An algorithm made me listen to Boy & Bear’s 2011 album Moonfire. That wasn’t the first time and it certainly wasn’t the last.

But this is the one album that existed in a vacuum, that really no one else in my own social group told me about. What’s more, the album received virtually no critical reaction on music sites I frequented.

Moonfire was in my Heavy Rotation for months on the Rdio streaming service that suggested I give it a shot. So perhaps it was a bit surreal, three years later, to confirm that, indeed, this was a real band and not a construction of music streaming services.

At the Royale on Thursday night, Boy & Bear delivered a set that played to this writer’s nostalgic sensibilities. They had a bunch of new songs, too.

No surprise: That’s what the majority of the crowd that filled the club was there for. In fact, toward the end of the set after a parade of Moonfire tracks, a crowd that might have been lulled to a sleep suddenly was awakened.

When the dreamy slow beginning of “Southern Sun” from 2013’s Harlequin Dream began, a buzz grew in the room. Then, it got int the rock mode with a simple guitar riff that seemed pulled from early ‘70s classic rock. At that moment, a person directly in my sightline lost himself to dance, hips shaking and pointing at the stage I hadn’t seen from anyone all night. It was bizarre and amazing to watch. I looked around, and noticed there were a few people mocking him, but then, suddenly, they too were into it.

The new tracks definitely got the most love from the crowd, but songs like “Feeding Line” and “Milk & Sticks” got rousing applause, even if they didn’t know the songs. At the end of the night, they chose to close the encore-free set with “Big Man” off of Moonfire, to my delight. The chants that close the song make for a great set-closer, and the last line “I’m terrified I’ll achieve nothing at all” appealed to my quarter-life crisis in 2011 that still applies today — some things never change.

Some things do change, though — Harlequin Dream tracks sound a lot more like straight rock songs than the folk-rock of Moonfire. Perhaps the reason they’re not in front of a larger following is because both of those zones are flooded by similar sounding bands like Fleet Foxes. It’s tough to manage to find a foothold out there.

There was some banter from frontman David Hosking. He noted that Moonfire never got a proper physical release in America due to label troubles. He was also glad to be in front of so many people who were smiling (but delivered a joking “fuck you” to those who were frowning).

Perhaps I couldn’t hold back a smile, because I realized an algorithm had eventually put me in that room.

California’s Run River North opened the show, with a rousing folk pop set that has clear similarities to The Lumineers and Head & The Heart.

Their set opener, “In The Water,” has an intense driving drum that jarred a few pieces of confetti from the Royale’s ceiling. As frontman Daniel Chae sang the bridge “Yes, I’m falling,” he clearly noticed a few pieces of confetti a foot or two ahead of him and started looking around, baffled. It’s one of those serendipitous musical moments that one doesn’t get to see very often.

Check out Boy & Bear’s tour dates here, and see when Run River North is in your area.