Josh Netsky was dealt a less-than-sizeable crowd for his show Downstairs at the German House on the opening night of the Rochester Indie Fest. As the set carried on into the evening, Netsky gently pleaded for a little crowd participation with a not-so-subtle hint to the idle loungers huddled in the back: "We like the standing people!"

For the eager pseudo-hipsters who did come out to hear the start of Indie Fest, the set played out well. The evening began acoustic. The sound of Netsky's set was lonely, hollowed out, with an existential-like vocal. Each verse sounded as if it had an abandoned soul looming in it. A self-proclaimed indie/folk/psychedelic musician, Netsky wades around a bit in each sub-genre, nearly handing out his heartbeat in a few of his lyrics: "In photographs and films I could not tell us apart/There were epitaphs and strings on the brinks of our hearts."

His sound starts off as carefully executed pop, but Netsky doesn't just leave it there. It takes a dive at times through the grain of folk, and through the cultured offbeat lens of indie-rock. He speaks to you in dream-like minor chords. On a rainy fall evening in the bottom of the darkened downstairs venue, a collection of minor chords felt just about right.

After three gentle ballads, the set realigned. The rest of Netsky's entourage joined him on the stage, equipped with drums, electric guitar (played overhand), keys, and bass. The group successfully experimented with a youthful take on some dusty, age-old vintage-style rock. The mesh of sound was clean and focused. Despite the meager crowd, the guys held a diminishing but captive audience together.