Cursive performed their recently remastered album The Ugly Organ for fans at the Casbah on Sunday.

Omaha natives and self-described “classic rock shredders” Twinsmith opened the show with some wistful psych-rock tunes that drew solid interest from showgoers. Luckily for San Diego, Twinsmith will be back in town on April 7 headlining at Soda Bar.

Beach Slang, a loud pop-punk band from Philadelphia, persevered through sound and timing issues to deliver a high-energy performance. They entertained the crowd with songs “We are Nothing” and “American Girls and French Kisses.”

Lead guitarist/vocalist James Alex shared a recent experience involving a label they almost cut a deal with. Alex explained in true punk rock fashion, “When we told this NYC producer we wanted this song on our album, he said, ‘Isn’t that cute, he thinks he’s going to get to choose what songs go on the record.’ Well fuck that guy. We’re not going with him.” Beach Slang plans to release an LP with the presumably more artist-friendly Polyvinyl later this year.

Cursive made their stage entrance to the LEGO Movie track “Everything is Awesome,” which was ironic and amusing because, well, emo. While it reminded fans to not take themselves so seriously, it also set up a red pill/blue pill dichotomy as show-goers prepared to take a trip down the rabbit hole with the performance of The Ugly Organ, reissued as a deluxe remastered edition back in November.

A brief history lesson: Originally released in 2003 by Saddle Creek Records — known for their work with Bright Eyes, The Good Life (another project from Cursive frontman Tim Kasher), and, once upon a time, Rilo Kiley — Cursive’s The Ugly Organ received critical acclaim. Carefully crafted as a concept album that was played in its entirety Sunday night, the music and lyrics of The Ugly Organ synthesized to present a view of an artist’s life from the inside out. With its interwoven meta-commentary regarding Kasher’s own navel-gazing, the revisited record only proved its brilliance once again.

After warming up with “Sink to the Beat” from the group’s early EP Burst and Bloom and “Mother Hips” from their album Mama, I’m Swollen, Cursive eased their descent into The Ugly Organ with “The Ugly Organist,” a 30-second organ riff infused with the dissonant sounds of a freaky carnival carousel ride. “Some Red-Handed Sleight of Hand” immediately followed, along with a mosh pit, and “Art is Hard.”

Throughout the night, Kasher checked in with the audience and pointed out that playing this album for the first time in over a decade was much like playing it new. While it was evident he had to dig deep to find the place of The Ugly Organ’s conception, what he pulled out was nothing short of masterful. With his wagging finger, brooding stare, and near-foaming of the mouth, Kasher spewed forth dark confessions of lament and remorse.

Another noteworthy track played Sunday night was “A Gentleman Caller,” where the sharp, stormy melody characterized a chaotic fight between lovers. As the song slowed, the calming effects of the cello took center stage to highlight the penitence of a Sunday morning, reminding us that “the worst is over.” Cursive also thrilled fans with “Butcher the Song” as the lurid yet measured cutting of strings created a beat that really did seem to slice through the song’s lyrics.

Cursive generously peppered their performance with several songs from their non-Ugly Organ records, including Domestica‘s “The Martyr” and Happy Hollow‘s “Big Bang.” However, the set closed with the final track of The Ugly Organ, “Staying Alive,” which left fans with a dreamy loop of “Doo do Doo do Doo do Doo do / The worst is over.” As the loop finished, the lights went on, as did the Bee Gee’s “Staying Alive,” which did not spark an impromptu dance party. Needless to say, Cursive played a show that will be remembered for years to come.