We've got to make this quick. Time for another speedrun.

Parry are one of my favorite new bands. The kids start with the alternative bliss pop that swelled in the '90s, but instead of the lead guitar adding soothing picked leads, guitarist Jacob Fail makes those leads heady and jazzy. It perks up the ears. In standout track "Chemical," his solo garnered intra-song applause. Jazz style. Frontwoman Emma Baker sings. High and lovely – especially when she can hear herself. Her vocals are even better when she pushes hard. She strums a right-handed guitar with her left. It's done. But this one is still strung for a righthander. You know, with the fat strings at the bottom? It's mesmerizing. She offers no jangle, just foundation. Carly Beck is an interesting bassist. And a good one. I've not figured out her lines, but I like them a lot. Drummer Jeremiah Trahern is a pretty simple drummer who does exactly what he needs to. Most of the band's songs are slow affairs that settle in languorously. Some of them crawl, making them great for a vibey night in, but a little rough for the stage. This set debuted a few new songs, including one just written that week. It's strong, yet it ended sloppily with happy smiles from the quartet. But that lack of posturing is part of the joy of the band. See Baker's charmingly awkward banter for more proof. "Everybody ready for… the holidays?"

Tidal.wav followed. There's a simpatico between these two bands. Alex Smith leads this one. He moved to Kansas City last year, found lead guitarist Alex Lewis, bassist Jhozua Gomez, and drummer AJ Ruizdechavez and the rest is the future. Smith's voice is lounge-y. Affected. Unnatural in the world of popular music. Maybe it's too good with its rounded low-end resonance. He builds the band's pop songs. Bright and with some bounce. But also, with hints of jazz – sometimes due to tempo and time changes, but mostly due to lead guitarist Alex Lewis. His arpeggios are built on even more broken chords. His chops even more fractured. While he focuses stiffly on his instrument, on the other side of the stage Gomez danced with his violin bass and dripped vibes. The simple snare (muted with a cloth) and hi-hat of Ruizdechavez leaves room for everyone else and makes every big hit that much more meaningful. I'm still not sure I get this band, but the way that everyone crowding the stage during its set, seems I'm just slow.

Field Daze were the headliners. No doubt about that. The quartet brought all the boys to the yard. And their friends. And their family members. And all of them knew all the words to all the songs. Vocalist/guitarist Dan Camino fronts the band. His vocals are dynamic. They're clear and strong, landing somewhere between pop and rock. And that describes the band as well. His banter is relaxed. Almost to the point of being cocky. Ahh youth. New(ish) bassist Beau Harris chimed in with banter too. Typically the housekeeping reminders, like the necessary plugs for merch or announcing a new video to be released next month. His backing vocals have become just as necessary. On some tracks his bass jumps out front like that of Graham Maby on those early Joe Jackson albums. On the other hand, the keys of Kyer Lasswell were either lost in the mix, or so integral to it as to be indistinguishable from it. Lead guitar from Rodd Fenton colored the songs nicely, and he stepped up for lyrical solos on occasion. He's a much more subdued lead guitarist than his earlier counterparts. Instead of shining, he seems to be happy building that whole. Drummer Tracer Cauy offered the same utilitarian anti-flare, steadying the band. Especially on the two brand new songs the band played. The second of which (I think it's called "Glazed") is destined for fan-favorite status.

A little after 10:00 Camino announced that the band had but three songs left. He instructed the audience to "Go hard," adding "Break some wrists!" for emphasis. But while Field Daze draw a big crowd, they don't draw a "go hard" crowd, and Field Daze is not a "go hard" band. Rethinking his stance, Camino then corrected course, saying, "No, just have a good weekend." That's about right for the band. Field Daze then closed with a trio of dreamy bangers including "Shade of Blue" and "Feels Good." Like most of the band's eleven-song set, these are unreleased songs. Rumor is they will release them as digital singles early in 2024, adding to their existing eight-song Spotify repertoire. Maybe they'll be collected on a debut album someday, but until then, they'd like you to like, follow, and subscribe.