Calvin Harris plays quite a dance party (wink)

[I'm sure fantastic photos exist from Friday's very fun activities at the Echo. None, however, turned up on my camera. Instead, here is the video for Calvin Harris' song "Acceptable in the '80s." Compare it to what was acceptable Friday at Club Underground:]



There's a new indie electronic sensation every five minutes these days, many of them dipping into a seemingly bottomless well of Velveeta for bouncy synth lines and wink-wink humor and solemn genuflection at the altar of dance music. Because, everybody tells me every day, people like to dance.

The Echo was filled with those people at Club Underground on Friday night for the West Coast debut of Calvin Harris, a 6-foot-5 and slightly brash Scotsman who needs work on his stage banter but not on his catchy electro. Infected by songs such as "Acceptable in the '80s" and "Michael Jackson," the youthful Undergrounders couldn't wait to shake their bodies and spill drinks on people.

All in good fun, though. Harris, adorned in a T-shirt given him for appearing on Indie 103.1's "Jonesy's Jukebox Jury" earlier in the day, conducted the proceedings with aplomb -- no matter that the performance was largely smoke-and-mirrors, since much of the backing music was coming not from his players onstage but from computer tracks. Harris explained that his guitarist couldn't get a visa, and his keyboardist moved over to guitar, and some brightly dressed fellow named Captain Zesty was filling in on keys, etc., etc. and etc. The crowd was under the impression everybody was playing, but it was more karaoke than anything.

One thing for sure: It was quite a contrast to the gritty, new wave-flavored set played earlier by NYC trio BM Linx.

||| Listen to plenty of Calvin Harris here. And stream BM Linx's "Understanding Orange" here.