Cursive’s labelmates and drinking buddies Bright Eyes have a great line that can easily be used to describe the allure of indie rock fandom -

“I’d rather be working for a paycheck/than waiting to win the lottery…“.

Indeed, what could be more dull than waiting for great bands to hit the radio, or being able to find obscure Wolf Eyes 7 inches at Best Buy? Indie rock is all about the struggle and the pain of going to tiny, smoky clubs, obsessively reading music websites, spending huge amounts of money on rare albums. But of course, there’s the great payoff - knowing more about obscure, bearded freak-folkers than anyone within a hundred miles, owning more vinyl, and most importantly, resting easily in the knowledge that you are better than everyone else.

This innate indie need for a Pyrrhic victory was displayed for all to see on Tuesday as Cursive wrapped up their “secret tour” at Mac’s Bar in Lansing. Their first tour since the departure of cellist Gretta Cohn, it consisted of a handful of dates at tiny clubs played under made-up names (here, the Jazz Hessians). This being a club with a capacity under two hundred, there was no presale, even after word leaked that it really was Cursive. So tight-pantsed, glasses-wearing indie rockers from across the Midwest skipped school and called in sick, heading out to Mac’s from places as far flung as Canada, the first arriving seven hours before the show began.

The line extended around the block by mid-afternoon, eventually reaching that uncomfortable point where you knew the people at the end of the line would end up crying more than Conor Oberst at a funeral, clawing at the closed door of the club. The heat was nearly unbearable, but it was nothing compared to what to come when the show began.

Inside the cramped venue, the temperature rose ever higher as the show progressed through the openers. The first, LaSalle, was a hardworking (if a bit bland) local band who showed real potential only when their main gimmick of male/female vocals was properly utilized. The second band, current Omaha buzz band Ladyfinger, impressed the crowd with their endearingly catchy, smamry brand of hard rock.

Then Cursive took the stage. Parting the sea of sweaty indie kids like musical Moseses (there’s no backstage at Mac’s), they took control immediately with The Ugly Organ standout “Gentleman Caller” and didn’t let go once. Proving right away that they’re mostly unaffected by the absence of cello, Kasher and co. filled in with timely guitar solos and other slight tricks. The 14-song set sampled equally from all eras of Cursive - mostly from Ugly Organ and Domestica, but also a good selection of rare and early tracks, sating the rabid fans that waited so long.

On stage, Kasher sipped whiskey in true Saddle Creek style as he and the rest of the band sweated through their clothes. When someone in the audience commented on his clothes (flip-flops and gray jeans that he rolled up halfway through the set), he mumbled something immortal about how “a Jazz Hessian doesn’t care about how they look, only about their chops”. And indeed, however purposefully redneck Cursive’s appearance was, their chops were top notch.

Cursive’s metasongs simultaneously transcend and poke fun at the cliches of cathartic, emotional, loud-soft rock. In this way, their lyrics and music are the rare combination that can be enjoyed both on an emotional and mental level. But at Mac’s Bar, it was pure emotion.