It pays to stick around. Those who stayed for Sonic Youth’s entire Massey set, including the two two-song encores, were treated to a blazing final song: Death Valley 69, from 1985's Bad Moon Rising.

Lee Ranaldo broke guitar strings, bassist Kim Gordon howled and sneered, Thurston Moore stumbled and blinked as he coaxed massive, sustained squeals from his guitar. Electrifying.

Of course, their main set had been good, too. Good enough for fans to call them back twice. The New York noise legends – joined by Pavement’s Mark Ibold on bass – started the night with 1982’s She Is Not Alone before playing lotsa tunes from their newest, The Eternal. But even with the screwdriver solos, beautiful sonic dissonance and Gordon’s silver mini-dress, the show occasionally veered toward boring.

It wasn’t until Pacific Coast Highway, the final song of the main set, that they really came alive. Gordon, on her knees and stretching her pale arms toward front-row fans, moaned, “You make me feel so good. You make me feel so crazy.” The sentiment felt genuine… and mutual.