We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yeasayer and Sleigh Bells

Yeasayer's setlist care of crafty ace photog Josh Bis.

Can we talk about the em-effing Yeasayer? I've seen the experimental proto-futuristic band play at Neumo's twice before, but last night's sold-out show was the first time it really all came together. The previous times I've seen them, I felt like everyone was having a blessed-out spiritual moment with the band but me. But this time around, I had a moment or two, while the now-five-piece mostly played from their second full-length, the poppier, at times reggae-ish Odd Blood, starting with first track, robot-vocaled "The Children." (Check the setlist.)

The difference from past shows is that with a successful follow-up under their belt and no signs of slowing down, Yeasayer is officially all growns up. The air at sweaty and smelly Neumo's may have been thick with weed last night (credit/blame goes to 4/20 and an all-ages crowd), but the Brooklyn hippies have cut their hair—seriously, compare Josh's photos from November '08 to now—and learned how to put on a professional show with lights and showmanship and everything, like a boss. The band's sound was well-balanced, and most of the crowd was feeling it, singing, clapping, and dancing along to the rhythmic world roots jungle gospel.

Heartfelt and utterly unironic singer Chris Keating played to the crowd, chiding them for boos (and booing himself) when he announced the band's final song, only to say that he loved Seattle so much he didn't even mind if the audience booed. (Cue cheers.) Meanwhile, he gave deserved props to the band's other main vocalist, Anand Wilder, who as a multi-instrumentalist is contributing way more to their dense sound than you'd suspect. For the encore, Yeasayer brought out their black guy to be the hype man (that's racist!) before the rest of the band took the stage to close out the night with "Grizelda" followed by All Hour Cymbals' "Sunrise."

And now a couple Yeasayer pro tips:

• If your girlfriend does not like Yeasayer, do not bring her to the Yeasayer show. She will make you give up your good position in the crowd and/or leave early.
• If you think you and all your friends are going to push forward, even though there is clearly no room, for the global call to arms of "2080," think again; that ain't gonna happen. However, if you're solo, and politely maneuver through the crowd to get close for "Ambling Alp," telling folks that you need to get through because you love the song's bass line, that'll work. Can't argue with that.

Opener Sleigh Bells is generally a duo, but sometimes it's just Alexis Krauss, loops, and pre-programmed beats.  Alexis has an oversized stage presence, singing and dancing along with prerecorded vocals, and she puts on a sassy good show, whether or not her partner in the band (Derek Miller) joins her on guitar. Sleigh Bells' first album Treats is out next month. Their crush-worthy set was ultra-poppy with playground hip hop leanings, some tracks more head-bopping, some more ass-shaking (I preferred the latter). And then there were the tracks where Alexis just screamed. Their last song of the set, "Crown on the Ground," is one that I definitely recognized from somewhere. Perhaps every ad and movie trailer from this point forward?