By the time Canada’s electro-pop stars Dragonette took to the stage at 1:30am, the house was packed, and people were ready to party.  This was probably one of the most insanely enthusiastic audiences I’ve seen in NYC, with fans who knew all the lyrics shouting along on every song.  And it goes without saying that nearly everyone was dancing, which added to the disco, Studio 54-era vibe, especially with people who’d never seen each other sexily serenading each other.  Sentimentalist Mag’s own shy photographer, Tear-n Tan, had strangers affectionately grabbing her while trying to pull her into a dance (or possible snog, as there was some of that going on, too)!  And just when I thought I’d seen it all, the place turned into something akin to a disco mosh pit, with fans jumping up and down as singer Martina Sorbara belted out “Fixin To Thrill”, the title track to the band’s latest album.

Throughout the night, it would seem that all eyes were on Martina, object of affection of an adoring audience, many of whom were constantly shouting, “Martina, we love you,” to which she finally responded, “To be here with you is just about the best thing we could ask for.”  All along, fans were rushing the stage to get closer to pop’s newest iconic female singer, in a scene likely reminiscent of a Madonna show 25 years ago.  Martina’s come hither dance moves and the band’s steamy fan interplay fueled the crowd even more.

Opening with “I Get Around” from 2007’s Galore, the band’s hour-long set included more songs from that album, as well as newer ones from this year’s Fixin To Thrill, all mixing sultry vocals over a blend of dancey beats with new wave and pop influences. Included were crowd pleasers “Take It Like A Man”, “Competition”, “Easy” and “Pick Up The Phone”, the latter vaguely recalling 1980’s-era Kate Bush.  Dragonette ended the show with the quirky, waltzy but upbeat “Get Lucky” in a second encore, which bassist Dan Kurtz referred to as “unprecedented”.

Dragonette, who received Canada’s Juno award for Best New Group in 2008, has opened for bands as varied as New Order, Basement Jaxx and Sugababes.  The band will wrap up its US tour Friday night in Washington DC before heading to Europe and then Australia.

The Invisible

The warm-up for Santos Party House’s “Tonight We Ride”, the venue’s Thursday late night party, was London trio The Invisible.  The band charmed the audience with songs that variably blend funk-style bass, lush ethereal and post-punk guitar arrangements with keyboards, jazz rhythms and indie to post-rock influences.

Though nominated for Britain’s esteemed Mercury prize this year, The Invisible – singer/guitarist David Okumu, bassist Tom Herbert and drummer Leo Taylor – have yet to ink a deal in the U.S., and this was only their second-ever American show.  Their eponymously-titled debut hit UK shelves earlier this year.

The band’s brief set featured seamless segues from songs that were more rock to those that were groovier, dotted with others that beautifully blended both styles while adding clever, unexpected nuances.

After opening with “Monster’s Waltz”, the band performed “Baby Doll”, “Passion”, “Jacob And The Angel”, some instrumental jams, and an extended version of their popular UK single, “London Girl”, which got the crowd off to a dancing start, setting the tone for the rest of the night.

(The Invisible’s last show on this brief US visit will be at Piano’s in New York on Friday night, November 6th.)

CagedBaby

In between performances by The Invisible and Dragonette, popular Brighton, UK-based, French DJ CagedBaby spun a set of house and dance music tracks that added a definite club vibe to the atmosphere.  The one surprise, for me anyway, was a remix of the “Rose Rouge” by Paris electro-jazz outfit St. Germain, which famously contained a sample of jazz great Marlena Shaw singing “I want you to get together…put your hands together one time”.–Teresa Sampson/Photos by Tear-n Tan