Though I wasn’t certain what to expect as I headed to the Cleveland Grog Shop to see Casper and the Cookies and The Apples in Stereo, the bands’ boisterous good cheer came as no surprise.

In the synesthete’s musical meal, both bands tickle the syrupy portion of the palate. Casper and the Cookies describe themselves on their MySpace page as being as “sweet as the popsicle that you dropped on the ground the day that you saw your best friend with your sixth-grade crush. As strange as eating the popsicle anyway.”

The band has a garage pop sound but keeps things interesting since they are not ashamed of their past and are not snooty about their experimental leanings. They also infuse the same-old same-old drum, bass, guitar archetype with frenetic tambourine playing, a tiny toy melodica, the eye makeup of Kevin Barnes, the wardrobe of Dressy Bessy, sincerity and a comfortable stage presence.

Currently supporting their record, The Optimist’s Club, Casper and the Cookies made good on the album name by encouraging the audience members in their search for love or anything else. 

“I want to see some kissing and fondling,” said frontman Jason NeSmith. 

They played many songs off their new album, beginning with “Neo Dada Heyday,” a song about watching the flight of a flock of birds while on lunch break. Next came “Barking in the Garden of Ill Repute” — a confusing song that touchingly ends with the lines in two voices: “Our hearts are set to twitching / And now we crave adventure / back of my mind is itching / one day I’ll hide your dentures.” Later came the ambiguously themed “Sid from Central Park,” possibly about both a character named Sidney and tripping on a summer day in the park. They also played old favorites like “Oh!” and “Yer Birthday.”

Small details made the set: keyboardist Kay Stanton’s swooping shuffling dance behind her blippy keyboard, guitarist Jim Hicks kicking off his shoes into the corner mid-strum. One could easily picture the diminutive NeSmith singing into a comb alone in his bedroom, such was his energy. The drummer, who resembled a skinny Will Ferrell, sang on a cover the band did. 

This is part of the reason that, though far from their Athens, Georgia home, the Cookies got such a warm response from the crowd.

The Apples in Stereo, after tinkering with their sound setup for some time, played some of their strongest songs, beginning with “Skyway” and going on to play “Energy,” “Can You Feel It?” and  psychedelic gems “The Rainbow” and “Strawberryfire.”

What lead singer Robert Schneider held back from the audience in banter, he made up for by capping every song with a terse thanks, even inserting a pirate joke later in the evening that I won’t repeat.

When he sang, “and the world is made of energy / and there’s a lot inside of you / and there’s a lot inside of me” he was half right.

The audience was a hodgepodge in a number of ways. First, ages spanned from teenybopper to AARP cardholder. In addition, the audience’s familiarity with the band varied dramatically. Schneider made  somewhat obscure references, touting the keyboard and cowbell skills of Bill Doss — a member of the Olivia Tremor Control and other projects — for the benefit of some members of the audience. Others in the crowd seemed newer to the band and its contemporaries, familiar only with the goofy “Stephen, Stephen” which the Apples recently played on the Colbert Report. 

Finally, the majority of the audience was composed of people, who despite their physically lethargic response, were clearly enjoying the music. A contingent of obnoxious arm-thrusters and headbangers was also present.

The reason the band appealed to all these people is quite simple: They are the Kings of the Feel-good Refrain. They pack as much optimism into one line as there is in a fleet of kindergarteners on their first day of school, making their billing with Casper and the Cookies so appropriate. 

The band concluded with “Ruby,” a personal favorite, before coming back out for a two-song encore. As the crumbs of the last notes were wiped from the smiles of the Apples’ amps, I knew I would be humming all the way home.