Live music is a different experience when it comes to the artform — you’re directly in front of the performer, such a personal thing, while simultaneously sharing that experience with hundreds, sometimes thousands of others.

And this can be very difficult to do well. It’s a balancing act of performance, crowd work, and technology in front of a room of strangers with high expectations.

Both of the shows I saw over my Thanksgiving break were extremely entertaining. Ninja Sex Party was hilarious, with the band’s blend of comedy and rock music, while Black Flag was an electrically violent punk rock show. Both were the closing shows for their respective U.S. tours, so the energy from the bands (and from the crowd) felt even better.

On Nov. 19, my dad and I went to the Boulder Theater to see Ninja Sex Party live at their “Up Close & Personal Acoustic Tour”. Ninja Sex Party, or NSP, is a musical comedy duo consisting of vocalist Dan Avidan (a.k.a Danny Sexbang) and Pianist Brian Wecht (a.k.a Ninja Brian). The two originally met through the Upright Citizens Brigade in 2009, where they created an act consisting of a Jewish superhero and his deadly ninja sidekick writing and performing songs about their unsuccessful attempts at finding love.

The opening act was the “Super Guitar Bros”, an acoustic guitar duo consisting of Sam Griffin and Steven Poissant. They opened with acoustic covers of popular video game songs from old Nintendo and RARE games, like Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong Country, and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

The two put on an incredible opening set; it amazed me how many different instrumental sounds they could create with just their guitars. The band created a full soundscape with just the two of them, and it was incredible.

Shortly after the first performance, NSP came out and began their set. It was the most entertaining show I’ve seen in a long time. Back-to-back every song and the bit they did in between them was phenomenal. The duo was accompanied by the Super Guitar Bros and Emmy award winning producer Jim Roach. Danny’s voice was incredible — every song performed sounded exactly like the studio recording. The back track from all of the guys was phenomenal. It was even more grand of a sound thanks to Brian’s piano and Jim’s bass.

Each song was hilarious — the crowd knew every word but were still laughing like they had just heard the joke for the first time. If you haven’t listened to NSP before, I strongly advise you to if you want a good laugh.

On Nov. 21, my friends and I went to see Total Chaos, T.S.O.L., The Dickies, and Black Flag at the Oriental Theater in Denver. Black Flag is widely considered one of the godfathers of Southern California hardcore punk.

They originally formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California under the original name “Panic”. After their break up in 1986, they reformed in 2003 and again in 2013.

The show opened with Total Chaos to great reception. They were very hyper and fast with lyrics and instrumentals, and they were overall an outstanding opener.

T.S.O.L. came on after to even more excitement. The crowd, with every new set, was getting more enthusiastic and violent. I didn’t know too many songs by them, but hearing the crowd screaming every word was so much fun.

The Dickies was one of my favorite sets of the night. They were wild and hilarious, bringing out costumes and toys to add to the music — a monkey mask, squeaky toy, and swim gear to name a few.

Finally, Black Flag came out to be the most electric show I’ve been to yet. I was terrified to even step foot into the mosh pit. People were crowd surfing, throwing beer, and having the time of their lives. For one song specifically, “Rise Above”, the lead singer, Mike Valley, handed me the microphone to scream the chorus; it was the best feeling in the world. Everything about their performance was amazing. From the crowd work to the face melting music, it was a perfect show.