Headed by two brothers, lead vocalist and keyboardist Brandon Curtis and backing vocalist/ guitarist Benjamin Curtis along with drummer Josh Garza, the Secret Machines deliver a mix or orchestral progressive rock and the stripped-down sound of garage rock; they've referred to it as "space rock." It's a distinctive sound, commendable in that alone, which sometimes works well and sometimes falls flat.

The trio didn't exude a lot of energy at first, preferring to let the music and impressive-for-the-Metro light show do the work. They remained silhouetted out by the strobes and sweeping beams, phantom-like even on the small stage. This effect was enhanced on numbers such as "All at Once," in which the drumbeat rumbled behind waves of synths, building to a melodic crescendo, well contrasted with the nasal vocals of Brandon Curtis.

He and Garza were confined to their instruments and Benjamin Curtis didn't do a lot of moving, so even through the faster songs they seemed subdued. And in the slower, more psychedelic songs, they really needed the lights to power the show. Garza's impressive drum work kept the band moving, delivering energetic hooks; when he had less work to do, the band seemed to falter.

The hit "Nowhere Again," came with the strongest performance of the evening, with its straightforward rhythm and guitar work. Brandon Curtis attacked the piano and brother Benjamin thrashed on his guitar. The lights came up enough to see them go at it, and one wonders the buzz they could generate if they managed to put music together like this again - maybe they'd be worse-kept Secret Machines?

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