It took a while, but I eventually learned that it's not always about me. And that some gigs are meant for other audiences. This was probably one of those nights. So, here's a quick glimpse of my notes, without too much editorializing.

8pm brought Johnny Dynamite & the Bloodsuckers. Johnny Dynamite is John Morisi. The Bloodsuckers (on this tour) was Claire Wardlaw. Morisi provided the vocals, the guitar, and programmed all the backing tracks. Wardlaw added saxophone, some synth, and occasional backing vocals. Maybe it was synthpop like everyone says, but it sounded more like the pop/rock of the mid-to-late '80s. Actually, it sounded like every song was written with a film sync in mind. Picture this: Our main character is driving at night on an empty big city street. The camera lingers as the flashing walk sign reflects in a puddle of rain. Steam rises from a manhole. Cue the wailing sax. The whole set was vibes – destined for Spotify playlist inclusion. Morisi tried to get the audience to sing along with him to "Can't Stop My Love" and some did. But it was a Monday night, and he was the opening act. Not even the impressive lights and thick fog could change that. Later, "The Last Ones" got my attention with its chiming guitar intro and catchy synth lead played live by Wardlaw. The thirty-five-minute set ended with latest single "The Lure." The song, like the whole set, was good, but I was just unable to connect with it. Let's chalk that up to generational differences.

It took less than fifteen minutes for Korine to claim the stage. Korine is Morgy Ramone (vocals/occasional guitar) and Trey Frye (bass/synth). It was a night of duos from Philadelphia. Ramone bounced and twirled, looking all the world like Riff Randell with gloriously unkempt and piled hair. Frye didn't have a fun skirt to spin, yet he still moved well, pacing his half of the stage with his bass in tow. Behind them, custom light bars ebbed colors, occasionally escalating to pulses. The RecordBar's blue lights were steady. The fog, nonstop. Several dancers focused on the melodic New Order-styled bass lines and the backing tracks that provided active percussion. Synths, live and otherwise, filled in the rest. Ramone's vocals were delivered with a barking attack that settled into plaintive calls. Sometimes they edged emo – especially during mid-set ballad "Sunshine" where Ramone was particularly vulnerable and their voice pleasingly ragged. The fourteen-song set was certainly synth-pop and post-punk, and I guess that makes it definitionally dark wave, but Korine doesn't embrace the experimentation and cool aloofness that the genre was born with. Instead, the act infuses its compositions with energy and emotion and immediacy. And pop. It's a new generation of dark wave for a new generation of dark wavers. By the time the musicians closed their fifty-minute set with "Cast," I'd determined that I'm probably not that generation. And that's okay, it doesn't always have to be about me.