Teens in high-waisted jorts flocked to the House of Blues on Sunday to see Dirty Projectors.

The Brooklyn band, in town to support its latest album, Swing Lo Magellan, played a diverse set of songs, including tracks from Swing Lo, its breakout album Bitte Orca, and others. The band was in fine form, with band masterminds David Longstreth and Amber Coffman trading complex compositions on guitar and a team of vocalists/instrumentalists providing strange tonal harmonies. Set highlights included “Cannibal Resource” and “Stillness Is the Move” from Bitte Orca, “Swing Lo Magellan” and “Just From Chevron” from the new album, and others.

In a recent interview and live performance on WNYC’s Studio 360, Longstreth said that, while Bitte Orca was more about “surfaces and textures and colors and explicitly musical things,” he focused on lyrics for Swing Lo Magellan.

For someone mostly celebrated for his musical (not lyrical) prowess, such an approach has the potential for many pitfalls, but Longstreth seems to have navigated them with few missteps. 2012’s Dirty Projectors may be a little preachier than the 2009 version, but the band’s sheer talent and sincerity still makes them one of the best indie bands out there.

Wye Oak opened, playing a variety of fan favorites including “Holy Holy,” “Plains,” and the sublime title track from 2011’s Civilian. Wye Oak also introduced a few new songs, including one that, according to guitarist/singer Jenn Wasner, may even be danceable. Even though the crowd was relatively sparse when their set started, audience members were enraptured by the end.

Photos – Dirty Projectors at House of Blues San Diego, July 27, 2012

Photos – Wye Oak at House of Blues San Diego, July 27, 2012