Tonight I saw Beach House dazzle a packed house at Sonar here in Baltimore. It was a rare event, one of those musical experiences that recalls those we had when we were very young. It reminded me of my very first concert, back in 1990, when I went to see The Sundays in an elegant old, gently faded theatre in Chicago called the Vic. Like Beach House, the Sundays dealt in emotionally poignant, melodic music that soaks in more with each listen. Both groups also reproduced faithful album arrangements of their songs in ways that underscored how exactly right every note was. Finally, both groups gave me the chills.

What Beach House added to the experience was an upgrade, when compared with the records, in the percussion. One of the key elements of the group’s charm (and this echoes our fair city; Beach House are Baltimore natives), is their ability to use technology in simple, DIY ways, and end up with something very organic. Their latest single, “Used to Be,” is shockingly lo-fi in its first 20 seconds, as a lone programmed kick drum fights against tape hiss and almost loses the battle. Then an organ enters the mix on the off beats, creating some disorientation, until everything gels when singer Victoria Legrand lends her calming, aching voice to the mix.

But back to that kick drum. Beach House frequently uses wind-up Casiotones for sounds, especially when it comes to the percussion. Against the dream-pop panorama of organs and guitars that make up the beautiful “Gila,” for example, a mere quater-note loop keeps time throughout. But when these simple beats are reinforced by a live drummer, using mallets and tasteful accents, it only increases the emotional power that comes through the overall arangement.

“Heart Of Chambers,” in particular, is a stunner tonight, even with technological problems. At first, Alex Scally can’t quite keep up with the guitar lines in the midst of keeping the clockwork ticking. But Legrand’s voice just washes over everything, and all is well by the time Scally’s magnificent descending guitar line bolsters Legrand’s urgent “Would you be the one to carry me?” Then on the tag, Scally adopts a mandolin single-note strum, as the group elevate things further. “In our beds we’re the lucky ones,” Legrand sings. “Fill us with the sun.” So I closed my eyes and became full.

The new songs in the set do not disappoint, especially one that echoes “Heart of Chambers” for its plaintive, yet obscure lyrical appeal. Legrand again gives chills with her pleading, “I will take care of you, if you want me to.” It affirms the vulnerability of getting on stage, of giving and receiving fragility in music. It affirms why we’re all here and why we’re all closing our eyes.

Vetiver is a bill-topping caliber band any other night, but it wouldn’t be right to upstage Beach House in their hometown. Still, Vetiver nearly do just that. I had heard them before, but nothing prepared me for what they brought to the stage. Every note and every rhythmic tic sounded crisp and perfectly-timed. Frontman Andy Cabic brings together three traditions of songwriting for which I hold boatloads of affection: 1. the prolific sophistication of Gene Clark, who never was content with stopping at a song half-written; 2. the impeccable precision and fluidity of Ian Anderson; and 3. the gentle, widely-appealing soul singing of Sufjan Stevens.

As a group, Vetiver certainly fall under a folk rock label, with a love of 70s album sleeves bleeding into their sound. They’re less arty, but equally as rootsy as Midlake, and their arrangements can stand alongside Fleet Foxes for harmonic lushness. They are much more prone to gimmickry than the usual indie aesthetic allows, but like a Polyphonic Spree spewing positivity, their infectiousness onstage cancels out the cynicism. Onstage, Cabic refers to Fleetwood Mac and the Doors, aware of the context, and then proceeds to play music that channels both of them but without the usual guilt in the pleasure.

All in all then, a staggeringly good double-bill, and a show I will not soon forget. I have no hesitation in recommending both groups should you have the opportunity to see them live.

Beach House: Heart Of Chambers
Beach House: Used To Be
Vetiver: Everyday