Last night we shook off our beginning-of-the-week/year jitters and braved the cold to see Julian Lynch and a handful of other acts play at Bruar Falls.

Lynch headlined the evening, pulling together a notable lineup that included Alex Bleeker (who fronts The Freaks), Matt Mondanile (of Real Estate and Ducktails) and Evan Brody (of Family Portrait and Underwater Peoples Records). The group provided a solid vehicle for Lynch's effortless singing and guitar playing. With a thoughtful, unassuming look on his face and a foot frequently pumping his wah-wah pedal, Lynch made his songs drip with sincerity and psychedelic meandering. Just watching him strum his strings and lean toward the microphone was calming and satisfying enough to make the night worthwhile.

Luckily, though, the show offered even more. We arrived in time to see Queening, who offered up solid, crunchy riffs and compelling, creative drumming. Big Troubles followed and put forth a good set, despite some technical qualms that seemed to stem from a faulty guitar cable. Pop. 1280 were next, bringing dark post-punk that made us think of The Fall and Liars. They temporarily suspended the laid-back vibe of the night, with frontman Chris Beetle stalking through the audience for much of the set looking antagonistic, but Julian Lynch and his crew quickly put everybody back at ease.

It sounds like Chocolate Bobka recorded video of Lynch's set, so we look forward to reliving this night when that footage is released.

Julian Lynch and his band:

Pop. 1280:

Big Troubles: