I showed up to Club Metropolis twenty minutes before Dungen hit the stage, a heartfelt desire to not be disappointed and a bottle of cheap strawberry daiquiri mix burning a hole in my stomach. I had been here most recently to see The National, their Boxer LP and Virginia EP being two of my most listened to albums from the previous year or so and while their performance was spirited, I felt they had a hard time translating their brooding heavily produced between-you-and-me delivery to the broad strokes required for such a large venue and seemingly disinterested audience. That experience had left me seriously questioning my interest in live music, at least, in seeing live many of the bands I enjoy in headphones.

I was apprehensive as i stood in the crowd eyeballing suspiciously the various p-dork hipsters, students and service industry veterans that i was sure constituted the entirety of the audience – were they gonna shutup and pay attention when the bands came on or spend the entire show with their backs to the stage?

When the skinny Swedes from Dungen walked quietly onto the stage taking up their instruments the crowd didn’t do much more than turn slightly – some applause – but when they let loose with an incredible racket, the crowd turned around and that was the last time the entire night I thought about anything other than what was going on the stage.

Dungen proceeded to tear it up proper, creating an incredible psych assault, interspersed with deft & delicate melodic interludes, lead singer Gustav Ejstes taking turns stomping and banging a tambourine, trilling on a flute or pounding out on some kind of vintage keyboard, basically doing the world’s greatest Robert Plant impression in the process – their chops and energy combined with their use of entirely vintage gear brought us about as close as we’ll ever get to a live set by some of those old psych heavy weights, and for that i was thrilled and grateful.

At one point, about 10 minutes into their set the girl next to me turned to me with dawning astonishment, “I didn’t know Dungen was playing here tonight?!” “Yeah? That’s cool…” I said back… not sure the proper response. At least it wasn’t anything like the last time i was here, having to listen to two guys argue over whether Facebook friends should be limited only to real life friends (of course not) the entire set.

Dungen left the stage, crowd cheering enthusiastically, i went out for a smoke. Next up Fleet Foxes.

I wasn’t sure what to expect – anyone who’s listened to their album and EP know they can write an incredibly affecting Beach Boys meets My Morning Jacket tinged folk rocker, but I for some reason was skeptical they could pull it off (oh wait i know why, cause I’m a jaded, tight black pants clad, irony drenched, record store guy,  Dur).

I was wrong, wonderfully wrong. Right out of the gate they engaged the audience with a room filling 3 (or 4) part acapella harmony that seemed to penitrate and wrap itself around everyone in the packed venue – from there things only got better, every song they launched into with increasing energy and the audience loved every minute of it. The band in turn was extremely appreciative and more than a few times between songs gave heartfelt thanks.  As for their songs and how they translated to the stage, i can say that the stage only served to increase the fullness of sound and energy of already great compositions, as a band they struck me as belonging there, like watching The Band or some other classic touring act from the hey day of live music, polished and competent.

I can honnestly think of no criticisms – the playing was incredibly tight, but more importantly earnest, and when the band finally left the stage I could tell everyone in the room felt well and entertained, myself included.  I’ll be checking out more live music again soon, my faith in live music (and it’s often boorish, fickle audiences) while not completely restored, was at least bolstered, and that’s really all an anti-social music snob like myself can ask.