Two of the most highly-touted up-and-comers in indie music played the Black Cat Backstage on Monday night, as Glasser and Twin Shadow showcased their disparate, yet equally distinctive talents. Like The Joy Formidable, who played the same room last Thursday, Twin Shadow seems unlikely to play such a small venue again anytime soon — his charismatic performance left little doubt that he’ll be moving upstairs to the Black Cat’s main stage (or beyond) next time he’s in town. Glasser offered just as captivating a set, though the comparatively — and regrettably — tepid support for her more challenging material left her popular ascendancy a bit more uncertain.

Every once in a while, a band comes to one of Washington’s smaller venues and puts on the sort of performance that ensures everyone present that they will never play in a space that small ever again. Last Thursday night, The Joy Formidable put on such a performance, despite the fact that at least part of that sold-out crowd left after the openers had finished.