I'm lucky when it comes to Bloc Party shows. Yesterday, for the second successive time, I saw them on the latter of a two-show stand and based on reports, I avoided the "off-night" on both occasions. I wasn't measuring Wednesday's performance against Tuesday, but in contrast to that stellar April show at the Bowery Ballroom. It was close, but the Bowery takes the prize, helped considerably by its vastly superior sound system.

Webster Hall has few fans. That's no secret. Complaining about it is tedious, but many of the gripes are valid. If you don't like to overpay for drinks, there are options. If you don't like the security, the exit strategy, or the cheesy décor, you can deal. But crummy acoustics are hard to accept. For a discotheque you'd expect the low end to be covered, but Webster Hall is all treble. Bloc Party is a trebly band and the Hall muddled many of their most compelling moments.

Setting aside that significant detraction, Bloc Party played an extended set brimming with energy and confidence. Touring has tightened their sound and eased their perfomance anxiety. They were helped last night by a surprisingly active audience. Active is an understatement. For a New York show, the crowd was mental and their insanity fueled the band into unprecedented territory.

After the main set and first encore that was engaging, if not quite as sharp as the April show, the evening took an unsuspected and memorable turn. The band ended the encore, said their goodbyes and left the stage. The houselights came up and everyone began to leave. Then the guitar tech, who I assumed was busy packing up the equipment, spoke into the mic. "The band is coming back, in case anyone cares."

It was as if Elvis was still in the building. Or the Beatles. That was how Rajeev described the crowd's reaction. Beatlemania. Screaming and crying. Well maybe not crying. Those still in the building rushed back onto the floor. The lights went down and show was back on. Bloc Party first tried out a catchy new song and then ended the musical portion of the night with "The Answer", a track I'm not familiar with. It featured an extended intro that built into a trademark Bloc Party groove. It was perhaps the best song of the night.

Presumably out of songs, the band rewarded the audience with a stage dive from singer Kele Okereke and drummer Matt Tong. I'm sure it was quite a delight having the shirtless Tong jump on top of you after a long night.

See more photos from the night on Flickr.

As usual, Brooklyn Vegan has an excellent set of photos.