It is safe to say that I was among the few first-timers to bear witness to the unique sounds of Menomena last night, as the vibe in the Firebird was electric with the kind of anticipation that comes from knowing a group's music well.

Menomena creates the musical equivalent to a filmmaker’s cinematic montage. The band's songs are full of expansive textural layers and deep atmospherics that blend together in a chaotic yet pleasingly melodious harmony. The resulting sound is huge: Synthesizers, guitars, piano, percussion, saxophone and loops all merge together, conjuring to the mind something dark yet playful.