- “The Vampire Weekend show was last night in Portland and it was fantastic. … The band is just so fresh faced and talented and adorable … and they sounded great. I doubt they will be in such a small venue next time they come to Portland, and I probably won’t get to stand right up front near the stage like I did last night. ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ is my favorite song, but my favorite from the concert was probably ‘M79′ or ‘A-Punk.’ ” (Rachel: Words & Things)

- “I’m so glad I decided to go for the [Maroon 5] concert. … Though it lasted only like 70 minutes and started late, every minute was jam-packed with their hits from both of their albums. It’s like Matt Flynn just started hitting the drums and everyone was standing, screaming and shouting like their lives (and mine) depended on it. Adam Levine’s falsetto was really exhilarating. The sound system was really blasting my eardrums off.” (mEnTaL bLoG)

- Band of Horses “were fantastic. They have a very My Morning Jacket/Death Cab For Cutie sound to them. … I liked the fact that members of the band were sporting beards, shifting focus to the music instead of appearances. I may be wrong in thinking that that is their thought process, but if it is, I commend them. There’s nothing worse than going to a show and hearing/seeing people that are only there cause so and so is ’so cute, so dreamy.’ ” (Beat Swamp)

- Explosions in the Sky “rely on sheer musical ability and technical innovation to create their records. Their passionate guitar riffs and cinematic drum parts combine to form a musical entity that has been compared by many to indie acts such as Mogwai and Sigur Rós. Even with all of the effects and looped guitar parts, the band was able to deliver a spot-on performance. I don’t think I have ever heard a band play so flawlessly. This was not only an impressive feat in and of itself, but also due to the fact that it was one of the most emotionally intense performances I have experienced as well.” (Trevo_Lution)