Disappears. Photo: Andrew Nawrocki

The reverb-drenched bark of Disappears promptly kicked off day two at 1pm, an impressive feat for a band with an internal clock permanently set to bar time. In fact, the local foursome’s sound is so brooding and sinister that daylight seems diametrically opposed to its dark, throbbing postpunk, yet drummer Graeme Gibson’s relentless pounding stamped out any concerns that the band might not be up to the task.

The Balance stage boasts a decidedly intimate vibe compared to the main Aluminum and Connector stages, and playing to a quickly growing audience of early risers only confirmed Disappears’ rep as one of Chicago’s most promising new bands. Led by frontman Brian Case (90 Day Men, the Ponys), the band powered through set staples like “Old Friend” and “Not Nothing.” A new live album available free for download at the band’s website is a great introduction, but this is a Chicago act whose live set remains essential local viewing.

Soulful twang followed from the Dutchess and the Duke, channeling Disappears’ trashy garage-goth into its front-porch hoedown. Fronted by singer-guitarists Jesse Lortz and Kimberly Morrison, the Seattle duo were flanked by local players: the Ponys’s Jered Gummere and Melissa Elias on keys and bass, respectively, plus local drummer Matt Williams, adding spare percussion and visual flair with tambourine tosses and floor tom shuffles. The spirit of Memphis punk wafted through the group’s bluesy set, drawing on Sunset / Sunrise and last year’s debut, She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke.

For anyone keeping score, it’s kind of remarkable that Gummere finds himself performing each summer: 2006 featured Hot Machines, his band with Williams and Alex White, followed in ‘07 by the Ponys and then there’s last year’s spontaneous Cut Copy–substituting jam sesh with Bradford Cox and King Khan. The Dutchess and the Duke may lack the spontaneity of an ad-hoc super group, but they made up for it with little more than honest songwriting and down-home charm.