Sometimes when you go to a show, waiting for the headliner is enjoyable. You may even find a new band to listen to. Other times, however, you need a whole lot of patience to get you through the two hours. Friday night’s show at the Loft with The Audition was a mix of those. There were times of energetic fun, but also times of painful boredom, especially because The Audition far surpassed everyone.

The Loft often tacks local or regional acts onto a show, and on Friday that was Lualdi, 3 high school kids from Verona, Wisconsin. Armed with a computer, a keyboard, a guitar, and a microphone, this self described electro pop/pop punk/alternative band showed their young age with cliche lyrics, but their efforts were commendable for such a young trio.

The Right Coast, a pop-punk/indie outfit out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, livened the crowed with a cover of Taylor Swift’s Love Story. The Right Coast’s version almost put Swift’s to shame, making the country pop single sound like it was meant to be a pop punk song.

You’d think as the night progressed, the bands would get better, as that is how these things are usually set up. Yet, when Sparks the Rescue took the stage, we took a step backwards with these boys. Evidently lead singer Alex Roy’s favorite word is “fuck” and he used it to try to try to entice the crowd into liking them. He at one point said, “The next song, Skeletons, is about bones, but more importantly, its about boners.” With Roy running all over the stage, jumping up and down and throwing the mic around, the band’s energy kept their immaturity from taking over.

The Dangerous Summer, from Maryland, were overall a disappointment. While they weren’t bad, they just had no energy. Lead singer and bassist AJ Perdomo had a good voice, but just stood there, as did everyone else on stage. The melodies were mellow and the overall affect was soporific. The only person in the band who emanated any sort of energy was drummer Tyler Misberg, whose intensity was mesmerizing.

Even though there were yawns right before, The Audition made sure the wait was worth it. These boys from Chicago know how to put on a show. Their enthusiasm and passion shone through in every aspect. The band’s talent clearly overshadowed all the other. Lead singer Danny Stevens has a powerful voice that, live, rivals his studio recordings. His sometimes soulful, always accurate voice was a needed respite from the shouty vocals of the previous two hours. Lead guitarist Seth Johnson’s solos showcased how much skill this band packs.

The band has so much fun on stage and you can tell they are truly invested in their music. At one point Stevens told the crowd how “Los Angeles,” off their latest self titled album, was the song he was most proud of writing as a band. Not only do they have a love for what they do, but they’re just nice guys, casually walking around the venue and taking pictures with fans.

They had no problem getting the crowd moving, especially with “My Temperature’s Rising,” off the recent album and “Warm Me Up,” from the previous Champion, which both have, at times, an almost R&B feel, mixing that with high tempo choruses.

The only disappointing part of The Audition’s set was the amount of old material they played. Out of about an eight song set, four of the songs were from the band’s first album Controversy Loves Company, which is not nearly as good as their latest two albums, even though the band has improved exponentially since 2005 when that album was produced. However, the band did play their newest single “You Ruined This” off their upcoming album Great Danger to be released in mid March, only a year after their latest album. This little taste off the newest album was further proof that The Auditon is far from slowing down and only getting better.

When you catch a show at the Loft you run the risk of waiting though mediocre local talent and not the best acoustics. But, if The Audition is there, or anywhere for that matter, you’re gonna want to see them. Their talent and passion make their shows fun, and on Friday night, they left everyone satisfied and smiling.