The Long Ranger brought a laid back, sexy, sophisticated electro dance party more refreshing than anything I’d seen at a club in months. It was all the best parts of New Order mixed with a twinge of Phoenix and completed perfectly by brother/sister vocal harmonies. You may recognize keyboardist/singer Sylvia Chen from Velella Velella, another one of Seattle’s finest electro dance acts. The Long Ranger is less of a funk band and more of a pop one than VV though – basically the whole set felt like the scene in Lost In Translation where everyone is dancing to “Too Young.” At the end of the show the band expressed their desire to play a house party next, and I hope I find out when they do. Although the sound and atmosphere of Showbox Sodo is above average, there’s just no substitute for seeing a group like this in the confines of a living room instead of a huge room full of people sitting down.

It had been a while since I’d last caught Sleepy Eyes of Death, at least since before their full length Street Lights for a Ribcage came out. Although already impressive in their beginnings, SEOD have really ramped up their game lately. Their live sound is impeccable, every note and beat falling perfectly into the sound spectrum. The lights and fog are really a gimmick that’s never going to get old – they perfectly set the mood for the band’s futuristic shoegaze. I was ready at any moment during the show for Harrison Ford to burst through the door and kill a Daryl Hannah robot right in front of me. I don’t think the band would have flinched if it had happened.

The caliber of Sleepy Eyes of Death’s live show has moved way past “good local electronic band.” They have created one of the most impressive live experiences of anyone in town.