Night Moves can handle a bigger venue than the Fine Line. Since their inception, they have had a bevy of quick and reputable believers in the music industry and their commitment to a good song has been unwavering. In 2011 Night Moves signed to Domino Records. A label well known for housing the undeniable Arctic Monkeys and My Bloody Valentine amongst other great artists. If there was ever any doubt, last night’s sold-out homecoming proved they belonged in that company.

The evening opened up with Minneapolis 4-piece Dark Bunny tearing through their version of 2000s indie pop that featured an endearing take on one of lead singer Emily Youel’s favorite pieces of nostalgia, Hilary Duff’s “So Yesterday”. What I’ll happily hold in my pocket from Dark Bunny, is drummer Emma Withers enthusiasm for every moment of being on that stage. It was infectious.

The night’s mood was reset with re-transplanted musician Geofrey Lamar Wilson’s group Lamar. They moved through captivating folk/country flavored soul music that was delicate and relaxing. Lamar, a very talented saxophone player with masters degree in Music Psychotherapy from NYU, says on his website “.. his songwriting has shifted from dusty Post Bellum narratives to contemporary issues spanning the American Civil Rights era to current incidents of racial violence and police brutality.“ Don’t let their lack of T-shirts or records to sell fool you, they are clearly a group of professional and individually talented pieces that know how to elevate a song. Fresh off the heels of the excellent The Redaction E.P, Night Moves had the swagger and confidence of a stadium band like the Killers or Vampire Weekend as they moved through their modern take on AM radio in 1970s Laurel Canyon.

One of the most endearing things about Night Moves is the range of fans. There was every variety of dad, college students and folks from 20-50+ years old all mouthing the words to fan favorites like “Mexico”, “Strands Align” and Electric Light Orchestra flavored “Colored Emotions”. New tracks “Fallacy Actually” and “Feel Another Day” hung in seamlessly as frontman John Pelant let his voice get a bit more strained yet somehow better as the set progressed. This band has also clearly grown as songwriters. That might not be a surprising thing to say for a band that has been around for over 10 years, but the strength of the new songs shows that John Pelant is pushing himself to write more memorable, better produced hooks each time they put new tracks out. Perhaps it’s the edition of indie darling producer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Horsegirl, Kurt Vile, Dinosaur Jr.), but I’m more sure that the years on the road and dedication to a craft has done more good than any one producer ever could.

Check out Night Moves most recent Radio K in-studio performance of some of those fan favorites as well as their new The Redaction EP, Lamar’s music and videos here and Dark Bunny on Bandcamp.

By Charles Van Stee