The real story behind any Les Savy Fav show is what sort of crazy stunts frontman Tim Harrington has up his sleeve. Their catalog of thirteen years of post-punk gems lays the foundation, but it’s the bizarre costume changes, frequent audience interactions and off-kilter banter that has become the stuff of legend. Furthermore, since Harrington is completely unscripted and pulls out new and different tricks every night (Dodos drummer Logan Kroeber confirmed this), Les Savy Fav would actually be a band worth following around the country, especially if Friday night’s high energy endeavor indicates any sort of standard.

After a brief setup, Harrington showed up onstage and parked himself on the left, wild eyes darting. He then started a monologue, playing both ends of a telephone conversation in a Die Hard-style action movie. His daughter had been kidnapped. Not again! And the president, too?! Oh no! And he has to run into the audience to dismantle a bomb, too? What if he doesn’t make it back to the stage in time? He must not have made it back to the stage in time because as soon as he did, the set began with a bomb-style explosion, with Let’s Stay Friends standouts “The Equestrian” and “Patty Lee”. Over the course of these songs he, a) ate one audience member’s earplugs, b) knocked back one of the spotlights with the mic stand and c) removed his sweater for what was to be the first of three costume changes. It was going to be a fun night.