Going into this show, I was prepared to see lots of black t-shirts and amazing hipster hairdos. Not that that is out of the norm at any show in Nashville, but considering the bands we were to behold, you knew the quota would be high.

The Entrance Band warmed us all up with their blues-influenced psych-rock. A perfect package in my mind: a female bass player who could hold a groove, a guitar/vocalist who pulled the audience through a variety of moods, and a drummer who never distracted or showed off. It was right.

Cold Cave was up next. The crowd had started to grow as we were all packing in for a sold-out show. People had driven in from surrounding states, and you could feel the excitement that the road-trippers had brought with them. I couldn’t tell you how many people I met from Atlanta, who, the next night, would be seeing the same performers again, in their hometown.

The stage lights illuminated came on just enough to see the silhouettes of the guys in Cold Cave as they entered the stage. The sound of deep, whirling synths filled the venue, and the band dived right into an energetic set. Everything you loved about New Wave bands of the ’80s has been reincarnated, and it was being projected toward us. As a bit of a music geek, I must admit to being impressed with how well the live drums sounded. There is a reason many bands use electronic drums — making live drums work with synths is freaking hard. Cold Cave nailed it.

Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for had arrived. With sass and huge hair, VV walked on stage, and with the flick of her wrist we were all hers. She and Hotel create raucous noise, deliver it in dramatic fashion. Even if you didn’t like The Kills you’d feel special if one of them made eye contact with you. Music was their gift and they were giving it to you.