Back in the winter of 2008, Yeasayer and MGMT packed the small backstage of the Black Cat. The show was noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First, there was the pre-sale ticket debacle that pissed everyone off, but ultimately taught us that tickets to backstage shows can be purchased in advance (so, win?). And second, it was a rare chance to see two bands in a tiny venue who, at that time, were on the very cusp of blowing up. For me, this second point is one of the highlights of concert-going. At those small, early shows, the sound is often unbalanced, the venues are cramped and hot, the band may even be figuring their shit out on the fly, but the experience, the I-was-there-ness of thing, makes it special. In the end, attendance is worth a few peccadillos just to catch a glimpse of that talent which might eventually propel a band to true stardom.

Looking back on that wintry night two years ago, packed into that hot little room, I have a few other observations. The order of the billing, with Yeasayer as headliner, was apt. While Yeasayer’s debut album, All Hour Cymbals, had trickled out the previous fall to some critical acclaim, the band was certainly far from mainstream indie. MGMT’s singles “Kids” and “Time To Pretend” were just beginning to find rotation, but weren’t yet the bar/party staples (let alone, remix fodder) that they’ve become today. While MGMT’s star flashed brightly with a few strong, lingering tracers, Yeasayer’s has waxed more steadily. The latter has improved its songwriting, continued to borrow heavily from Asian, Middle Eastern, and African themes, and actually pushed its brand of sample-driven, indie world music to new heights with sophomore effort, Odd Blood. Two years ago it was true, and it’s still true today — Yeasayer is a better band.