by George McIntire

San Francisco electronic-rock outfit Cathedrals have witnessed their buzz skyrocket in the past year. With two EPs and a handful of shows to their name, they managed to fill The Independent on Saturday to capacity with hundreds of raucous concertgoers. They capped off an excellent all Bay Area show that was the toast of Noise Pop.

Opening up the festivities were the funky and jamming Waterstrider who earned points before they even started playing due to their inclusion of bongo drums. The Oakland sextet featured a diverse array of instruments. All sorts of genres and rhythms percolate throughout Waterstrider’s sound such as Vampire Weekend-esque afropop, guitars, emulating that of Alt-J. Their completely dissolved mix of passport-pop is complemented by the piercing voice of lead vocalist Nate Salman, who surprisingly didn’t shatter every glass in the house. Salman’s vocals command absolute attention yet are simultaneously hypnotic.

Following Waterstriders were San Francisco synth-electro duo Silver Swans. Compared to the major instrumentation of the previous acts, the two came equipped only with their voice and a drum machine. Their lead single “Secrets” warmed up the atmosphere with its steady synth grooves underlined by bouncy drum hits. Silver Swans may not make you jump up and down — they’re more likely to induce feelings of introspection compared to their noisier genre relatives. The wistful “Let Me Know Now” perfectly encapsulates that with its mysterious enigmatic vocals and high-pitched echoing instrumentals.

Before the arrival of Cathedrals, the audience was sufficiently warmed up on a full catalog genres. They may have been satisfied but were yearning for the main act. Cathedrals exhibited everything you’d expect from seasoned veterans: irresistible charm, on-stage chemistry, and an effortlessly harmonious relationship with the crowd. Lead singer Brodie Jenkins, who for most of the set showed off her right leg like she was Angelina Jolie at the Oscars, absolutely reigned supreme over the room with her mesmerizing vocals. It’s a powerful and delicious cocktail of a voice that incorporates elements of R’nB and singer-songwriter pop. As they progressed through their catalog, the band become more and more galvanizing as they swung the crowd’s collective mood all over the place. And even though, they’re not playing a third night, Cathedrals played a rightly deserved encore which managed to be even more booming than their set.

There's been much worry about the state of San Francisco’s and the Bay Area’s music scene, but I can safely say that the despite any troubles, good music is being made by the likes of Waterstrider, Silver Swans, and Cathedrals. It was a great show.