music as bare as his soul.

Set List

(New Song)
Please Baby Please
Weeds in the Wheat
Priests and Paramedics (Pedro the Lion)
Transcontinental (Pedro the Lion)
Curse Your Branches
Harmless Sparks
Fewer Broken Pieces
Shit Talker (Headphones)
When We Fell
June 18, 1976 (Pedro the Lion)
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Bearing Witness
The Stitches

Although the Friday concert at the Courtyard Café was labeled as an “Indie Pop Rock Show,” for me it was “Pygmalion Redemption,” as I finally had the chance to see two acts I missed when they played the festival in September.

Bathed in red, orange and yellow lights, folk/indie pop group World’s First Flying Machine opened the night with warm and mellow songs that matched the colors raining down from above.

Like a guest in the Neutral Milk Hotel (but without all the fuzz), the Champaign-Urbana sextet played intimate music that would be well suited for listening with close friends around an aging phonograph.

Anchored by the strumming of an acoustic guitar and bolstered by the presence of its electric counterpart, drums, bass, ukelele, violin and a glockenspiel, the band performed a seven song set ranging in tone from the stripped-down “Butterflies” to the swelling “Inefficient Machines.”

With so many instruments to account for, making sure everything was plugged in and feeding through the monitors correctly turned out to be a disruptive to the overall pacing of the show. But when all were producing sound in unison, it was hard not to become immersed in the layered melodies.

Although I wasn’t entirely convinced that lead singer Ben Campbell had the vocal prowess to hold his own with little support from the music during the softer moments, all shortcomings were forgiven after the lyrical eloquence and elegant simplicity of the excellent “The Ferris Wheel” found its way to my ears.

As if to prove me wrong moreover, on the fiery, bass-infused closer “Love Is An Art,” Campbell dispensed with his guitar, unwound his mic from the stand for the first time all night and finished the song screaming with his back turned to the audience

Overall, despite a bit of turbulence here and there, World’s First Flying Machine proved that it should have no problem staying aloft in the crowded C-U musical sky.

Perhaps seeking to upstage the Courtyard’s first act, St. Louis-based Gentleman Auction House boasted seven members and offered up two of just about every instrument – including drums, keyboards and guitars (not to mention the brief appearances of a trumpet and flute).

Yet, despite the surplus of bodies and instruments forced to cram into a deficient space, the band gave no indication they were hindered in any way whatsoever.

After a medium-paced opening song, the set truly got started with “ABCDEFGraveyard” off the band’s first full-length Alphabet Graveyard. Featuring a spirited group shout/clap-along and a whistle-blowing drummer wearing a bear mask with the face cut out, the song packed enough energy to propel the band through the rest of the set (not that the rest of the songs needed any such boost to get going in their own right).

Most of the show’s other offerings were also culled from this July release, including “Call It Casual” and “I Sleep In a Bed of Scissor Arms,” both of which featured the band’s signature bombastic rhythms and concise, vivid lyrics.

Near the end of the set, Gentleman Auction House paused to acknowledge its love for the night’s headliner Headlights (noting that the group’s latest album is perfect for early morning listening), before performing “A Good Son.”

Once the song had ended, a member of the audience turned and asked his friend whether it had been a cover of the aforementioned Champaign indie-rockers, a question that serves as a perfect way of describing how its plaintive melody still managed to convey a hint of optimism.

This song, it turned out, was not the group’s only local allusion.

In light of the day’s early-morning blaze that destroyed a historic building in downtown Champaign, the opening lyrics of closing number “Book of Matches” – “We set the fire that stalked a town / We set the fire that burned it down / We set the fire that raged and raged / …” – briefly took on a somber overtone, which the song’s infectiously propulsive beat quickly converted to joyous head-nodding and toe-tapping.

With the rest of the world hesitant to bring the University of Illinois into their homes (see: the failure of the Global Campus initiative), on April 10 the Courtyard Café did its part to bring the rest of the world to our campus – as the makeshift concert venue played host to the highly anticipated double bill of British noise duo Fuck Buttons and Canadian indie rockers Caribou.

After waiting nearly an hour (and then having to leave the Courtyard and re-enter once the staff realized no one had paid), the masterminds behind FB (Benjamin John Power and Andrew Hung) walked out onto a stage cluttered with a complex maze of wires and electronics that I’m positive would rival the inner-workings of CITES (and was definitely more reliable).

Yet, even though the two electronic maestros had technically begun their set, it would not be entirely accurate to say the show had truly kicked off until about six minutes in when Power pierced the agonizingly repetitive and slow-building opening strains of “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (from FB’s recently released debut album Street Horrrsing) with a burst of high-pitched, deliberately unintelligible screaming – before returning to the redundant sound that could serve as a catch-all adjective to describe most of their material.

Before I’m met with accusations along the lines of “You just don’t get it, man!” I totally realize that part of the group’s intrigue comes from those who know that its constantly looping melodic structures are purposely intended to go beyond what most listeners would consider bearable. However, I also have a sneaking suspicion that the much larger inside joke involves Power and Hung wondering: “How long can we keep replaying the same note and still be hailed as the next big thing?”

Although a live setting would seemingly be the best showcase for the “songs” FB creates (sounds that are too aggressive for a study mix and too monotonous for a driving soundtrack), the forty minute performance never succeeded in capturing my attention. While certain elements (the aforementioned distorted vocals and Power’s live tribal drumming) did provide some interesting moments, my constant attempts to pinpoint what the hype was all about prevented me from ever becoming fully entranced by the music.

Thankfully, what FB’s show lacked in good old entertainment value, Caribou more than made up for with its combination of lush, sonic atmospherics and visually arresting computer-projected backdrop. In front of one of the biggest crowds I have ever seen gathered at a Courtyard show (large enough, in fact, to prompt several minimally successful attempts at crowd surfing), Daniel Snaith and his three-piece live backing band diligently performed an instrumental-heavy 14 song set loaded with offerings from their 2007 CD Andorra.

With an ever-changing array of psychedelic color patterns and black-and-white geometric figures flashing on the screen behind them, the musicians nicely complemented these swirling images with the trippy electronic ambiance of songs such as “Melody Day” and “Sandy.” For some in attendance, the projection set-up even provided a forum to show off those finger puppet skills honed circa second grade, although, by now I would expect something more original than rabbit ears (perhaps some deer antlers would have been appropriate).

However, without a doubt, the most distinctive aspect of Caribou’s live show came via the two drum kits set up at the forefront of the stage. Manned by Snaith and Ahmed Gallab (filling in admirably on short notice for regular drummer Brad Weber, who is out with a broken wrist after falling off a ladder the week before) the double-barreled percussion assault elevated tracks like “After Hours” and “She’s the One” from dreamy slices of nostalgic pop to swiftly crescendoing head- boppers. Unfortunately, because the Courtyard stage only rises about a foot off the ground, despite standing on a chair all I could usually catch was a momentary glimpse of drums sticks frantically cutting through the air.

Nevertheless, this minor grievance could hardly detract from my continually being wowed by the visual and aural spectacle that is a Caribou concert. And at only $5, the show not only fits nicely under the title of my blog, but also provided way more bang-for-the-buck than the money I dropped to see 21 at the movie theater two nights later.

Summary Acrostic:

Canadian
Artist
Revels
In
Beautiful
Orchestration.
Ultra-cool, eh?!

While most students were either packing their bags in anticipation of spring break or starting to transition from Happy Hour to a full night at the bars, Snowsera and The Brother Whys entertained a small crowd at the Illini Union Courtyard Café.

Leading off the free show was The Brother Whys, a band whose unusual name I had already heard, but not its music. Therefore, I was a bit apprehensive as the six members crammed onto the tiny Courtyard platform and lead vocalist/guitarist Tom Riordan repeatedly invited everyone to cozy up to the stage (winning line: “We’re not an orchestra!”). However, fears of bleeding ears soon subsided after the opening strains of “Big Teeth” – as the myriad of instruments combined to produce a warm, mid-90s era sound that, like the stage, was full but not cluttered.

From this starting point, the crowd was treated to a robust 11 song set that provided all the time I needed to fall in love with the group. In a little under an hour, the group blazed through a set list that included the entirety of its upcoming debut album (to be released March 28th at The Iron Post) along with a faithful cover of the Pixies’ classic “Where Is My Mind?” – with Kelly Turner’s sweet vocal harmonizing replacing the haunting echoes of the original. Featuring hazy, meandering melodies punctuated by Riordan’s introspective lyrics, The Brother Whys pull off an impressive feat: making music that is both emotional without sounding whiny and bursting with energy without having to blow out amps.

Set List (provided by The Brother Whys)

Big Teeth
Run! Don’t Walk
River Black
Telephone
Friend You Can
Song From Humboldt Park
Working Son
Charts And Maps
Acid Rain
Where Is My Mind? (Pixies cover)
Thumbtacks

Next to inhabit the tight stage quarters were Snowsera, an alternative rock quartet that is quickly distancing itself from the other student bands attempting to make a splash in the local music scene. Just nominated for a Local Music Award (in the category of Best New Artist) and fresh off the release of their self-titled EP, Snowsera put on a performance that suggested the group are already seasoned veterans. Anchored by Bill Arteaga’s pitch-perfect live singing voice and drummer Jeff Wagner’s limitless talent and energy behind the kits, the band came across as professional and, well, flat-out good. (Incidentally, Wagner also filled in on drums for The Brother Whys, whose songs, ironically, proved to be a better showcase of his ability than his own band’s material.)

Aside from a few failed attempts to spark conversations about spring break plans, the members of Snowsera wisely let their music speak for itself. Beginning with two new offerings in the same vein as those found on its EP, the group continued with one of that release’s standout tracks, “Trends” – a burst of danceable pop-rock with deceptively biting lyrics. After hearing another batch of newer material, about the only complaint that can be raised against Snowsera is the lack of variation among its songs; however, this criticism can almost be ignored solely on the basis of how well the band does what it does. Following the slower, bass-driven “Charity,” the set ended with the superb one-two punch of catchy single “So Subtle” and faster, harder-edged new cut “History.” Don’t worry if you missed out on this show – the next chance to catch them is at the Canopy Club on March 27.

Set List (provided by Snowsera)

Who Else Would We Run To?
What You Will
Twenty-Four (EP)
Trends (EP)
Too
Perennials
Safe
Charity (EP)
So Subtle (EP)
History

Summary Limmerick:
There is nothing better than free shows.
If I were Mya I would love them like, whoa.
The Brother Whys
Were a nice surprise.
And Snowsera rocked out like old pros.