Yes, L’Rain’s latest record, “I Killed Your Dog,” is an incredible listen at home or on the go. But nothing can quite capture the energy, the fullness of the band’s songs like hearing them performed live. That, at least, was my experience Friday night during L’Rain’s headlining performance at Schubas as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival. This ongoing music festival, which brings together a mix of local, national and international acts during the dead of Chicago’s winter, is a perfect testament to both Chicago audiences’ love of experimental music and the concert-going experience.

And last night’s performers and audience were no exception. In fact, bandleader and musician Taja Cheek, who performs as L’Rain, noted this around halfway through the set.

Chicago is the second stop of the band’s new tour and the last time they were in the city, L’Rain’s show was canceled. Yet Chicago audiences rallied for the show to go on and the group performed a last-minute set at Cole’s Bar in Logan Square. Cheek praised Chicago’s unmatched community and the audience, in turn, celebrated her warm and earnest charm during this hourlong show.

L’Rain opened the evening by declaring that there were two rules: for the audience to be here — to be present — in the room and for them to howl. And so folks howled. It was only fitting. This exchange of energy permeated throughout the night.

During the song “I Killed Your Dog,” the group paired background songs of dogs hollering with the layered vocals of band members to set a moody and evocative tone. Dreamy, extended outros between later songs helped build them into something grander. It also helped the group and the excited audience get into the subtle grooves of tracks like the jazzy “Knead Bee” from her latest album, and the older “Two Face” from L’Rain’s second album, “Fatigue.”

On record, L’Rain’s music has a spindly, experimental flair, which makes songs like the singles “Pet Rock” and “Uncertainty Principle” sound unique and challenging. But the live experience pulls out something more raw and guttural in Cheek’s music. L’Rain is known for blending genres and styles, but the live show makes this clear, as the audience can hear and witness the songs take shape from scratch. It is easy to pinpoint the jazz, the soul, the psych rock (which felt like it was in abundance this evening) when you see the artist and their band transform disparate sounds into fleshed-out masterpieces.

Last night’s show homed in on the elements that make L’Rain’s songs stand out, from a pulsating guitar reverb to a drifting percussive beat to the willowy saxophone drifting in and out of tracks on “I Killed Your Dog.” And paired with Cheek’s vocals, the songs take on a new life. Her smooth and crisp vocals float in the air, piercing through the layers of instrumentation, and leaving the audience enraptured.

Some technical difficulties caused moments of frustration throughout the evening. There were issues with the drum monitor and a band member broke a string or two. “Our instruments are rebelling against us at this point,” Cheek said. But that didn’t seem to deter either the band or the audience.

“Can you all do me a favor?” Cheek asked. “Just close your eyes for two seconds. Shake your heads and bodies. If you make noise, even better.” The patrons came alive, re-centering themselves into the pulsating energy of the room, just as L’Rain wanted. “Now I know you’re alive,” she said.

Britt Julious is a freelance critic.