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Tucked away in a small driveway on an overcast May 10, Chicago-based duo Friend of a Friend performed an intimate yet punchy set to a fluctuating crowd of passers-by at Somerville PorchFest.

From the moment lead vocalist Claire Molek took the microphone, the energy shifted. Gone was the quiet sound of cars passing by on the nearby street, replaced by the ethereal, dreamy sounds of “HLS” off of the band’s sophomore album “FACILITIES.” The electronic-influenced track played well as the band’s opener, as more and more strangers came to watch the show.

Though the concert started off on a quieter foot, guitarist Jason Savsani still worked to hype up the crowd with the set’s third song, the title track off of Friend of a Friend’s latest album “Desire!” Savsani helped play up the song’s electronic elements while simultaneously maintaining its acoustic core. At one point, he dropped to one knee and turned up the distortion, an otherwise quiet part of the recorded version of the song — turning the moment into one of the set’s highlights.

As more observers crowded the porch where Molek and Savsani were playing and the clouds began to part, the duo started leaning into their new material and talking with the audience.

“We’re from Chicago so we understand bad weather,” Savsani joked.

With the start of the second half of the band’s set, a pair of audience members began to dance, their movements flowing with the songs. The crowd parted to let the duo move freely, some taking videos underscored by Molek’s vocalizations.

The sixth song of the afternoon, “FTV,” served as a smart subversion of a more traditional alt-rock song, playing up the dream-like qualities of both its lyrics and its sound. Molek and Savsani created an impressive sonic landscape with their instruments, acoustic and electronic. If the audience hadn’t been won over by Friend of a Friend up to this point, the holdouts were certainly in the duo’s camp after the song ended.

However, not every element of the set was entirely successful.

The next track “Hh2” was a song fit for a different venue. What could have been a moment of real catharsis — as Molek built up into a scream as the drums crashed down — didn’t play well in the outdoor setting of PorchFest. Instead, the moment felt like a smart idea that couldn’t be executed to the best of its ability given the surrounding circumstances.

The band regained their footing quickly, though. The follow up to “Hh2” was a return to their second album, and a paradisiacal interlude that served as a softer side of the afternoon’s performance. The crowd swayed as Molek sang “Always in love and always on time.”

As the hour-long set wound to a close, Friend of a Friend took the crowd back to the band’s beginnings, playing a remix of “Dream” off of their debut album.

The song was a perfect closer and a terrific choice for a now sunny afternoon. The live rendition was a marked improvement over the original recording, adding life and depth to the track and keeping the energy light and fun. Savsani’s backing vocals kept the track interesting from start to finish, and the audience responded accordingly.

As the song finished, mixed chants of “Chicago Pope” and “encore” took over the space while the crowd cheered on the performers. Unfortunately, the band could not continue and ceded the stage to Cat Ridgeway and the Tourists.

As Molek and Savsani walked through the audience after the set, the pair thanked attendees and the energy remained excited.

The concert was a joyous hour on a cloudy day. It makes perfect sense that strangers on the street would see a sign pointing into a driveway, hear the music, and come and join in on the fun.

—Staff writer Hugo C. Chiasson can be reached at hugo.chiasson@thecrimson.com.