Toronto based live-electronica trio The New Deal played The Charleston Pour House Tuesday evening, February 23. Why weren't you there?

These 12 year veterans of the jam scene offered a great chance to see them play in the intimate environment of The POHO, but for the mediocre sized crowd (maybe 200 or less) ... fans offered more talk and less follow through.

What was even more depressing was that the local opener, Pericles, played to a mere 30 people. (Four of which were standing in front looking at each other like they were supposed to dance, or at least do something.) Pericles' sound is intense thanks largely to how he puts the bass in the listener face. And this DJ’s booming/organ-shaking sound deserves a larger crowd.

After the 45-minute set, people began to trickle in like a leaky faucet. But despite a small crowd, it's most certainly not all bad news.

Maybe due to it being a weekday night show or a high ticket price, there was an odd mix of true fans, yuppies, and people who just want to do something different on a Tuesday. Regardless, they all went wild for the band as they took the stage.

Keyboardist Jamie Shields faces drummer Darren Shearer with bassist Dan Kurtz standing center stage. It's a set up that keeps constant communication -- a really good thing as there's no set-list before they take stage. 

But to describe tND's sound is to imagine Lotus and Perpetual Groove having sex (minus the guitars). 

Shields worked hard, banging the keys while Shearer’s impressive energy fueled Kurtz’s rock-star stance/presence on stage. It's a style that offers fast-paced syncopated sounds against tones that are more mellow and relaxed. The methodology behind tND's music is to build tension and for the crowd’s energy to rise, and rise, and ... then: pure ecstasy. I dare say that this release is why this band is popular.

With a crowd gone nuts, people melding with the music, smiles, and non-stop dancing: tND grabs your attention whether you want them to or not.

tND is a rare act to come to Charleston be sure try to catch them next time, until then, check out upcoming shows at The Charleston Pour House.