On the eve of Independence Day, O’Brien’s Pub drew a strong weekday crowd for a local four band show. In order of appearance, the night’s acts included Blue Ray, Pleaser, Banana and Nice Guys.

Comprised of just two members, Blue Ray started the night on an energetic note, playing a series of short and loud noise rock songs, including some tracks from their recently released LP, open sesame. Together, the duo made use of an array of pedals on stage, with guitarist/vocalist Johnny Steines distorting and looping certain vocal parts to compliment drummer Aidan Breen’s hard hitting percussion. Following Blue Ray was Pleaser, another duo, but with an entirely different sound. Walking onto the stage wearing matching denim vests, Pleaser showed off a mix of electronic drum beats with pitch shifted vocals and catchy choruses.

The last two bands of the night wrapped things up on the heavier side. Self described “pop metal” trio Banana opened with a song titled “Dogs,” the first of three tracks related to animals, followed later by track about cats and another about cows. Without a pre-written setlist, the band was free to play whatever they felt like, which resulted in them showing off live renditions of many tracks from their 2017 release, Die Alone pt. 2. The final performance of the night belonged to local punk four piece Nice Guys, who managed to raise the bar already set high by the previous three acts. Highlights from their set included original songs masquerading as covers, a track about a close encounter with a tornado, and “Chips in the Moonlight” from 2016’s WSM.

See below for photos from the show: