Green Go Brings the Dance Party to NXNE

You have to feel a bit sorry for the acts that get stuck with the final slot at festival showcases -- it's late, people are tired, and often the bands that play earlier can be tough acts to follow.

So it was hard not to feel nervous for young Guelph, Ont. electro-popsters Green Go, who had the task of closing out the night with a 1 a.m. set at El Mocambo last night as part of the NXNE music fest. Upon arrival at the venue, there appeared to be more people smoking outside the club than actually awaiting the band's performance.

But when the five-piece took the stage in a blast of buzzy synths, the room filled up quickly, with a particularly enthusiastic pack of cheering fans clustered at the front. As the band tore through an energetic, post-punk-flavoured set of upbeat tunes from their recent 'Borders' debut, a most amazing thing happened: Torontonians were dancing.

The stereotype of the local concertgoer is one of cross-armed circumspection, and with just cause. But it was impossible not to move to Green Go's rhythmic assault -- as kinetic frontman Ferenc Stenton put it: "This song will tell your legs what your brain wants to do -- that's dance, by the way."

Having gotten their start wowing house-party crowds in their hometown, Green Go has been attracting ever-louder buzz over the past year, and their live show proves why. These kids gave their all onstage, from Stenton's live-wire antics and shouty vocals, to the thundering rhythm section. If Metric's Emily Haines ever needs an understudy, singer/keyboardist Jessica Tollefsen would easily fit the bill with her headbanging synth moves. The crew comes off like a dancey, Canadian version of Welsh indie kids Los Campesinos!, given both bands' penchant for clever lyrics and sugar-rush hyperactivity.

Watching Green Go bash out their grabby tunes, it was apparent that while their songs are built around synth-based electro melodies, they also borrow equally from indie-rock and punk, adding an extra twist to what could simply be perceived as party music (not that there's anything wrong with that). It's music for the iPod Shuffle generation, a savvy mashup of everything that's fun about music.

And how can you not love an electro-pop band that pens songs about how student loans suck ('Cash Money Gremlins')? Making the kids dance and think? Seemed like everyone at the El Mo last night could get down to that.