Though New York is home to countless music venues, Music Hall of Williamsburg is definitely one of my favorites. Its openness and spectacular acoustics made the large, sparkling sound of The Submarines (@thesubmarines) explode around their well attended crowd.

The evening began early with a reportedly great set by Yellowbirds, which I unfortunately missed after the subway system completely failed me. I was lucky enough, however, to see the second supporting act Pepper Rabbit who offered up a spectacular set of atmospheric lo-fi that boomed throughout the auditorium. It was endlessly dense music that incorporated layer upon layer of instrumentation. Pepper Rabbit’s 2010 debut Beauregard is out now, with another album in the mixing and mastering process as we speak.

Shortly after Pepper Rabbit left the stage, The Submarines began their magical performance. Blake Hazard and John Drafonetti have an easy charm and quirky cuteness that make their solid, grand indie pop all the better. Hazard’s saccharine-in-the-best-way vocals, coupled with interesting lyrics and spits of noise, turn music that could be overly precious into something that demands attention. The band has a natural chemistry on stage, working together well and sounding spectacular in the process. The songs were tight and flowed into each other in a natural, seamless way.

The crowd was generous for a Tuesday night, and all had their attention focused squarely on Hazard who engaged the audience with stories of the songs’ origins, the tour they are currently on and any other joke that she fancied. She is the perfect front woman; adorable with a sweet voice and an easy stage presence. Basically, she is very fun to watch.