As a man with a large top hat and another man in a sleeveless shirt with a Crayola-induced octopus drawn on his arm wandered by, followed by an awkwardly large bundle of props being snuck into the back room, it was obvious that the night’s show was going to bring together great music, interesting people and a good time. Now in its 18th year, the Great Cover Up brings together local artists as they transform into their favorite bands and musicians. The second evening of the three night series was an eventful one, filled with everything from '60s pop to gothic metal.

RC$/Post Historic: From the cut-off plaid shirts and trucker hats to the killer dance moves, RC$ and Post Historic made everyone fall in love with the hilarious pseudo-metal music of Andrew W.K. As they took on the new persona onstage, their high-energy performance held up as they soon had everyone wanting to party and quit their jobs. After six songs full of fist pumps and full-arm-circle guitar jams, the boys ended their set with “Party Hard” and everyone agreed.

The Duke Of Uke: The Duke of Uke warped the Highdive back to a time of peace signs and bra burning. Their impersonation of English rock band T. Rex had everyone grooving to the smooth melodies and admiring the interesting costumes that ranged from an oversized top hat to insect antennas. To end their portion of the show, the band invited the audience on state to show off their dance moves. And as if that wasn’t enough, they also brought out an oversized cutout of T. Rex lead singer Marc Bolan to join the crew on stage.

Common Loon: The masculine duo that is known in Champaign for their psychedelic '60s style wasn’t too far from their element when they covered Madonna. Their take on the superstar reminded us yet again why our parents taste in music wasn’t completely dreadful. When the boys busted out “Open Your Heart,” even the beer-drinking men in the back sang along. After they closed with a nice rendition of “Material Girl,” it was confirmed that pointy boobs and blonde hair aren’t necessary to love Madonna’s hits.

Tractor Kings: With trucker hats, a twangy voice and impressive guitar picking, the Tractor Kings livened up the show to the tune of Steve Earle with a bit of country music that fit the group extremely well. The music was extremely easy to listen to and made it impossible not to tap your feet, which was a refreshing sound for the group, but not completely out of their ability or comfort zone. They were good fun to watch and even better to hear.

New Ruins: With the talent and creativity synonymous with New Ruins, their persona of the influential indie band Guided by Voices was a good choice for the group. From true rock and roll beats to more chill songs, the combination of vocals along with the almost chilling guitar sounds was both captivating and addicting. With music that you could put on repeat and never get sick of it, the set offered a relaxing change of pace.

Agent Mos: When AMS and ESHR took the stage, they had two things they wanted to make clear: they were huge Obama supporters and they could definitely rap. The onstage trio could scratch records, spit beats and even had the smooth dance moves to match it. With huge support, they had the crowd screaming and throwing their hands up like they were the seasoned rap vets of A Tribe Called Quest.

Santa: To bring the show to an explosive conclusion, Santa became the Cure in more ways than just putting on make-up and playing the same songs. Frontman Stan McConnell did an amazing job of impersonating the intoxicated, strung out Robert Smith of the gothic English rock band. Along with a series of trippy songs, (including a cover of “Love Cats,”) mid-performance, the band was treated to an onstage touch up of hairspray and red lipstick.

You've read what night one and two held—now check out the finale for yourself Thursday at 9 p.m. at the Highdive.