Thursday night at the Middle East upstairs unfolded like a well-curated dream sequence as the efforts of three bands coalesced for a frictionless performance. The first set belonged to Funeral Advantage. Reflecting the weather outside, pop hooks shimmered with summer’s heat and Tyler Kershaw, the lead singer and principal songwriter, unspooled his vocals over blissed-out swirling and eddying chords. Drum flourishes were used to punctuate the breezy melodies, and when the percussive leash was loosened a bit, tracks were able to breathe a little bit better. The members of Funeral Advantage are at their best in the little moments that inject a little bit of steam into their more relaxed cadence.

When Moon King began their set with “Apocalypse,” the first two minutes had the crowd in a foot-tapping, head-bobbing trance… and the Toronto-based band unleashed a wall of sound so encompassing it was like the world seized for a moment; the head movement morphed into looks of shock as the band’s silky energy gave way to powerful barrage of bass and pounding guitar. With a heavy but bright feel, Maddy Wilde and Daniel Benjamin, the two main members of the outfit, pushed out a sound that belied the small upstairs space. Even in protracted grooves, Wilde wielded her guitar with incredible intensity and split vocal duties with Benjamin. The bone-shaking bass was controlled by an electronic pedal on the floor, and gave their bombast some backbone, especially highlighted in “Crucify”. A highlight of the set was “Impossible,” as the slower tune helped flesh out the group’s live dynamics. Benjamin donned a guitar for the song, and unleashed chilling vocal harmonies with Wilde during the chorus.

Mr Twin Sister, illuminated by soft red light, launched the evening into an ethereal state that was somewhat-unexpectedly driven by their deep percussion section. Andrea Estella’s razor-sharp vocal hooks glittered throughout a set populated by old, new, and unreleased cuts, though some of the more industrial-tinged takes off of their latest LP were absent. There’s a big difference between airy and lethargy, however, and Mr Twin Sister had the crowd dancing during most of their extended set.

Songs like “In the House of Yes” with its corrugated funk and a lengthened jam of “Rude Boy” showcased their exquisite musicianship; members would often switch instruments mid-song, and there were moments when three and four of them at a time would be splitting percussion duties across congas, a drum kit, and two different sets of electronic drums. Singer and guitarist Eric Cardona would often switch to a tenor sax as well as help project the spectral harmonies that have become an auditory hallmark for the band. Not even an electrical issue which temporarily put half the band out of commission could cast a dour mood over the set, as Estella and Cardona delivered three songs in a rippling interlude, including a new one with Estella’s voice a filament spidering across the chords. Though the set was slightly on the longer side, the impressive display didn’t feel bloated, and capped a night coated in the surreal.