It is soundcheck, and Autry Rene Fulbright, lead singer of Midnight Masses, stands at the edge of the small Union Pool stage on the last night of their residency, the venue nearly packed with hipsters, hip-hoppers, and rockers alike. Fulbright, who has the presence and dressings of a 1950s Motown crooner, releases his mic stand but holds the mic’s cord, letting it sail toward the audience. Satisfied with the functionality of his prop he pulls the stand back toward him and turns to face the rest of his band. At this point, I got the feeling I was in for a good show.

Midnight Masses is a mélange of a band, who quite fittingly bring to mind the hodgepodge look of a college or church choir. Formed in 2008, the band’s other members include Eric Rodgers, Destiny Montague, Miyuki Furtado, Daniel Wood, and Jason Reece. Their songs are heavily influenced by Fulbright’s personal journey through grief and acceptance, following the sudden death of his father.

At their final night at Union Pool, Midnight Masses performed their repertoire in perfect tone — never flashy, always communal. Each song, whether somber (“Sound of Sirens”), devotional (“There Goes Our Man,” my personal favorite), or the beautifully uplifting (“Heaven”) caused me to stop and think about something we will all inevitably face — the loss of a loved one and even our own mortality.

The ability of Midnight Masses to surface guttural feelings surrounding this heavy topic — live and in-person, through the snare of a drum or the enunciation of a lyric, displayed in a raw a cappella moment by Fulbright in “There Goes Our Man” — is what makes their music relevant. Coupled with their on-stage camaraderie and performance style, they know how to hold an audience captive.

It is Fulbright’s performance that really drove this performance by Midnight Masses. He takes ownership of the stage with moves you would envision from a preacher hot under the collar with praise. Another standout performance came from the super-charged Miyuki Furtado, who played the drums with an air of near beastiality. It was a sight to watch Fulbright — who also plays drums — and Furtado “battle” musically, at one point Fulbright pantomiming a throw of his drum toward Furtado before gently setting it down on stage. Midnight Masses’ front man knows how to put on a good show.

“Sound of Sirens” was particularly catchy, even though the harmonies, sung by each member of the band, was abrasive in a few areas. They were, however, rich and unique, and maybe it can be determined that this particular play on harmony is part of the act. Anyone who has been to a religious mass knows it involves singing, and in key or not, your fellow churchgoers do not discriminate. Maybe it is not that deep, but whatever the case, the disparate voices from an otherwise talented group of musicians worked for Midnight Masses. And judging by the guy who was dancing it out in the front row throughout the whole set, so did the whole package.

Midnight Masses performs next at Bowery Ballroom on April 1, 2010. Check them out at myspace.com/midnightmassesandtheendofdays.