Datarock Work Up a Sweat in NYC

Norwegian dance-rockers Datarock made the only US stop of their tour Monday night at New York City's Highline Ballroom. Playing a sweat-inducing set, the electro-leaning duo -- who expanded to a quartet live -- acted as party-starters to a mostly young Manhattan crowd before trekking off for a month's worth of dates in Europe.

"For the next one, we're gonna try to make you dance," singer-guitarist Fredrik Saroea told fans, as if they needed a reminder. "You're gonna say, 'Dance, just dance.' It's that simple," he instructed before kicking into 'Jersey Shore' soundtrack pick 'Dance!' from last year's bouncy full-length 'Red.'

The band, all outfitted in their signature red tracksuits and sunglasses, brought a goofy air to the night. Keyboardist-background vocalist Ketil Mosnes mimed a lot of the lyrics, walking up to the crowd to prompt sing-alongs, while drummer Tarjei Strom twirled a drumstick behind his ears, still managing to keep up with the quick, nu-disco beats short an arm. There was lots of showing off, lots of swagger, lots of grandstanding, but the group was clearly in on the joke.

The set was mostly heavy on 'Red' tracks such as the Talking Heads tribute 'True Stories,' the 'Take on Me'-nodding 'Amarillion,' as well as 'The Pretender,' 'Give It Up' and 'The Blog,' which served as a feedback-laden intro.

The group also reached back into their catalogue, however, playing 'Sex Me Up' -- "This is a song about a girl I once had in New York City," Saroea noted -- and the knowingly juvenile 'Nightflight to Uranus,' both from their 2005 debut 'Datarock Datarock.'

Near the end of the night, Saroea brought a guy onstage to do the running man. As if that wasn't funny enough, he added, "What do you think of our new dancer? If he was a girl I'd marry him ... because of his hair and great personality," to which, everyone, unfazed and clearly having fun, laughed, primed to dance again.