The small crowd at Iota on Sunday knew exactly why they were there, and it wasn’t for Easter cocktails garnished with peeps. They came for the Minnesota-based eclectic rock outfit Cloud Cult, who are a rare presence in these parts. And it’s too bad that they are a rare presence because they put on one helluva show.

Opening act 302 Acid started things out slowly. In fact, it’s questionable whether they went anywhere. As their name would seem to imply (they claim on their Web site that it doesn’t), the duo sat at their laptops and created a mixture of acid, jazz and electronic music that would be great for background music.

But pairing 302 Acid with Cloud Cult was a downright bad decision. It’s like pairing the Crystal Method with Arcade Fire. Once again contrasting the claims on their Web site, it would take a lot of drugs to enjoy 302 Acid’s live show because it certainly wasn’t enjoyable on any other level. It was boring. Period.

But it was obvious that people came for Cloud Cult. In its live incarnation, the band consists of Craig Minowa on vocals, Dan Greenwood on drums, Sarah Young on cello and vocals and Matthew Freed on bass. DCist was expecting a slightly larger ensemble consisting of the band’s live painters, but the show, even when stripped of some of the band’s entertaining oddities, held up. The set was a mix of recent songs off 2005's Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus, as well as older and newer songs. Highlights included a rousing version of “Moving to Canada,” which couldn’t be more appropriate with D.C. as a not-so-distant backdrop, because it includes the line “And all the people sing/ long live the king/ for he’s a godly thing/ an eagle with just one right wing.” The new songs also played with tempo changes and beautiful periods of looped guitar, raising expectations for the next Cloud Cult album. The band followed up its set with a short encore that included the whimsical “Transistor Radio,” with Young and Minowa sharing vocals over his acoustic guitar. It was a little more sparse than the recording, but it worked nicely.

After seeing the live show, DCist asks: Why aren’t more people listening to this band? There is no excuse, people. Now that you’ve heard of them, go check out their Web site. One thing is for sure: When they return to the D.C./Arlington area, DCist will be there.

Photo by Matt Sedlar