When we started Sleepover Shows in the summer of 2009, there were two albums that provided the soundtrack for me that year. One was mewithoutYou’s It’s All Crazy!… The other was Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) by Cloud Cult.

Imagine our surprise (and my extreme pleasure) to be able to present shows from both of these artists back to back.

Before their last show at The Paradise here in Boston, the experimental indie sextet (sometimes octet) from Minnesota was gracious enough to sit with us to play a few songs. Cloud Cult, led by Craig Minowa, puts on a one of a kind live show featuring a video screen and on-stage painting. (This is often done by Craig’s wife, Connie.)

First, Cloud Cult played Chain Reaction, a deep cut from the band’s 2007 record The Meaning of 8. Replacing the record’s pulsing synthesized drums with beautiful, rich harmonies, the song quickly drowned out the hustle and bustle of the club below.

Next was The Ghost Inside Our House. Off of the aforementioned Feel Good Ghosts, the studio cut of this song features guitar and strings with Craig singing lead alone. Before we began filming, Craig said that they were going to try things a little differently. They performed the old favorite with the same instrumentation; however they added a six-part harmony to the mix, giving the song a different, more hopeful tone.

Last was Step Forward a tune from the band’s album of B-sides, Lost Songs From The Lost Years (actually it’s from the re-release of Lost Songs). Once again, Minowa and company felt like spicing up the studio version. While originally sung by one of the ladies in the band (my money is on Connie Minowa), Craig took the lead vocals on this version. The band also concluded the song with a beautiful a cappella that left us all with chills.

Please enjoy the show. This was certainly a special one for us.