In a nutshell, a couple of lackluster sets couldn't make the entire night a wash-out, what with the great Jonah/Onelinedrawing headlining. I don't know. It seems no matter what type of music you're into, you can't help but be impressed by this guy. It takes a lot of guts to get up onstage alone, showcasing all your emotions in front of large groups of people who are there to critique and judge you and your music. And Jonah somehow tackles this feat every night, gaining leagues of loyal fans along the way. It must be due to this guy's immense talent and Everyman quality - his insistence that it's him and the crowd together as one just hanging out, sharing ideas and music. As a result, Onelinedrawing deserves all the respect he/it receives. Not just anyone can pull this off.

The first band up was Seattle, WA's Acceptance, who I take it are grouped under the emo label, but really have an indie feel to them as well. This five-piece will no doubt be compared to bands like Further Seems Forever, Jimmy Eat World, the Get Up Kids, and the Promise Ring, etc. Mixed in with the poppier more emotional fare were some hard, complex rockers, especially at the beginning of their set, which brought to mind stuff like Jawbreaker. We got a taste of their latest release, an EP entitled Black Lines to Battlefields, in the form of the - do I even have to say it? - emotional "Bleeding Heart," "Seeing Is Believeing," which is a more pop-tinged tune, and "Permanent," the first song off the record. The dual vocals and dual guitar work add some dynamism to their sound. The singer said they'd been to Long Island before, and that, amazingly, they actually had a poorer turn out for that show. Naturally, he seemed pretty happy at the amount of kids that came out on this night at the Downtown, but still, the crowd was rather sparse to say the least. However, with their sound fitting so well in with what's all the rage right now, I have no doubt their following will only grow in the months to come.

Next to take the stage was Cardia, a band comprised of members of various bands, including Rival Schools (vocalist Ian Love), 2 Skinnee J's, the Verve Pipe, and Shudder to Think - all bands that have had success. This quartet plays a space rock/indie hybrid that was kind of hard to get into. It seemed like the kids didn't really know what to make of it as the band performed cuts off their self-titled debut that came out this spring. They opened with an extremely mellow and slow song, and truth be told, things didn't get much better. Perhaps it's a band that you have to hear more than once to understand, an acquired taste, if you will. Love hit high-pitched notes that I didn't know were possible and it just didn't sit well…

Vocalist/guitarist Bleu and his four-piece band (guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, and drummer) were lacking…Not only were his/their indie rock songs weak, but most of the fontman's humor went right past the crowd. Blank stares are what the music and the shockingly unfunny quips were received with. Not many people seemed to get into Bleu's first song, so the band replayed the ending…to no avail. Anyway, Bleu's set included songs from Redhead, his most recent album, like "Could Be Worse" - hmm…could it, though? - and the upbeat "Get Up." Bleu introduced this song with an outburst of "Duh!" which led the singer to ponder one of life's great mysteries: does anyone still use the term no doi anymore? Ah yes, it was that kind of set. And you guessed it, once again he was met by blank stares. One of the last songs the band performed was "It's Not Over," off Bleu's 2000 record Headroom. I think it's safe to say the band didn't exactly hit it off too well with the kids of Long Island.

Seeing Onelinedrawing last year in NYC was quite a pleasurable experience: Jonah (frontman of Far) held the crowd's attention the entire set with his top-notch songs performed solo, only aided at times by his little R2D2 robot cranking out taped beats to add some texture to his excruciatingly emotional vocals and great guitar work, which coupled with engaging, witty, insightful banter between songs - and sometimes even mid-song - only added to the intimate feel. And his equally compelling and enjoyable performance at the Downtown proved that the set I witnessed last year was no fluke. Once again Jonah, his guitar, and R2D2 enchanted this crowd on Long Island. One aspect was noticeably different, however. This time Jonah had a backing band (bassist and drummer) to help him out on a handful of songs.

At the onset, Jonah belted out a couple songs like "Crush on Everyone" off 2000's Sketchy EP #2 on his own and then brought out the bassist and drummer for, among others, "Lukewarm," "Got My List," which he dedicated to Kevin of 7 Seconds, and "Aeroplanes," off 1999's Sketchy EP #1, after which the two guys left and Jonah kicked out the jams with his trusty R2D2 supplying some drum beats. His songs are powerful and emotional, but can get a little quirky as well, like when in the midst of one offering he ad libbed a little TaTu "All the Things She Said." And when someone in the crowd requested he play a Thursday song, Jonah was left helpless, replying that he couldn't because they're too complex. At least he's honest. But, we did get a bunch of Far songs - "As many as I can in a row," he promised, including the wrenching, emotional "Man Overboard," which was preceded by some political comments, mainly that expressing one's opinions, even if they do differ from the norm and from those of our leaders, is, after all, what it means to be American and a true "patriot." But, in general, his amiable stage demeanor, witty remarks, and belief that he's just a "misfit" and a "freak" like all the rest of us at the show, makes his true persona shine through - he's just really sincere and earnest. And when he says during the set that anyone is welcome to come back to the merch booth to talk to him and have an intelligent conversation, he means it. This guy is a charming, down-to-earth entertainer; he's the real deal. You leave feeling good after a night with Jonah, experiencing his cathartic sets, while he makes the audience feel as though they play a part as well, feeding him with ideas of what to play and say next. Likewise, because of his truthfulness and authenticity, you have to believe him when he claims that he played his best show here on Long Island and was upset he missed coming back the last time he was supposed to because the Movielife, with whom he was touring, had yet another van accident.

And poor Jonah himself, complaining he was famished and needed some sugar. Some kids came to the rescue tossing some candy onstage at his feet. In any case, the rest of the set included some more Onelinedrawing tunes, such as "Yr Letter" and "Perfect Pair," both off 2002's Visitor LP. He ended with a cover of the Deftones' "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" - a wonderful rendition of this classic song, which is pretty much an unplugged, even more heart-rending interpretation of the original. Onelinedrawing was certainly the redeeming factor on this night, where there is no doubt the best act was saved for last.