The excellent quadruple bill at Knitting Factory Brooklyn Thursday was a major victory. All four acts made great, influential records in 2014 and toured extensively in support of them. This night ended up feeling like a celebratory toast to the effort and humble success of those bands and the people that support them.

Kudos to the Knit for staging this wonderful lineup:

100 Watt Horse
Small Wonder
Bellows
Mitski

Admission was $12. The room was two-thirds full at its peak during the Bellows set. It’s atypical for any of the four acts on the bill to play a place like Knitting Factory but the timing of the show (semester break) and combination of performers made it work. The audience was excellent. It arrived early and gave full, quiet attention to the entire program starting with the opening performer George Pettis (playing as 100 Watt Horse). Pettis lives in Atlanta and did a riveting and beautiful cover of Blaze Foley’s “Clay Pigeons.”

Next was Henry Crawford performing as Small Wonder. With an electric strapped on and a couple twelve-oz. cans of PBR at his feet, Crawford went it alone. He uses illeism to great effect while telling tales of life’s trials/errors in a voice that pitches like Lou‘s. One great number that Crawford referred to as an “old, new song” and “new to you, but not some of my friends” discussed wisdom of sorts obtained from his father and taking good from the bad. And bad from the bad.

After completing Small Wonder’s set, Crawford switched to bass when Bellows took the stage. The Epoch and SUNY Purchase-inspired bands that have started to become the foundation of Brooklyn’s current music scene have so many musicians with responsibilities in more than just one band. Bellows is a sort-of super group in this way given the versatility of its members. Oliver Kalb (pictured above – in the middle with white t-shirt) writes the songs and fronts Bellows. He’s joined by Gabby Smith on keys, Felix Walworth on drums and Crawford on bass. All but Crawford play in another great band – Told Slant with Walworth fronting that trio. Walworth is a fascinating drummer to watch. He’s very demonstrative, authoritative and talented.

Smith too. She keeps a rigorous schedule and spends a good chunk of life in a van. Not only does she play in Bellows and Told Slant, she plays keys and sings in Frankie Cosmos and also leads her own active and productive band Eskimeaux (which also includes Kalb and Walworth).

But back to Bellows. They were the highlight on this night. An Arcade Fire-like anthem-maker but way more down to earth while doing it, Bellows had the crowd singing along with “See Bright, Be Fine.” In between the punctuation inserted by his bass on that great song, Crawford air-drummed along with Walworth’s distinctive percussion lines.

The unique rotation/sharing dynamic among Bellows and the members’ other endeavors creates obvious cohesiveness and timing and it was a thrill to witness. I’m not gonna engage in futile best-record-of-the-year list-making but if you’re a list guy, you’d have to consider putting Blue Breath by Bellows on it. What an incredible record.

Music writer Jon Caramanica was in attendance and wrote a review of Mitski’s performance.

Mitski was the last to perform and her short set was solid. The Caramanica review was posted on the Times website Friday evening but did not find room in the newspaper until Monday. Caramanica made no mention in his piece of the night’s other performances.