When a band from the unexplored tundra of Minnesota can pack the basement of a house that's deep in the Central District on a Wednesday night, they must be doing something pretty special. Jessica Seamans and Briana Smith of Best Friends Forever write party-inciting pop songs that not only get a place really hot really quickly, but that also draw you in with their honest charm and sexy lyrics. It's always exciting when you can tell a band enjoy playing as much as the audience enjoys watching them, and BFF were definitely amped to be at the Greenhouse last Wednesday night.

Before the band finished their first song, keyboardist/guitarist/lead vocalist Smith had thrown down on each of her respective instruments, while Seamans ripped it up on bass and played a little sea shanty on recorder. All the while, their new drummer, Joe Rand, who the girls kept talking about between songs as if he wasn't there, kept the groove tight on the tiniest drum set I have ever seen. Positive vibes washed over the whole room.

You know those moments at a show when you're having such a good time that the smile won't come off your face? Smith dances like David Byrne straight out of Stop Making Sense while singing wildly, mostly about falling in love ("I don't know you/That's why I think you're the perfect person"). She is one of the most entertaining, outgoing, and welcoming singers of any band going right now. Her intoxicating energy clearly provides the spirit of the group.

Watching the band rock out and chat between songs, it was obvious that, true to their name, the girls are friends before bandmates. Before their last song, Smith told the audience, "Life without friendship is like the number 50 without the five, and you guys, that's just zero!"

Time will tell if it lasts, but if Wednesday's show is any indication, Best Friends Forever will be warming hearts across the country for quite a while. recommended

ccatherwood@thestranger.com