The crowd grew antsy Thursday night as we waited for The Drums to take the stage. Chants of “Johnny” rang out as they stalled. Anxiety crept up as minutes passed. With the hiss of a fog machine and a silhouette out of the purple smoke, the noise dissipated and came to a quiet.

Jonathan Pierce, the band’s vocalist, knows how to command a crowd. With a stage presence akin to David Bowie and a sly grin, he made the Cat’s Cradle become a place for headbanging and longing for what was, or could be. Such is the essence of his music, and these contemplative moments were amplified by the near constant shrouding of the stage in fog and colored lights.

While the other founding members of the band have long since departed, Pierce was supported by a three-piece touring band who faithfully adapted his studio sound. You could almost forget they were there; playing on the back of the stage, they were seldom visible. Even so, their playing cut right through the fog with guitars slathered in reverb and drums you could feel in your chest. Pierce’s dynamic vocals often took the backseat for the more energetic songs, but were brought to the forefront of the mix in his more personal cuts.

His new EP, Better, features some of his most intimate songwriting yet. “Protect Him Always,” an ode to his inner child, was the most quiet moment of the set. The peppy cut “Obvious,” expresses epiphany to his partner: “Cuz everything inside me wants to hold you / And I realize it’s obvious that I need you.”

The band’s commitment to their fans was obvious, too. They played through all the hits, with a delightfully sped up rendition of “Money,” plus “Days” and “Lets Go Surfing” making an appearance. Pierce flicked the microphone towards the crowd like holy water throughout, summoning voices to sing along. And we did. Armed with the nostalgia of their full catalog, how could you not?