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MANSFIELD - An appreciative crowd of Radiohead die hards were left in awe Wednesday night after spending the evening bathing in guitar fuzz, droning synths, and celestial reverb.

The Brooklyn-based openers, Grizzly Bear, did their part to contribute to the wash of sound that filled the Comcast Center with their unique brand of psych-pop. The quartet eased the crowd into the night with their simple yet engaging songs arranged in an organic manner that one might not expect at a Radiohead show.

Built upon a sturdy foundation of atmospheric synthesizers, each song erupted into controlled chaos where every stroke of the dirty guitar battled for ground while the bass just growled and the drums banged out the tribal march. The true beauty of each song, however, could be found in the groups haunting falsettos and angelic harmonies (all slathered in reverb) that called to mind the Beach Boys singing at the bottom of a cave.

With a sound that could inspire a disillusioned commuter to skip work to simply read a book and people watch, Grizzly Bear proved that there is enough force and life in their music for them to hold the heavy responsibility of being the sole opener for one of modern rocks most important bands.

Headliners Radiohead took to the stage after a short, blippy synth intro that blasted over the PA through the screams of fans eager to have their brains melted. They immediately dove headlong into "The Reckoner," a single off their newest album, "In Rainbows." With the stalactite like lights hanging overhead and multiple screens showing the band from different odd angles, the vibe was set.

Complex songs

It is not exactly easy to submerge yourself in Radiohead's challenging brand of alt rock, which dips its toes in every genre from breakbeat to krautrock.

Fortunately for us, Radiohead is fully aware of this. With each new song, the wall of screens and lights became increasingly intense, with a different color and effect for every new mood. As the light show increased, so did the audiences emotional investment, as it became quite evident that we were all witnessing something special.

Throughout the course of the night, lead singer Thom Yorke and crew repeatedly proved to everyone present why they will hold a place in rock history. As Yorke belted out each song with his fragile yet pitch-perfect voice, the rest of the ensemble held it down with studio precision.

Lead guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and avant-genius songsmith Jonny Greenwood remained an ominous presence on the side of the stage.

His ability to recreate the odd blips, beeps and washes of noise that have become the Radiohead sound was nothing short of astonishing.

Behind all of the polished sound was a sense of sincerity that is rarely seen in current music. Be it during Yorke's performance of a piano ballad or the night's obvious fan favorite "National Anthem," it was clear that they meant every note.

With thought put into every aspect of the concert from the bizarre camera angles and pulsating light show to the impeccable song selection, their pure love of the craft truly shines through. As Radiohead continues to skew the lines between a rock show and an art piece, they don't simply raise the bar for the rest of us but rather beg the question, "What bar?"