If I were a scientist – which I’m not, for the record – my life’s work would be spent studying the direct correlation between energy and happiness radiating from any particular stage, and the audience’s perception of the show taking place. I’d cite specific examples from venues both large and small, but one case in particular would surely land me a Nobel nomination (for which category, I’m not sure).

April 23, 2009: Travis, the Scottish quintet made famous by the 1999 single “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?”, headlines the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. and leaves the near-capacity crowd emotionally more stable than they found it. Had a bad day? Don’t worry: frontman Fran Healy will lift your spirits by a) insisting that everyone in attendance “do the pogo” during the aforementioned song’s final chorus, b) calling another song the band wrote “complete dogshit” and c) describing the undeniable elation of watching his 3-year-old jump on a bed via iChat.