Is James Iha a barometer for indie rock success or just a hipster socialite with an unusually large head? For the members of the band Office, Mr. Iha’s presence refers to the former: The ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist is a frequent attendee to their New York shows, and in October, he became the band’s boss, helping to sign the band to his own independent label, Scratchie Records. He also seems to be a loyal fan, as he’s been spotted both at the Mercury Lounge (this past summer) and at Friday night’s show at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, standing close to the stage while shorter fans leaned around him for a better view.

Friday night served as a showcase for Office, as well as the headlining band, Poughkeepsie’s Robbers on High Street. Both groups performed mostly new material and rehashed better versions of older tunes. Small shows in smaller venues performed in between major releases (Scratchie Records plans to release full-length albums by both bands in the spring) always make for interesting listening.

Dutchess County rarely gets much attention here in the city, but Robbers on High Street took the torch for a good hour, performing songs from their 2005 album “Tree City” and their latest EP, “The Fatalist and Friends.” Robbers on High Street perform a wistful, austere kind of pop-rock, complete with faux-British accents by band members Ben Trokan and Steven Mercado, and on Friday they did little to stray from their recordings. The most energetic point of the night came when Mr. Trokan sang wildly on “Monkberry Moon Delight,” a song originally written by Paul McCartney. As on the new EP, Mr. Trokan ripped into the song with as much intensity as he could muster, which worked in the show’s intimate setting, but it was difficult to imagine that he could pull off something much louder on a bigger stage. Robbers on High Street were a calming presence after the antics of Office, but it was slightly disappointing to hear songs that could just as easily have been played on one’s iPod while walking the streets of Park Slope.

Unlike the summer’s Mercury Lounge show, when Office needed to make an immediate splash for the purposes of signing a record deal, Friday’s set allowed the band to focus purely on sonic achievement. Lead guitarist Tom Smith was the most exciting element of the show, jumping off the tiny stage to play and sing in the faces of a few female fans. He’s usually a quieter presence on backup vocals, as opposed to Jessica Gonyea, the band’s resident tambourinist and quasi-cheerleader. But Mr. Smith seemed to shine in the tiny spotlight, jumping on Erica Corniel’s drum-kit and singing on Office standards like “Wound Up” and “Q&A.” Not wanting to be outdone, Scott Masson belted songs from the band’s self-released debut album, “Q&A,” with a confident swagger.

Mr. Masson has a certain vocal tic, a kind of breathy, sentence-closing sigh, that accents many of his songs. The stiff, straight pop song “If You Don’t Know by Now” benefited from his sighs, giving the song an unexpected, sensual close. The set was short but satisfying: It served the purpose of warming up the band — and its New York fans — for a major run for indie gold next year.

jdaniel@nysun.com