Two bands draw very different crowds at one show

It was hard not to notice the markedly different crowds Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s and… It was hard not to notice the markedly different crowds Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s and The Twilight Singers drew to Mr. Small’s on Saturday night.

A younger group pushed to the stage to see indie rock band Margot, the opening act, while a decades-older group waited back at the bar until The Twilight Singers appeared.

Margot’s front man Richard Edward’s gentle vocals drove the band and pulled in the crowd during the opening set. The song selections ranged from nearly orchestral pieces such as “A Sea Chanty of Sorts” and “Skeleton Key” to their newer, more rock-like sound in “Claws Off.” It was the adept musical performance more than the band’s interaction with the audience that engaged listeners. Margot’s sound was just as enthralling live as on the group’s albums.

Even without actually interacting much with the crowd during song changes, the band gave off a very comfortable air, especially during its acoustic set in the middle of the show. The group members left the stage to great applause from the audience.

As the switch between bands took place, the crowd also experienced a shift.  Margot’s fans went back to the bar or left, while those who had stood aside for the first act, clamored to the stage. The anticipation increased steadily as the crowd waited for more than a half hour for front man Greg Dulli and his band to walk on stage.

From there on out, it was clear that Dulli was the focus of the show. The former Afghan Whigs front man was very much the battery in the The Twilight Singers’ machine. His raw voice pushed the songs like “Candy Cane Crawl,” which normally leans toward a more mellow sound, to become a passionate power ballad.

Though The Twilight Singers set as a whole lacked the depth of Margot’s performance, Dulli masterfully worked the crowd. He engaged the audience members between songs and had them sing along, holding their attention even during somewhat lackluster numbers. The focus seemed less on the songs — which almost blended together at times — and more on the emotion that Dulli conveyed with his voice, guitar and keyboard.