In a music community as close-knit as ours, there really is no such thing as a "secret show" or "unannounced special guests." Bloggers and Tweeters trample over one another to get the latest scoop, and every musician is friends with at least one or two people who have the ability to spread news like wildfire. So it was no surprise that the line to get into the show at the Hexagon last August with "unannounced" guests P.O.S. and Vampire Hands wrapped around the side of the building, with fans of both the Doomtree rapper and the inventive rock band itching for a chance to see them play such an intimate venue. Sure enough, the show was one for the history books. P.O.S. debuted a handful of songs off his forthcoming album (this year's Never Better), tinkering with a beat machine and working out the kinks in front of a mass of friends and fans. Vampire Hands deafened the audience with their deceptively poppy style of gritty rock, keeping the sweaty crowd packed in tight until bar close. Oh yeah—and a then-unknown band called Solid Gold opened the evening, playing their first of many sold-out shows and cementing their status as one of the most talented bands to land on the local hipster radar in 2008.