The Soft Moon

Oakland's the Soft Moon suffered the first of what became recurring technical glitches; as a result the already short set they were allotted was cut in half. But the trio, fronted by the endlessly energetic Luis Vasquez, made their half-dozen selections count, wasting no time as they delivered their darkwave post-punk tunes to a packed crowd. Besides writing terrific, and downright menacing, tunes, Vasquez proves that bands dabbling in the darker corners of the indie world don't necessarily have to stand still to achieve their gothy moodiness on stage. He bounded around the stage like a madman, stopping only when he hunched over his guitar or keyboard or occasionally to yelp into the mic. The crowd jeered organizers when Vasquez announced their last song — really it seemed like they were just getting going — but the result was a show that left everyone wanting more, always a good thing.