It isn’t every day that you go to a show and are completely blown away by each and every band. That was the case the other night when I went to Terminal 5 in New York City to see The Dig, The Antlers, and Editors. While they are all very different, and possess a completely different sound, each proved to me that they’re a legitimate contender in today’s indie rock arena.

I have to admit, I was there to see The Antlers. They have been one of my favorite bands since the release of their album, Hospice. If you haven’t listened to it, you should be ashamed of yourself. But seriously, go get it if you haven’t already. They were the second act of the evening, and though their set was short (as can be expected from an opening band), they rocked hard and shocked a lot of people.

A lot of the audience wasn’t very familiar with The Antlers, which played to their advantage. By their second song, people we throwing their hands up, and getting involved in the music. Little did they know just how complex the songs were (Hospice is a concept album). I was in a blissful state listening to their stuff.

Now I regress. The first act of the night was the The Dig. They were awesome. Straight up indie rock without the bells and whistles you often find in this day and age. They pick up their instruments and just play. No overdoing it with sound effects, and synthesizers (on their instruments that is). Honestly, if I closed my eyes, I would have probably had trouble telling them apart from The Strokes. Yeah, that similar. That’s a great thing though, isn’t it?

The last act of the evening was Editors, of Birmingham, England. I have their most recent album, but have never really gotten into it. They have a distinct style that never appealed to me. That is, until I saw them live. They are true performers, and know how to put on a GREAT live show. I was impressed by everything. The timing of the lights, the precision of their instrumentals, and more predominantly, the lead singer’s voice. It’s so damn unique.

I stood there in awe, just staring at the band as well as the crowd, which was clearly also entranced by Editors. Songs like “The Boxer” and “Papillon” were great! I wish I knew the names of more of the songs they played because each and every one was a gem. Go buy tickets to see all three of these bands as soon as you can!