Last weekend's Rapture show at the Tribeca Grand was enjoyable but not really very memorable. I was excited to see them again and hear some new songs, but it was hot and sweaty and way packed, and the sound wasn't great. (Bands there are occasionally great, but the space works way better with DJ's.) The Tribeca Grand show just feels like a warm-up gig now though. The band was fantastic Friday night at the Bowery Ballroom, playing easily the strongest set I've seen from them. The setlist still had lots of new, but there was more old this time and it all sounded great.

They started with a new track before sliding into "Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks," a song that'll never get old to me. The new stuff is bit funkier and more electronic than Echoes, and a new keyboard player sits in on a bunch of the songs. Mattie Safer trades in his bass for the keys on a couple new ones as well. Safer seemed slurring drunk on Friday but didn't miss a beat with the music - the whole band was quite sharp in fact, as was the sound. (Loved being able to hear Luke Jenner's guitar so clearly.) The old stuff consistently delivered - especially a live band version of "Killing" (way better than with drum machines) and raucous takes on "The Coming of Spring" and "Heaven" (both of which didn't make last week's cut). The weakest of the bunch was ironically "House of Jealous Lovers," which never quite clicked - more the exception than the norm though. The crowd was nuts and the band seemed to feed off it, reminding me why I listened to Echoes so much two years ago.

Cut Copy opened up and were definitely good, but I preferred their Monday set. Friday's set gave them more time, and they used it for a new song that didn't do much for me. The songs in common were all great though - especially "Future" (which started with an "Around the World" sample) and "That Was Just A Dream." A good chunk of each song is prerecorded in their set out of necessity, but Bright Like Neon Love is such a great listen that I really didn't mind. I just wish they'd sneak the "Saturdays" reprise into their sets.

After the Rapture finished up, it was off to Don Hill's for a dose of Optimo with a DJ set from Twitch. We missed the start of his set but still got almost 3 hours, nothing to complain about. And it was a blast - I am incredibly jealous of the Glaswegians out there that get to go to an Optimo party every Sunday. Many highlights to speak of, including "Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks" (like I said, it doesn't get old), a dub mix of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," the Lindstrom and Prins Thomas mix of LCD's "Tribulations," Frankie Knuckles's "Your Love" (a guaranteed winner), and Dinosaur's "Kiss Me Again" (ditto). I have to think Justine D. and Dave P. were psyched with how the first night of their new Don Hill's party turned out, and I can't wait to see what they do next time. As for this one, the last beat rolled in around 4:30 AM, I was pretty much deaf, and it was totally worth it.

Twitch, BTW, will tentatively be back in February. I'm not sure what's on deck for the Rapture, but hopefully we'll see and hear more of them soon. I wondered if they'd still have it after laying low for so long, but Friday's show put any doubts of mine to rest. More photos are up on Flickr.