Moritat headlined The Empty Bottle last night, and played a great set. However, the evening belonged to Adele Nichols who not only set up the show, but also delivered the best performance of the night under the moniker Axons. Two other groups performed: Zigtebra opened and Spaces Of Disappearance went second.

Zigtebra was the most pleasant surprise. I’d never heard of them before last night which is unfortunate because they are really good. Synth and guitar build the foundation as their two voices melt together to sing songs of heartbreak. Not completely unlike the xx, but a little more upbeat. Their set was very colorful, and at one point Zebra put a huge mask on her head to sing one of the songs off their full-length album The Pink Line, released last year. The duo ended their set with a cover of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Really terrific stuff. You can check out their record here.

Spaces Of Disappearance took things in a different direction, bringing out the bass for a dance-heavy set that was over too quickly. From the very first floor-rattling drop Elaine Davis and Zack Smith had the crowd moving their feet and it stayed that way throughout. A very different vibe, but sonically the first two acts went together really well.

Axons set was third for the night. Celebrating the release of her new record, Unmanageable, Nichols took the party to another level. The only solo act of the night, she did more on her own than the first two bands could muster with two people. Blasting through the new songs on guitar and synth, the friendly audience was begging for more after every song. The album is out on cassette or digital as of last night, and you can pick that one up here.

Moritat took the stage around 11:30 and kept the theme of short sets intact. They flew through a handful of songs, some old, some new. They have a new record coming next month and seem excited to be playing some stuff the fans haven’t heard yet. Mostly they prolonged the upbeat feel that started with the second band, with Corey McCafferty keeping a brisk pace on the drums. Venus Laurel jammed out on the Korg like Rick Wakeman while Konstantin Jace grooved along on the bass. They didn’t sound quite like you’d expect if you only heard their most recent single. That’s more chillwave and hypnotic. Live they’re much more fun and exciting.

You can find some photos and video clips on Music.Defined.’s instagram page.