Thursday night in Los Angeles was unlike any we’d seen in a while: it rained. Yes, the presses stopped and everything stood still, literally. Except that is live music. Fans in the City of Angels had a smorgasbord of choices: Cat Power, Titus Andronicus and Delta Spirit. I chose the latter.

The Wiltern was the choice venue for this show, and though the venue was maybe at about 60 percent full, everyone (both band and audience) were in excellent spirits. Though a lot of touring band don’t like to take a group out on the road with them could potentially overshadow them, Delta Spirit decided to take L.A. youngsters FIDLAR with them. Though they don’t have the following nationally that they do here, as we’ve noted too many times to even remember, they soon will be.

Needless to say, the surf-punk rockers did their thing, albeit in only 30 minutes. The crowd was much tamer for FIDLAR, but that was to be expected since this wasn’t their gig. But it was a hometown show, so they had a small, but rabid group of fans in the lower General Admission area.  During songs like “Cheap Beer,” (where singer/guitarist Zac Carp chugged well, a cheap beer) “No Ass” and “No Waves,” the mosh pit opened up like the Sarlacc in Return of the Jedi. Fans lost their shit, something that wasn’t lost on the band.

In addition to those songs, the band mixed in some newer tunes that are going to be on their self-titled debut, which is slated to be released in January via Mom + Pop Records, but if you are at one of their shows, you’ll be able to get a copy early on both vinyl and limited edition cassette (apparently they still make these things, who woulda thunk it?). By the time Carp jumped into the crowd to sing and mosh along with the fans, the set was over and it was time for the headliners to emerge.

During their 90-minute set, Delta Spirit was energetic, excitable and crowd-pleasing. They played songs from across their catalog, and their stage presence has grown dramatically from the last time I saw them a few years back. Singer Matt Vasquez has to be considered one of the best emerging frontmen in music, while the band sounds crisper than before, if you can imagine that since they’re already considered one of the best new live bands out there.

Delta Spirit was at their best when they were channeling their inner-U2. Their anthemic songs felt big, but not bloated. Think U2 at their The Joshua Tree finest. That’s what sticks out about the band. While they have fervent supporters, it’s surprising to see that there aren’t more fans who are hooked on the band’s indie anthems that have the perfect combination Americana, soul and straight up rock.

“Thanks Los Angeles!” Vasquez exclaimed. “Best night of the tour damn it. You guys are fucking awesome!”

While I’m skeptical on the merits of that statement, being that he could say that everywhere, I don’t doubt its sincerity. On this night, the band did no wrong, so in some respect, the singer was right. Hopefully, the small crowd was due to the evening’s plentiful choices instead of the weather. If so, they missed a hell of a show for a poor reason.