On the surface, Danish post-rock band Efterklang, experimental Oakland hip-hop act Subtle and mysterious Pittsburgh psych-poppers Black Moth Super Rainbow have little in common. The three acts hail from different parts of the world, write songs that occupy different bands of the emotional spectrum and can, for all intents and purposes, be filed away in different sub-genres. In a live setting, however, the distinctions and genre lines that separate these bands crumble, giving way to a show that feels more like an act in three parts than three separate performances.

First up was Efterklang, performing as part of their first ever U.S. tour. Having only played a handful of shows in the States thus far, you might think that the band would be a bit shaky, at least at first. Quite the contrary: all eight players in Efterklang came out swinging from the moment they hit the stage and, quite frankly, stole the show. Playing a selection of melodically assessable post-rock numbers from their two full-lengths and numerous singles, EPs and mini-albums, the band easily won over the audience with their energy and charm. Trading off instruments between songs, the members of Efterklang operated in a number of different configurations of guitar, drums, bass, violin, trumpet, keyboard, laptop, tambourine and trombone. To the soundman's credit, the mix was crystal clear for the duration of the band's set, placing the emphasis squarely on the songs, which often recalled the major key transcendence of Sigur Ros, albeit with a heavier emphasis on electronics.

Efterklang at the Rock and Roll Hotel (Mehan Jayasuriya)

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Speaking of electronics, Subtle had more gadgets on stage than you'd expect to find in the back room of a Radio Shack, including samplers drum machines, sequencers and synths. Like Efterklang, they weren't shy with the organic instrumentation either, rounding things out with a sax, flute, electric cello and live drums. As if that wasn't already enough gear for the cramped Rock and Roll Hotel stage, the band also made use of a number of props during their performance, including a life-sized bust of Hour Hero Yes, the striped-face character who figures prominently in both Subtle's lyrics and artwork. While the band's music was consistently challenging, making use of complex rhythms, samples and loops, vocalist Doseone's wordy rapping occasionally proved grating. It's not the rhymes themselves that were the problem but rather, Doseone's nasal delivery, which recalled Yoni Wolf of Why? at best and Weird Al Yankovic at worst. Luckily, Doseone wasn't willing to put up with any heckling and showed himself to be more than stageworthy in a number of hilarious confrontations with audience members, most notably, a visibly sloshed reveler in the front row.

Last but not least was Black Moth Super Rainbow. Continuing the trend of literally filling the stage with gear, Black Moth carted out a number of massive analog synths and vintage electric pianos, which were supported by drums, bass and a smattering of electronics. Set against a projected backdrop of video clips, the band certainly lived up to its billing as a neo-psychedelic act, layering different analog textures in order to produce a hazy, almost shoegaze-like sound. Lead vocalist Tobacco sang through a vocoder for the duration of the set, his vocals bleeding into the surrounding synths until they were just another tactile surface in a sea of technicolor tones.

In hindsight, it makes plenty of sense that Efterklang, Subtle and Black Moth split the bill on Saturday night. All three bands clearly harbor an affinity for electronic instrumentation, have a proclivity for elaborate melodic constructions and work with a sonic palette that's unmistakably maximalist. Despite these facts, Saturday night's show was actually a combination of two separate tours and marked the only date that all three bands played together. Even though it was likely the result of a coincidence, the lineup felt like it was painstakingly engineered rather than hastily cobbled together by a promoter. For those of us who were at the Rock and Roll Hotel on Saturday night, it was quite a happy coincidence indeed.

Photos by Mehan Jayasuriya.