The Fratellis @ Mercury Lounge, 3/23/07

Lead singer John Lawler took the stage for the encore and, much to everyone's surprise, did an acoustic performance of "New York, New York." Sinatra with a Glaswegian accent...a classic moment.

I realized last night why I love to come out and see these UK buzz bands perform in small clubs in NYC. When the majority of the crowd hails from the UK, these shows provide a completely different live experience. Watching swarms of people singing and dancing along with every song; it's a rare opportunity to find such an enthusiastic crowd at a venue this size, in a city notorious for arms-folded show-me-what-you-got audiences.

The Fratellis had a successful debut last week, selling close to 15,000 units and a top 50 spot on the Billboard 200 due in large part to their iTunes commercial. For those who haven't yet heard anything beyond "Flathead," this is far from a one hit wonder band. What impressed me most - and what I think separates the Fratellis from their UK upstart counterparts - was their incredibly tight live performance. Despite their juvenile lyrics, The Fratellis came across as seasoned musicians, all highly skilled at their craft.

MP3: The Fratellis - "3 Skinny Girls" (B-side to Henrietta)

UPDATE: The Music Slut has a photo of the setlist (minus "New York, New York"). The last song was a cover of the Who's "The Seeker." You got to love the fact that these dudes have a great relationship with Pete Townshend. They performed the song together at SXSW.