No words were spoken. No instruments actually played on stage. No lights, save for the soft blue-white glow of a laptop screen. Not a single one of the artist’s own songs was played. There was, in essence, no performance to speak of.

So, uh … why’s there even a review, one might ask, and rightfully so. Because, somehow, when Sam Sparro takes stage, he can host one hell of a dance party in spite of all of the above.

It’s no surprise Sparro has earned notoriety for his DJ ability as well as his vocal and songwriting skills. The singular shortcoming of Sparro’s DJ set is that he didn’t feel any sudden urges to break into a few of the “Black & Gold” verses on a whim. Or its accompanying choreography, but that’s likely more on the side of wishful thinking.

L.A. locals Love Grenades took stage next, and within the first few minutes of their set, frontwoman Liz Wight’s skirt was around her ankles and off entirely, but somehow done in the most professional way a singer can do as much. Though it was a slow buildup through the course of the band’s set, once Wight hit her stride with crowd interaction, jumping down to dance and sing her way through the venue floor, she added the needed fun quality so many other retro-inspired indie-pop bands lose sight of when trying to uphold their image. Much to Love Grenades’ credit, they can take a few visual and aural cues from eras long gone without being clichéd campy and while still being very modern.