The 2015 Video Music Awards are (finally!) going down tonight, and we’re getting psyched to see some of the biggest names in music, like Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber, storm the stage.

But because there was simply too much amazingness to pack into one night, the VMA Artist to Watch concert on Saturday night (Aug. 29) gave a crop of stellar up-and-coming artists their chance to join in on the VMA fun.

Walk The Moon, HOLYCHILD, Robert DeLong and St. Lucia were all on hand at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles for a free show to prove why they’re among the most buzz-worthy talent in the music world.

Ahead of their performance during tonight’s “MTV VMA Red Carpet” pre-show, Walk The Moon treated the crowd to a pumped-up set that included their Best Rock Video-nominated song, “Shut Up and Dance.”

“We love playing live,” the band told MTV News backstage. “It’s kind of the center of the Walk of Moon universe.”

L.A. indie pop duo HOLYCHILD also rocked the f--k out, later telling us they like to keep their performances notoriously unpredictable.

“There are always crazy things that happen onstage,” singer Liz Nistico told us. “You never know what’s gonna happen, it’s really in the moment.”

Find out about more emerging Artists To Watch at artisttowatch.mtv.com and tune in to the VMAs tonight to see the Artist To Watch winner announced live.