Friday night was a night for new discovery. Thus, we found ourselves in a new location — Phillipsburg’s SoMa Downtown Grill — to hear a band we’ve never covered before — acoustic folk/pop act January Noon.

It was a relaxing way to spend a Friday evening just on the other side of the Northampton St. bridge, as the up-and-coming duo and special guests mixed its tender originals with re-imagined covers of artists including Death Cab for Cutie and Young the Giant (their “Cough Syrup” cover in particular went over quite well).

One thing to pay attention to when you see this band live: the many methods of percussion employed by Thomas Mikhail. The percussionist, known for his prowess on the cajon, is also a skilled bongo player and uses a rain stick for some well-timed, atmospheric elements to the band’s performance.