Last Friday proved a raucous evening spent at The Khyber for a special Halloween show featuring a fantastic triple bill: Philadelphia’s own This Radiant Boy, followed by The Hidden Cameras, with Fiery Furnaces headlining. Although our sobriety waned over the course of the night, it was evident that three pop groups could still capture imaginations with unsurpassed variety in style, structure, and form.

This Radiant Boy put on a show that belonged in a rock ‘n’ roll museum, the exhibit showcasing anything between 1970 to present. Their costumes notwithstanding, Philadelphia’s sneakiest rock freakshow (scroll down) demonstrated once again that the melange of entertaining pop artistry and humorous stage banter were what we always appreciated in our favorite bands.

The Hidden Cameras could’ve headlined and it would’ve been satisfying, but they exceeded expectations (not that they were low) on a night when so many in the audience eagerly awaited the act that followed. Dense melodies and lush harmonies proved enchanting - reminding us of the Decemberists - minus the utter preciousness and affect.

However, Fiery Furnaces boldly took the keys and crashed Mom’s car directly into the garage. Rubbing our eyes, we could hardly believe what we were seeing. Rubbing our ears proved painful, so we stopped. In what may be the best hybrid of indie and prog rock, since say, ever, it was astounding to witness one band make so many changes, loops, heads and turnabouts, and for the singer to perform a concise set without interruption. When asked if they listened to John Zorn’s Masada to get the changes just right, one band member replied that they looked more to Beefheart than anything else. And as our insistence that theirs was the most innovative American album of the year, we couldn’t help but ask if there was any rivalry with The Arcade Fire. Eleanor Friedberger demurred, responding with a shrug and a polite, “No.”