Simian fall into that category of music, the cross between Radiohead and Jeff Buckley, but the difference with them was that they were actually good. The lead singer had the type of stage presence to capture the audience's attention, and a voice that washed over everyone, but had an effect on people at the same time. Particularly effective was the 4 way harmonies, the whole band singing to produce a warm but yet dreamy sound.
Sparklehorse were plagued with technical difficulties all night, which broke up the momentum of their set, especially during the beginning when the band would stop for 5 minutes every 1 or 2 songs, to get the guitars or the keyboards sorted out. These problems hung over the band for the whole evening, and there was always the threat of Mark Linkous walking offstage. However in the midst of all this drama, there were glimpses of how magical the band could be on a normal night. Linkous battled with the hecklers, and won, and managed to make the whole audience still and silent, just to listen to him, and pulling everyone under his spell. Some of the best moments was how some faster, more manic songs were littered in between the more silent, still ones, changing the mood of the room. It seemed like everyone was under the control of Linkous, and under his spell.