Things that rarely happen:

-Being bombarded with hype to the point you actually start to get excited, which leads to a sudden burning sensation of self-doubt as you remind yourself you’re too savvy to fall for the same old song and dance yet again, since everyone knows hype is just the ephemeral embodiment of smoke as it blows up your ass anyway. Then having those lofty pre-doubt expectations smashed to bloody bits.

-Seeing something genuinely exciting hammered together from familiar — bordering on blatantly identifiable — parts and not minding in the least, because the assemblage of said parts is so deft and natural you never stop to consider how the fuck they did it.

-Watching a young band burst out of the gate without any pretense of sheen or polish, riding a wave of confidence to vicious heights, hitting the stage perfectly formed and aesthetically whole. With so many intangibles required to qualify art as “successful,” it feels supernatural when a new band is able to defy the odds so completely. When’s the last time you actually felt your spine tingle?

And all the swirling rationalizations I just wrote, trying to make sense of a performance that was stunning to the point where it doesn’t quite feel real — that’s the logical part of my brain trying to process this band on an intellectual level. It’s fun as a critical exercise, and thankfully nowhere close to necessary to enjoy the music. Savages’ songs are visceral, violent, stomping things. Post-punk to the core, with obvious nods to Siouxsie And The Banshees and Joy Division (one song shamelessly lifts the bassline to “Colony” and it’s still awesome) but the emphasis is on power instead of reflection. Songs explode rather than ride out the groove. It’s challenging music, if still rhythmically driven: The audience doesn’t dance as much as stagger under the weight of the noise, but they can’t help but move (any sign of life in a Los Angeles crowd is seen as a coup). You’d think the name Savages was a joke to look at the band members in their simple, stylish black outfits, the coiffed hair on the guitarist, and singer Jehnny Beth’s more-than-passing resemblance to Sinead O’Connor — but the demeanor shifts as soon as the songs begin, and the name suddenly makes sense.

For a band with very little available material, I didn’t expect Savages to capture and hold my interest for a full headlining set. I never checked my watch — which, again, says a lot — but we got roughly an hour’s worth of music. It will be interesting to see where they go from here: the band plays Coachella tomorrow afternoon and again the following Saturday. Their debut album drops May 7th on Matador. They’ve kept their end of the bargain so far.