Picture a mix of Team Gina +1, a significantly less raunchy Peaches, and the Beastie Boys on mad estrogen, and you have the makings of Brooklyn band Northern State. Named after the very parkway located on Long Island (as my NY indigenous buddy recounted), the rappy three piece ("Spero,” “Sprout,” and “Hesta Prynn”) hopped, paced, and skipped through their 20 minute set.

Critically acclaimed, the girls proudly touted the fact that they were featured on Seattle’s take off hit “Gray’s Anatomy” twice. Complete with four star Rolling Stone praise and Adrock of the Beastie Boys on their production team, Northern State has it all. Had you placed all the girls of Northern State on corresponding electricity creating contraptions, their energy probably would have been enough to run the homes of the entire front row of free-spirited ladies.

Next up was twin sister Tegan and Sara. The last time I saw Tegan and Sara, I was all but a 15 year old sophomore in high school, hopping up and down to see over the throngs of eager music fans at the White River Amphitheatre. The audience’s sheer admiration was almost too much for the Showbox to contain as they danced, jumped, and sang along. Tegan and Sara led off through favorites, from “Back in Your Head” on the Chris Walla-produced The Con, to old favorites such as “Speak Slow,” “I Bet it Burned,” and more. Bottom line, the bubbly and all-telling sounds of Tegan and Sara did not disappoint.

A particularly funny story Sara recounted to the audience involved the band walking into a ridiculously pricey Italian restaurant just a couple blocks down from the Showbox, and walking out after much deliberation, water drinking, and eye contact avoidance. The always perky and fun loving manner of the two mullet sporting sisters certainly quelled the audience’s sweet tooth sugar cookie pop fix that night as seen in their tired canter out of the venue, post encore.

More Tegan and Sara photos by Chona Kasinger: