Though local artist Ave Grave opened the show Friday at 1078 Gallery while donning a skeleton costume, he ultimately drew the attention of the audience with his smooth, powerful vocals and comedic charm. From discussing new friends to his love for TV show Twin Peaks, Ave Grave kept the attention of the audience during song transitions.

Ave Grave was joined by local musicians Chris Keene and Robin Bacior as well as Oakland’s Nyx for memorable and inspiring performance.

Nyx and The Mondegreens‘ Jack Knight, David Friedlander and Russell Rabut aided Ave Grave during his set with stunning harmonies, giving the songs extra vocal presence.

Ave Grave’s self-titled debut LP released in August and can be purchased here.

Oakland’s Nyx, also a singer-songwriter, brought a punchier and distorted guitar sound compared to Ave Grave’s. She was joined by Friedlander on vocals and another guitar, which created some interesting melodies and vocal harmonies.

Nyx recently released her new EP entitled “Showdown” which is available here.

Robin Bacior held the largest crowd of the night, almost causing additional chairs to be placed for attendees.

Along with the accompaniment of cellist Dan Bindschedler, Bacior created a darker atmosphere. She entertained the audience between songs by disclosing the origins of her individual works via anecdotes.

Though some of the audience cleared out just before the final set, those who stayed were treated with a strong final performance. The show concluded with Chris Keene (of local indie-rock band, Surrogate) showcasing his tremendous knack for lyricism.

With his acoustic guitar and tender, heartbreaking voice, Keene belted out wonderfully clever and enthralling lyrics. Listeners could be seen moving their heads and lightly singing along.

The evening was highly successful. Each performer proved beyond doubt that they are worth seeing live more than once.

Jake Hutchison can be reached at [email protected] or @poserpunk on Twitter.