Photo by: FaceBook.com

Electro-pop group Passion Pit played a sold-out show at the Ogden last Wednesday and proved, together with openers Mayer Hawthorne and The County, how vibrant the Denver music scene is.

Passion Pit consists of five guys from Cambridge, Mass., who formed in 2007. They look more like geeky college kids who should be in lab  than rock stars. The group’s debut EP, Chunk of Change, was released in September 2008 and quickly gained a following with the release of its big single, “Sleepyhead.” With that success, the group released the full-length studio album Manners in May 2009.

Opening with “I’ve Got Your Number,” a delicious blend of synth-pop and lead singer, Michael Angelakos’, pitch-perfect vocals, the crowd was instantly dancing and singing along. The group ran through songs from both Chunk of Change and Manners, including “Eyes as Candles,” “Better Things,” “The Reeling,” “Moth’s Wings” and “Make Light.”

The group was surprised by the enthusiasm of its Denver fans, and it was clear just how much the guys appreciated the audience. Angelakos even commented how wonderful it was to see everyone dancing, not just standing around taking pictures or shooting videos.

In an interesting but sublimely perfect twist, the group played covers of “Zombie” and “Dreams” by ‘90s group The Cranberries. It was almost scary how well Angelakos could hit the high notes in both songs.

What makes Passion Pit so cool to watch is the band’s energy onstage. Because Angelakos can actually hit the notes he does, Passion Pit is even more engaging to watch because it proves the band is not just another electro-pop group relying on digitalized vocals.

If there was anything wrong with the concert, it was that it was entirely too short, at a mere 75 minutes.