Cliff Hanger.

Scenes From The Kessler Theater's Third Anniversary Party.

It's been a good year for the team over at the Kessler Theater out in Oak Cliff. They've been booking great shows, they finally replaced their plastic banner with a gorgeous neon marquee and they remain the best listening room in town.

So, yeah, there was plenty to celebrate on Friday night, as the revered Oak Cliff venue celebrated its third anniversary with a stacked bill featuring — perhaps oddly — three Forth Worth bands: The Burning Hotels, Analog Rebellion and Ice Eater.

Of course, it wasn't all great. A laptop malfunction and a little inebriation kept Analog Rebellion's set from being, well, very good at all. But Ice Eater pleased and the Burning Hotels especially did, the latter even going so far as to play for nearly two hours to close the show. They dipped deep into their catalog, too, even ditching their newfound “sex wave” sounds for some older, more pop-punk-inclined favorites such as “Austin's Birthday” and the Bandslam-featured “Stuck in the Middle,” which saw Quaker City Night Hawks' beast of a drummer, Matt Mabe, sitting in with his fellow Fort Worthians.

So, sure, the night ended well. And, in this what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world we live in, that's both what counts the most and what should be taken away from this night.

The Kessler's a great space. And, on Friday night, it mostly showcased some great talent.