Lights were flashing as smoke filled the air, while the screaming voices of people filled the halls of the University Union. This was the scene of the Union Ballroom as The Faint took the stage Friday night.

The show started off with a small crowd for Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head. All I can say is that they looked like the children of Flock of Seagulls. The band’s music makes you want to dance in the way any generic new wave 80’s synth-pop song does. It’s nothing that hasn’t been heard before.

There is no doubt that the show belonged to The Faint. The band started off with “Agenda Suicide” from its album “Danse Macabre,” only to be disrupted moments into the song.

For an unexplained reason, some of the power to the instruments went out. However, both keyboardists kept the fans occupied with what sounded like an alien mother ship landing, as the band worked out the kinks.

As the show got rolling, the room began to shake with bass. The fans quickly jumped into dance, from start to finish. They sang along, threw their hands in the air and clapped in unison. Every song was a party in of itself.

The Faint put on an electric show with flashing lights and machines filling the room with smoke. The music shook the room like a California earthquake. During the band’s sound check, the shaking was so violent that it caused a tile to fall from the ceiling.

The flashy lights were exciting and could keep the attention of any child. However, they were overbearing at times. The strobe lights could have made a blind man have a seizure. Yet, they added a stop motion feel to the ambiance of the show. It was as we were all watching an old time film and all a part of it at the same time.

Most of the songs played were from the band’s biggest albums, “Danse Macabre” and “Wet from Birth.” It was more of a greatest hits concert than a promotion of their new album “Fasciinatiion.” However, this did not disappoint fans.

This was not only a show for long-time fans, but for those who simply love to dance. The Faint delivered a heart pounding show that left fans wet with sweat.

The only thing that could have made this night any more interesting is if it really were the 1980s, and we were all raving on ecstasy. Except, I think the shirtless guy really was on ecstasy.

Mikhail Chernyavsky can be reached at [email protected]