It was an evening as deliciously potent as a sugar cube soaked with acid, but that potential was unfortunately laced with some bad filler and wasn’t quite the trip it should have been. The Pink Snowflakes booked the Someday Lounge on Thursday for an evening they dubbed “Summer of Love,” an attempted revival at the sort of ’60’s freak-outs that inspires their psychedelic sound and visuals that define their stage show. The best parts of the night were the Snowflakes themselves and their contributions to the evening’s festivities; booking DJ Blackwolf for crackly psych and garage cuts in-between bands and an old-school light show that used two projection screens and hot oil. The original intention was for The Snowflakes to have a night to play a long set of old and new material for hungry fans that have always wanted more. However, the order of the evening left much to be desired.

It was a surprise to most Snowflakes fans that Someday had booked a pretty full night for a weekday, and it didn’t help that the first act, Sub-Sic, started around 10 pm. This was the first of two acts that could be best described as “open mic” caliber. Sub-Sic is known to the musicians of Portland as an obnoxious and sketchy Craigslist poster who also claims to be a master Sitarist. What his angry, sloppy, metal performance with a scrappy drummer had to do with “Summer of Love” was not at all clear. What the third performer, a nomadic rapper by the name of Brahma Lagah, was doing there (besides maybe just showing up and asking to perform) was also an anomaly. His monotonous flow and offensive barrage of bass did nothing but turn people off, not on. The impressive crowd that had assembled for a love-in took no interest in this random assortment of filler. Staying up until close to midnight to see a band on a weeknight quickly became a more arduous task than many had bargained for as the outside smoking area filled as many folks as were inside. Bars often use this trick of the trade to keep the alcohol flowing all night, but was uncharacteristic of Someday. The trick wore thin, and so did the crowd.

The saddest part was that the Snowflakes, who had brought this impressive crowd of drinkers, cut their set short for people who had to get up for their jobs in the morning. Still, their performance was a success (the only true success of the night). With red curtains closed, the stage filled up with smoke and bubbles. It was an awe-inspiring sight when the curtains were pulled to release a rainbow of colors, created by fountains of bubbles lit with strobe lights that made them sparkle like snowflakes. The band adorned the stage with huge prop speakers, painted televisions, larger than life flowers and other paraphernalia. The music fit perfectly with its shiny, chaotic guitar leads, crunching chords, heavy rhythm, and even violin that was played to sound like a guitar feeding back. Frontman Andy Rossi looks like the sort of acid-damaged hero of old, with wild long hair and red eyes. With song-titles like “Ice Cream” and “Sun Chair,” they created a world of childlike discovery, building upon ideas that Syd Barrett first incorporated into rock music. This is music that only hints at the dark corners of life and instead chooses to explore the wonders that are all around, to experience and enjoy. The music is a sensory overload without the visuals, but they go all out for a performance like few bands in Portland.

The other proper band that performed, Pasquale, were pleasantly surprising as an opener without much name recognition. The trio performed an array of eclectic and interesting songs, led by an electric piano and an amusing drummer who looked and sang like the Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson. Despite interesting vocal loop effects, the dark tone and mostly country and jazz influences, mixed with a post-rock aesthetic (e.g. These Arms Are Snakes, Ghost to Falco) didn’t quite gel with the theme of the night, which (again) was “Summer of Love.” Pasquale, while definitely a Portland band to watch, is winter music. The disappointment really lies with Someday’s questionable choice of booking for the evening, as well as their policy for a weekday show and how it affected the headlining band. “Summer of Love” is planned to be a monthly event, so let’s hope the next one lives up to its name.