Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Lead New York in Feel-Good Sing-Alongs

In a flash of neon colors and bright lights, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros descended upon New York City Thursday night for a show filled with magic, mystery and lots of dancing.

Since their debut album 'Up From Below' was released last year, the Zeros have grown an enormous following with their brand of '60s-styled sing-along tunes awash in psychedelic melodies and rhythms. The 10-piece ensemble is known for their live spectacles, and once again delivered a dazzling performance last night in front of a sold-out crowd at Webster Hall.

Even before a note had been played, lead singer Alex Ebert -- aka Edward Sharpe -- found himself amongst the masses, walking off the stage into the crowd (Ebert created the Sharpe persona after he left punk-dance outfit Ima Robot and joined a 12-step program for heroin addiction). As Ebert held the microphone up to his mouth, he began to sing the catchy "bah bah bah" intro of 'Janglin.' The entire theater erupted into cheers and began dancing and singing along. Afterward, Ebert got back onstage and went straight into '40 Day Dream' and 'Carries On,' both fan-favorites.

Webster Hall is a strange atmosphere for a hippie gathering. The spacious, gothic Victorian structure, with its dark burgundy walls and rusted brass chandeliers, seems better suited for the Addams Family than it does a happy, flower-power-type get-together. But in the end, it didn't matter that this public display of peace, love and happiness was taking place in a worn-down, dilapidated club. The energy, the music, the feel-good vibe -- you could feel it everywhere, particularly towards the end of the show where hundreds of fans jumped up onstage to dance along to the tune of 'Home,' a song that got the biggest cheers of the night.

To finish out the evening, Ebert once again found himself going back into the crowd, this time asking everyone to sit for the acoustic song 'Brother.' When that finished, everyone was standing once again for a rousing rendition of the meditative and mystical-like 'Om Nashi Me.'

After it was over, those who were still left onstage from before walked up to their messiah and gave him a huge hug. It was like everyone there had taken a fabulous journey of self-discovery and was now being shot back into the world with a clearer conscious. In other words, it was a musical pilgrimage, led by none other than Edward Sharpe and his Magnetic Zeros.