On the face, this was a strange line-up: Wilmington’s sharp Americana-pop songwriters Onward, Soldiers, with the Triangle’s rockers Effingham and garage-psych trio the Pneurotics, but you know what? It did. Effingham’s Jeremy Blair writes songs with a hook and a pop sensibility if not necessarily a pop sound, and with the collaboration of Magnolia Collective bandmate Daniel Snyder on new writing, the Pneurotics’ Rich McLaughlin is starting to turn his strange and rambling songs into clear (still epic) early ’90s-reminiscent radio-friendly stuff. Onward, Soldiers’ Sean Thomas Gerard is already a master of the pop song with a hook, and last night they all sounded great, and I was delighted to see how well the bill actually did work. I love surprises like that.

Full set is here.