Last night Bear In Heaven returned home… To the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The indie sensation played for a sold-out crowd eager to bop and sway to their brand of danceable, experimental funk. The crowd was a varied bunch, from hipsters and audiophiles to the punk-rock sect that usually moshed to Dead Kennedys. The show started out with Philadelphia’s Sun Airway, who have a respectable Peter Gabriel-meets-The Slip vibe and were immediately followed by hometown favorite and indie darling in his own right, Twin Shadow.

As Twin Shadow’s lead singer/guitarist George Lewis Jr. prefaced: “For all of you out here that are in a band, promise me right now that you will listen to these guys [Bear In Heaven], and don’t even start your little band unless you can be as good, or better. They’re just that good.” With that, he actually requested people put their pinkies in the air and solemnly swear.

Was he right? It sure seemed like it. One hour later, the fog and red strobe lights came and brought with it, the gift of sound. Jon, Joe and Adam powered through the hits of Beast Rest Forth Mouth including “Beast in Peace,” “Lovesick Teenagers” and “Dust Cloud.” Jon stopped once to state his enthusiasm about their return and his genuine admiration for traveling in their van with Joe and Adam, but even during moments of candor, the band never lost their step. Friday night’s show was one big dance party, and everyone was thrilled to be there.

This was the last stop on their tour, which brought them across the country and to festivals like Austin City Limits. They’re looking forward to 2011, and their agenda is to create another record of equal impact. The re-release of Beast Rest Forth Mouth also provided some killer remixes, so hopefully those will hold us all over until they release their next sonic adventure.

To read more about the momentum of the record, and what the holidays and next year will bring for the band, as well as their anticipated return to the road in February with stops in Australia, read Daniel Kohn’s interview with Bear In Heaven guitarist/bassist Adam Willis here.