Somebody forgot to tell The Icy Shores, pictured above in my crappy camera phone, they were the opener Saturday night, as the group brought their unique brand of agro-pop to a sizable crowd and quickly “cooled” the room with catchy hooks, spot-on solos and Foo-esque rock. Switching back and forth between songs penned by guitarists/vocalists Hunter Jonakin and Nick Hegarty,the group walked the fine line between aggressive and emo pop, and it worked.

Personally, I prefer Hegarty’s tracks live and on the group’s debut album, What You Get and How You Get It, (Catlick Records), which push the envelope more towards rock than Jonakin’s mid-tempo pop. If can imagine the bastard child of The Sun and Dave Grohl, well then you’ve got too much time on your hands.

Overall, it’s the marriage of genre that makes this group shine, even as the opener for the opener on Saturday.

The Spectaculars then took the stage to thaw the crowd with their set of serious, soulful set of hip-hop, r&b and rock, as the crowd continued to fill up the 400 Bar. This band is super fun - Minneapolis’ very own Robert Randolph, indeed. The band even had their very own, bling-wearing lyrical coach to ensure the crowd was up to speed on what was “going down” and what “was tight.”

Finally, the newest Minneapolis supergroup, Moon Maan, took the stage. Featuring a combined MN rock pedigree culled from Afghan Whigs (Rick McCollum was a founding member), Psychedelicates, Balloon Guy, Polara, Mark Mallman, Snapperhead and Push On Junior, this group isn’t short on talent. After making their debut at SXSW in 2004, Moon Maan has been quietly popping up at Twin City venues to test out material, as well as making three tracks availble for download on their Web site. They sound like, well, Whigs plus you’ll hear some Black Crowes, MC5 and even Stones and Zeppelin.

Moon Maan played an unbelievable set ending a stellar show to a very large and appreciative crowd. These are the nights I’m proud to live in the Twin Cities and write about the local scene.