I’m overwhelmed by all the music! At this point I wander half-aimless, in and out of venues — quick to judge, but more often inspired. Glad to discover that most of my favorites are local, and I can stalk them like a groupie until the next UMS arrives again.

I’ve always loved Accordion Crimes, and they pulled through again last night — full of dynamic surprise. Mako1972 has a similar post-punk thing going, which I always enjoy. Raven Jane and The Truth & Spectacle were excellent (from our unbiased opinion of Daniel in a hat). I’ve followed Ian Cooke for a while, and was glad to see him returning to a simpler, cello-driven sound. Only caught the tail-end of StaG, but they earned another listen. Saturn Cowboys was a raucus fun time, and Dragondeer got the whole room (including us) excited like no effect-heavy lead mandolin has ever done before.

This was a wonderful night of live/local music, but my favorite discovery was the intricate shoegazing soundscapes of Dave Devine Relay.