Kevin Bronson on July 24th, 2014

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Nightmare and the Cat’s album-release celebration on Wednesday night at the Roxy felt a lot like last year’s party for artist Gary Baseman at the Skirball Center.

Baseman was onstage fashioning his whimsical, subversive pop art on a large canvas – when he was wasn’t getting jiggy with the band, that is. A handful of costumed characters roamed the venue. And the band turned the lush and occasionally glammy pop-rock on “Simple” (out this week via Capitol) into outsized anthems.

||| Photos by Michelle Shiers

Brothers Django and Sam Stewart played the sibling dynamic to the hilt, the former crooning and the latter shredding, with Django bare-chested except for a vest by the
end of the night, when the the quintet returned for an all-guests-onstage encore of the non-album track “Girl in a Glass Dress.”

Subtract Baseman’s live art show from the mix, and Django Stewart made for a commanding presence as a frontman anyway, equal parts tortured romantic and savvy lady-killer, and all showman. He had plenty of foils, and not just his cherubic-looking older brother. Guitarist/backup vocalist Claire Acey cast a mysterious aura beneath her very-very long hair, and the rhythm section of Spike Phillips and Scotty Henson gave it all a sturdy backbone.

The quintet kicked off the show with the album’s title track, roaring through a couple more songs before bringing on guest Carina Round to add vocals to the luxuriant “Goodbye So Many Times.” “Traditions,” with Sam Stewart shredding on the outro, sounded ready for the next British Invasion; “Alvarado” built slowly to a big roar; and Nightmare and the Cat got a big response to the skittering single “Undercover.” In all, they played nine of the 11 songs on “Simple.”

Local quartet Max and the Moon set the stage for the headliner with a batch of their exuberant, falsetto-laden indie pop, and soulful trio the Peach Kings – who last month released an EP titled “Mojo Thunder” – delivered a sultry set while dressed for the occasion, with guitarist Steve Dies in a black T-shirt that read “Mojo,” drummer Ed Shiers in one that read “Thunder” and singer Paige Wood in one that read “Say What.”