Most of us in Rochester have been getting a heavy dose of Swati's oft-requested tune on WBER, "2 a.m." It's near tranquilizing; penetratingly poetic, it draws you in.
But if you came to check her out on Friday evening downstairs at the German House for Indie Fest's second round, you may have wondered if you were watching the same person. I know I felt myself doing a double take.

When she performs live, Swati is a strikingly more versatile musician. She is not just the laid-back sound of a dopamine drip that you get in "2 a.m." She is a vocal power punch, deep-seated angst mixed with notes of metal, acoustic, folk, and grunge. Her vocals tell a story and her guitar takes you there. She plays confidently, with an outspoken tongue.

By the last song, "Big Bang," she had fully commanded the attention of the room. The set ended as abruptly as it began. The crowd -- including me -- could've waded in the sound for hours more.