Dreamboat, the headliners (no relation to Bliss Blood's similarly-titled band) were terrific, the best new act we've encountered since unexpectedly discovering James Apollo back in December. This new trio features excellent acoustic guitarist/singer Craig Chesler, upright bassist Tony Maceli and a frontwoman who jokingly told the audience that she was Kelly Ripa. Iowa expat Kelli Rae Powell, alternating between a wink, a smirk and an occasional shit-eating grin, showed off a spectacular, vastly entertaining and delightfully witty ability to absolutely nail a range of styles from Bessie Smith subtle, to Shirley Bassey over-the-top, and seemingly everywhere in between. If this band stays together, they'll be huge. Like the Moonlighters, there's a fondness for harmonies and an unabashed romanticism in most of what they do, but playing for laughs is also part of it. Powell's onstage persona is as devious as it is virtuosic. Their best song, appropriate for tonight's chill, was a very pretty, soaringly optimistic ballad called When My Winter Turns to Spring. They're playing the Jalopy Café on March 8 with the Moonlighters, well worth the B61 bus ride to Red Hook and back home again. -- LUCID CULTURE