So many Noise Pop shows, so little time. The great thing about this music festival is that you can relatively easily club-hop to catch more than one of the acts you’re cited about on a given night. So I did something I haven’t done for a few years: Go to two shows in one night.

They could not have been any more different. Memphis singer-songwriter Julien Baker was awed reverence. Portland garage rockers The Thermals were unconfined havoc. But the two would have also fit on the same lineup, as Baker grew up in punk bands. I was also impressed by Baker’s openers, Berkeley’s Gracie and Rachel. And on a night when I could have gone to any number of other concerts and come away happy, I chose wisely. The Thermals will be back in the Bay Area in the third week of May. Hopefully, Baker will announce another West Coast tour as well.

Below, you can also catch some snippets of recent interviews with Baker for both Paste and FLOOD.

Roman Gokhman:  What do your parents do?

Julien Baker: My father makes prosthetic legs and limbs for amputees, and braces. He lost his leg in a motorcycle accident and decided to pursue the field of prosthetics. He has an incredible story of the worst trauma putting him in a position to help others. My mom (her parents are no longer together) is a physical therapist. They met in a hospital because they worked in the same circles.

Did you learn much opening for El Vy (Matt Berninger of the National) and Wye Oak last month?

Baker: I’ve loved Wye Oak for a really long time and I love Matt Berninger’s projects, and El Vy is no exception. Just to be on the same stage as those guys was overwhelming.

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.