House Party at the Brick

Rocking their signature red tracksuits and sunglasses Tuesday night, Datarock transformed Bay Park nightspot Brick by Brick into an electro-pop dance party. Despite the low turn out, the Norwegian duo rocked the intimate setting as if they were headlining Coachella.

The evening began with some sleazy but impressive U.K. garage rock courtesy of Kav. Fellow Brit and pompadour popster Esser took the stage next, gracing the audience with his own brand of ultra-pop. Both opening acts won me over and rounded out the lineup. It was interesting to see Kav, Esser, and Datarock play on the same bill given their diverse musical styles.

Carrying the electro-pop torch for the new generation, Datarock sounds like the musical offspring of the Talking Heads and Devo. They played their key tracks "Computer Camp," "Bulldozer," and "I Used to Dance With My Daddy." Audience members were invited on stage for a "running man" dance session. The band interacted with the audience throughout the night, often walking among spectators while playing. The show had the feeling of a house party.

The night ended with Datarock paying tribute to the recently deceased Patrick Swayze by playing "I Had the Time of My Life" from the classic '80s movie Dirty Dancing. The band-audience sing-along was like a moment out of an '80s movie.

Judging by the size of the audience, most San Diegans have not heard of Datarock. While not heavy on lyrical content, anyone who is a fan of early electro-pop should check these guys out.

Seats: General admission
Show date: Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Venue: Brick by Brick