I had never been to Nectar before this evening and I must say, it's one fabulous venue. The staff and patrons were extra friendly and the sound was honestly some of the best I’ve heard in Seattle. The stage is a bit high up but the room is engaging and the perfect size for just about any show. That being said, the bands on this particular night all made for a pleasant surprise for a random night out.

Portland’s the Dimes are an acoustic indie-pop band with a really fun and energetic sound. Their friendly and inviting performance, while harmless, was clean and songs like “Paul Kern Can’t Sleep” and “Catch Me Jumping” show off their well-honed skill at song-writing, evoking emotions and quality grooves.

California’s Two Sheds required an adjustment, as they were quite a change from the upbeat sounds if the Dimes. Their bluesy and soulful sound was extremely mellow and introspective. After about four or five songs I finally understood and how good they are and had a chance to settle in and enjoy their dark yet beautiful, precious, and melodic sound.

Friday Mile are a Seattle band with quirky pop overtones and a cutesy yet rocking infectious personality and performance. Their melodies and harmonies alternated between sweetly emotive and danceable pop, with themes centered mostly around argumentative couples working through problems. Hannah Williams and Jace Krause did a great job of playing off one another, giving in to the ideas that they presented. Songs like “Curtain Call” and “Distance = Danger” showed off their quality songwriting and a stellar cover of “Modern Love” to end the night was extremely well-received.

I love nights like this, filled with differing sounds and attitudes at a new and unfamiliar venue. I was kept on my toes for the whole night with eyes wide open and my ears continually having to hit the refresh button.