It was a indie rock fauna festival last night at the Croc.  No wolves or deer, but other mammalians were well represented. Mammals have been/continue to trend as band meme in indie rock land.

Pepper Rabbit opened. Judging from their recorded stuff, you'd think Pepper Rabbit was twee tame.  But live they were entirely different, completely different sound than their recorded stuff. Big songs and a big sound.  Guitarist/singer pushing vocals and guitar through dozens of pedals (all vintage), getting mad sonic transformation out of both.  Drummer was tight, holding back, but no doubt he had chops.  Solid playing.  Songs were composed, not cliche, emotive with twists and turns, weird breaks in the middle, syncopation, the band showing that they were rehearsed.  They are opening for Passion Pit at the Moore next Tuesday; hope this serves them well to get some good exposure. 

Miniature Tigers was next, playing to an appreciative crowd: "Show us your tits!"  More keyboard driven than guitar driven.   Singer with a falsetto that defined them vocally. Here's some pics by Adam Forslund:

Then Freelance Whales. Sounding very major pentatonic, anthemic, in the vein of what Arcade Fire and Death Cab For Cutie has wrought on to the expectations of the epic and of the romantic. A kind of mature tweeness, if that isn't a contradiction.  The consequence of emoting on stage within the constraints of the genre.  

Here's a couple pics: